Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-06-27
THE LOST SPOONS.

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bocame the progenitrix Of the royal and
! unlucky house Of Stuart. Lying mid
way between Edinburgh and Glasgow,
those rival queens Of the east and west,
but ont Of the common track Of traffic
and travel, il has been for ages pas
torul parish Of small and rather back.
ward farms.
OF late years coal has been found
thorc and steam and trade, which bid
fair to leave tho world no rustic corner,
are rapidly turning it into mining dis
trict, which nobody thought Of abou,
the lime Of tho general peace, when
Bathgate lived on its own oats and bar
ley. wore its own holden gray and had
but two subjects of intcrest--the corn
market and the kirk session. Among its
pcaccable and industrious population
there was one dame who, though neither
the wcalthiest nor the best born, stood
in her own esteem above all but the
laird and the minister, and her style and
title was Widow Simpson. This lady
valued herself, not on the farm left her
by the good man who had departed this
lifo some seven years before the COM
mencement of our story, for its acres
wcro few and they consisted Of half re-
claimed mOorland; not on her grown up
son Robin, though no was counted
likely and sensible lad; not on her own
thrifty housekeeping, though it was
known 10 be ou the tight screw" prin.
ciplc. but on the possession Of a dozen
silver teaspoons.
Her account OF them was that they
had belonged TO the young chevalier.
and had been bestowed upon her grand
father in return for entertaining that
claimant 10 the British crown on his
march from Culloden-in proof Of which
she was accustomed to point ont half
oblitcratcd crest and the initials e. s.,
with which they were marked. The
widows ncighLor8, however, had diff
fercnt tale REGARDING their coming into
tho family Il was TO the effect that her
grauGiihog who kept small inn some
wlcrr ia Fife. had bought them from an
III doing liz for three gallons Of High
land So i.5o- and bestowed them on his
granddaughter as tho one Of his family
most l.,.oly 90 hold fast TO such an i'm.
V1r'a,t acquisition.
IN tho family resided in tho capacity
oi "hclp" ono Nancy Campbell, girl
about uipetcen, who was suspected OF
having tak.u fancy TO Robin, who re-
ciprocatci tho sentiment. Nothing, how
ever, would soften the heart of the
widow as regards "a match, until mt last
tho following event occurred and caused
her 10 give way: About the haymaking
time a distant and comparatively rich
relation was expected to call and take
tea one evening ON his way from Lin
lithgow 1t was not often that this su-
peIiJr relative honorcd her house with
d visit, aud Mrs. Simpson, determined
that nothing should be wanting to his
entertainment, brought out the treas
ured spoons early in the forenoon, with
many inJunctiOns to Nancy touching the
care she should take in Frightening
them up.
While this operation was being con-
Quoted III tlc kitchen, in the midst Of
| one Of those uncertain days which vary
the northern June, a sudden darkening
Of the sky announced the approach Of
heavy rain. The hay was dry and ready
for housing. Robin and two farm men
! were busy gathering it in; but the great
drops began TO fall while II considerable
| portion yet remained in the field, and,
! with the instinct of crop preservation,
forth rushed tho widow, followed by
| Nancy, leaving the spoons half secured
on the kitchen table. In her rapid exit
the girl had forgotten to latch tho door,
! The weasel and the kite were the only
| dcpredators known about tho moorland
farm; but while they were all occupied
! in the hay field, who should come that
way but Goordy Wilson.
Well, the kitchen door was open, and
Gcordy stepped in. He banged the
settle with his staff, he coughed, he
hcmmod, he salutcd the cat, which sat
purling on the window seat, and Mt
length discovered there was nobody
within. Neither meal nor penny was
10 be expected that day; tho rain was
growing heavier, some of the hay must
b. wet, and Mrs. Simpson would return
in bad humor. But two objects power
fully arrested Geordy's attention; one
was the broth pot boiling on the fire and
/ wv NNllNA Nii1 CAlNtI spOOUS sCatttTcu On
the table Bending over tho former
! Geordy took considerable sniff, gave
the ingredients stir with the pot stick,
and muttercd every thin" His pro-
cccding with regard TO the latter must
remain unmcntiUned; but half an hour
after, when no was safely ensconced in
a farmhouse mile OFF and the family
had been driven within doors by the In.
creasing storm, they found everything
as IL nad Deen leIt-tne Drotn on the
FIRE, the cat on the window seat, the
whiting and flannel on the table; but
not n spoon was there.
"Whar's the spoonsy" cried Mrs
Simpson TO the entire family, who
stood 10y the fire drying their wet gar.
monts. Nobody could tell. Nancy had
left them on the table when she ran tc
tho hay. No one had been in the house
they were certain, for nothing was dis.
! turbed. The drawer was pulled out,
aud the empty stocking exhibited.
Every shelf every corner, was searched,
but 20 no purpose; the spoons had disap-
pcarcd and the state Of tho farmhouse
may be imagined. The widow ran
through IL like one distracted. question.
ing, scolding and searching. Robin,
Nancy and the farm men were dis.
patched in different directions, as SOON
o. the rain abaied, TO inform the neigh
/ So ,tr,1.r a.....-.-.4s---