The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-02-05

kind O. hard, and know it'll be awful
dry before we get it used up,so l brought
you over chunk"
ooh! thank you ever so much" said
said Mrs. Gibbs, inwardly regretting
Horace Hands kindness now. "pm
afraid YOU robbed yourself"
"Oh! no, we've got more left than
we shall use before it gets hard as a
grin'stun. dare say. don't see how
happened to get it oversalted, I'm
sure"
at won't dry up at this house, I'm
sure" laughed Mrs. Gibbs as she laid
it in the pantry. II feel rich with SO
much cheese in the house."
sob! la-don't mention it! hain't
forgot the squash you sent me last win
ter, and all them turkey wings, too"
''As if you wasn't always sending us
something good'; and so, chanting each
others praises, they made their way to
their parlor.
"At five O'Clock, when Mrs. Gibbs
went out to make a fire and put on the
tea-kettle, her husband had just come
home, and bringing in a brown paper
parcel, laid it on the kitchen table.
There's your cheese, Drusilla," he
said. II amt one to begretch you any
thing in reason, but | swan to man! it
seemed kind of tough to pay seventeen
cents for that little hunk of chees e, and
told Brown so. call it kind of hard
and dry, too"
Mrs. Gibbs thought of the piece three
times as large which Mrs. Stone had
brought, and of the other piece which
Horace Hand was to bring, but pru-
IDENTITY said nothing. Once let Jonathan
Gibbs know he had bought cheese I'M
necessarily, and it would be long day
before he ever bought any more.
1.-THE minister has come,' she said;
you'd better change your coat and go
in and visit with him."
''Ill do better than that. I'll take him
out to the pasture to see my colts. He's
quite judge of horseflesh, our minister
is"
''Am too late, mother ?" asked Eta 8,
hurrying in as her mother was cutting a
generous plate of cheese for the table.
"Why! where did you get the cheese
went clear back to the groc ry to get
some after was half way home. l knew
you would be so disappointed not to
have some."
Your father brought me some, though
hadn, the least idea he would, SO
sent for some by Horace Hand, and then
don't you know! Mrs. Stone brought mo
at much as three or four pounds!"
Ibid you overland Eta sat down and
laughed and famed herself with her hat,
while her mother, having somewhat re-
lieved her cheese burdened mind, went
ON with her supper preparations. Eta
was discreet girl, and her mother was
prone to share such burdens with her as
she could not share with her husband.
1t was only few minutes before Hor-
ace Hand came, sweating, into the
kitchen.
I'm glad if l amt too late" he said;
but, l vow, was awful 'fraid you'd be
all through your supper! Brown and
the clerk was both busy, and had to
wait as much as half an hour, pears to
me! then he mistook me and put up two
pounds instead of one; but reckoned,
perhaps, you wouldt care. 1t come to
just thirty cents"
Mrs. Gibbs hurriedly went for the
money and paid him Qeaving just ten
cents in her purse), thanking HIM with a
heartiness which, to herself, savored of
hypocrisy.
Its all from Mrs. Stones cheese,
too" she said to Eta, after he had gone.
''She sold the cheese to Mr. Brown this
morning. If we had variety it wouldn't
seem quite as bad. Well, I'm thankful
for once that Johnny is forgetful for
spoke to him about getting me some as
he cam9 back from the Cove (he went
ovel there fishing), but he was sure he
would forget it,
Trust Johnny to forget anything"
said Eta. 'And if he did go for 1t, the
clerk would know bought some, so he
would tell Johnny, should think"
"And your father bought his of Mr..
Brown, for remember what he said he
told him. They say Horace Hand always
buys everything as if it was for himself
makes him feel important, suppose.
But l somehow feel it in my bones tina t
Johnny will come home with another
piece of cheese. 1t never rains but i t
pOurs y
The tea table was at length ready, with
its snowy biscuit and golden June but
ter, bountiful plate of cheese at ach
end of the table, and strawberries aud
cream dd ibitum. There were three
kinds of pie ana four kinds of cake, be-
sides tarts, crullers and jumbles. The
fragrance of tea filled the dining groom
as the guests filed out and sat down
around the table, Eta remaining I'M
seated to wait on the company.
The minister asked, the blessing, at
Mr.. Gibbs request, then all fell to eat
ing with zest which spoke we'll for
Mrs. Gibbs cooking and pleased her
even more than the frequent, "What
hpautifnl hiscuit Won alwayc boya Mrs