The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-03-08

me, and well have TO lock the larder o.
nights If we want to keep things in
safety there"
''It amt bears-not Of the kind that
walk on four legs" determinedly replied
Aunt Jessamine. al tell you, Jack, it's
the other kind, and, while 1 name no
one, l believe l could, if l would, tell
you where the pies CO."
'.Don't be suspicious, mother, Phi
watch tomorrow night"
"Oh, he's not coming back that soon.
heard him say that he wouldn't be
back for week."
"Then you suspect some one9"
"I do"
At that moment the door opened and
Rachel came 10, sweet backwoods girl,
the belle of the settlement and the IA
vorite Of all. She stopped at the door
and swep: the room with her blue ewes
which finally settled on her mother,
whose perturbed countenance seemed to
tell Eer that something was wrong.
"What's the matter, mother7" she
asked, gently.
"Three more pies went last night
the three 1 baked for the preacher who
will be here tomorrow"
'I thought some one was in the larder
last night, for when went in while
ago there were crumbs on the floor"
''Yes, he ate them there-there's ap-
parent room to believe this. He must
have been very hungry"
''Bears are cute animals"
"Bears3" and Aunt Jessamine glanced
at Jack, about whose lips lurked a 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 bear in the berry
patch last week. / 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 Rachel to look at Jack
for an explanation.
"Do you know whom she suspicions?"
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 colored and she gave utterance
to cry of astonishment.
''lmpossible, Jack She can't have
such terrible suspicion. II is nonsense, :"
and then she laughed, but presently con-
tinued
at is a good joke on Josh, anyhow,
but / don't like mothers suspicion.
What If it should get abroad ="
(which 1t is quite likely to do unless
we disabuse mothers mind of il. She
really believes that Josh, your beau,
stole into the clubhouse 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 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. l don't believe
Josh would do that, but the pies Aave
vanished; you will admit this. Mother
is convinced that he is the deprecator
and-and-"
Rachel, unable to control herself, had
fled from the room and Jack went back
10 his task.
'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 the meadow toward the ravine
that ran through the farm some distance
from the house. It was a rich autumn
day and the sun was painting the west
with his most glowing colors.
She was still indignant, and now and
then her white hands shut, and her eyes
filled with a look which told the feeling
tugglng at her heart.
She made her way down the ravlne
till she came TO a creek, the banks of
which were olayey and soft.
"Hero they are, just Oghere l saw
them week ago." she said aloud, as she
stopped and looked at certain imprea-
sions in the yielding ground. "They are
bear tracks, but they wouldn't tell