Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-11-08

NE, dAi We IL nave 10 JOCK the larder o.
nights If we want to keep things in
safety there"
at amt bears-not of the kind that
walk on our legs" determinedly replied
Aunt Jesssmine. al tell you, Jack, it's
the other kind, and, while l name no
one, believe l could, if 1 would, tell
You where the pies 60"
!'Dol't be suspicious, mother, I'll
watch tomorrow night"
"Oh, he's not coming back that soon.
l heard him say that he wouldn't be
back for q week.
Then you suspect some ouei'
~ do"
At that moment the door opened and
Rachel came in, a sweet backwoods girl,
the belle of the settlement and the ia
voIite Of all. Sic stopped at the door
and swept the room with her blue eyes
which finally settled on her mother,
whose perturbcd countenance seemed to
tell her that something was wrong.
whats the matter, motheri' she
asked, gently.
"Ihree more pes went last night
the three l baked for the preacher who
VIII be here tomorrow"
81 thought some one was in the larder
last night, for when went in a while
ago there were crumbs on the floor"
Eyes, be ate them there-there's ap-
parent room 20 believe this. He must
have been very hungry"
.'BcaTs are cute animals"
"Bcars9" and Aunt Jessamine glanced
at Jack, about whose lips lurked smile
which she did not seem to catch.
"You remember that Billy saw tracks
down in the ravine and that the Wilson
girls were chased by a bear in the berry
patch last week. l shouldn't be sur.
prised il bears had found out your
larder-'
81 think they have. There, we won't
argue this question any longer" and
Aunt Jessamine rose and swept out of
the room leaving L chel to look at Jack
for an explanation.
''Do you know whom she suspicions2"
asked Jack, stopping in his work and
fixing his eyes on his handsome sister.
"Mother is of the opinion that Josh ate
the pies"
In an instant the face of the backwoods
beauty coloIcd and she gave utterance
to a cry of astonishment.
"Impossible, Jack! She can't have
such terrible suspicion. It is nonsense"
and then she laughed, but presently con-
tinued:
'It is good joke on Josh, anyhow.
but don't like mothers suspicion.
What If it should get abroad -"
(which it is quite likely to do unless
we disabuse mothers mind of it. She
really believes that Josh. your beau,
stole into the outhouse and ate the pies.
Strange to say pies have vanished on the
nights Of his visits; l have noticed that
myself, Rachie, and, as mother has heard
that Josh is a good hand at a feast, you
should not blame her so very much"
''But he didn't eat them, no, he never
went to the larder, and all this talk
about his eating the pies is unjust"
"Of course, it is. 1 don't believe
Josh would do that, but the pies have
vanished; you Will admit this. Mother
is convinced that he is the deprecator
and-and-"
Rachel, unable to control herself, had
fed from the room and Jack went back
to his tax.
'It's queer" he said to himself.
"Don't know that Josh likes pies, es-
pecially pumpkin pies like mother bakes,
and there is just the slightest doubt in
my mind that he didn't come back after
he bade Rachie goodnight and tackled
the ones in the larder." -
Meanwhile Rachel Palmer was walk
ing across tho meadow toward the ravine.
| that ran through the farm some distance
| from the house. 1t was rich autumn.
! day and the sun was painting the west
| with his most glowing colors.
She was still indignant, and now I'd
then her white hands shut, and her eyes
| filed with look which told the feeling
tugging at her heart.
She made her way down the ravIne
till she came to q creek, the banks OF
which were claycy and soft.
"Here they are, just where l saw
them week ago." she said aloud, rs she
stopped and looked ct certain impress
sions in the yieldiug ground. "They are
, bear tracks, but they wouldn't tell
! nother anything In her present state OF
mind. Bears visit larders and play
havoc there, and a feast of pumpkin pies
would tempt them. But I'll write Josh
not to come to see me till send for
him, for l don't want him to meet
mother very soon."
Rachel did that that very day. In the
solitude of her little chamber she wrote
a letter to her sweetheart, telling him
that he might postpone his regular visit
for a fortnight, and ended by saying
| that she would explain all when ithey
! met again. This letter she entrusted to