Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-03-03

me, and we'll 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. 'I tell you, Jack, it's
the other kind, and, while l name no
one, believe could, if l would, tell
you where the pies CO."
"Don'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 week."
"Then you suspect some one2"
81 do"
At that moment the door opened and
Rachel came in, sweet backwoods girl,
the belle of the settlement and the fa-
vorite of all. She stopped at the door
and swep. the room with her blue eyes
which finally settled on her mother,
whose perturbed countenance seemed to
tell Eer that something was wrong.
"What's the matter, mothera" she
asked, gently.
"Three more pies went last night
the three baked for the preacher who
will be here tomorrow"
81 thought some one was in the larder
last night, for when went in a while
ago there we're crumbs on the floor"
"Yes, he ate them there-there's ap-
parent room to believe this. He must
have been very hungry"
.sReara are cute animals-0
"Bears9" 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. l shouldn't be sur
prised if bears had found out youl
larder-"
81 think they have. There, we won't
argue this question any longer" and
Aunt Jessamine rose and swept out o.
the room leaving Racnel to look at Jacl
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 at
the pies"
In an instant the face of the backwood
beauty colored and she gave utteranct
to cry of astonishment.
Impossible, Jackl She can't hav'
such terrible suspicion. II is nonsense,
and then she laughed, but presently con
tinued'
''It is a 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. Sh,
really believes that Josh. your beau
stole into the clubhouse and ate the pies
Strange to say pies have vanished on tn
nights of his visits; l have noticed tina
myself, Rachie, and, as mother has heart
that Josh is good hand at feast, yo'
should not blame her so very much"
"But he didn't eat them, no, he neve
went to the larder, and all this tall
about his eating the pies is unjust"
''Of course, it is. don't believ
Josh would do that, but the pies hav
vanished; you will admit this. Mothe
is convinced that he is the deprecato
and-and-"
| Rachel, unable to control herself, ha
fed from the room and Jack went bac
TO bis task.
''It's queer" he said to himself
"Don't know that Josh likes pies, es
pecially pumpkin pies like mother bake
and there is just the slightest doubt
my mind that he didn't come back attt
he bade Rachie goodnight and tackle
the ones in the lardcr."
Meanwhile Rachel Palmer was wall
ing across the meadow toward the ravir
that ran through the farm some distan:
from the house. It was q rich autum
day and the sun was painting the we
with his most glowing colors.
She was still indignant, and now an
then her white hands shut, and her ey'
filed with look which told the feelin
tugging at her heart.
She made her way down the ravil
till she came to creek, the banks
which were clayey and soft.
"Here they are, just where l So
them week ago, she said aloud, as 81
stopped and looked at certain impre
sions in the yieluing ground. "They a
bear tracks, but they wouldn't t