The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-02-08
Mr.. Piercc's smile broadcncd.


Mr.. Pierce looked tho comical en-
bodimcnt of humiliation and remorsc.
"You must bc tired, racing around
like TINT. Won't you sit DOWN." hc
begged.
mo, I won'tr' said Lucy severely.
And then they laughed heartily in
unison. The "tramp" went past
slowly-old Mr.. Mills, with u bag of
potatoes on his back.
Lucy pinned up her disordcred hair.
Its soft tints took Oh golden beauty
In the sitting sunlight.
"Do sit down." said Calvin Pierce.
And he spread his handkerchief on
the grass beside him, and rather near
to him.
alt was drcadfully mean of you'll"
said l. icy, smiling down upon him.
al know ii. I'm horribly sorry.
DO sit down." ho supplicated.
"rll go Ia and get my scarf" snid
Lucy. AMY dres, is thin"
Mr.. Pierce went too, and took her
arm to help her up the porch steps.
"lIcllo" lie calculated.
The front door had blown shut In
their faces with rcsounding bang.
"Now we're caught!' he cried, glee-
fully. "1hat door locks when IL
shuts, Miss Donner. Now what are
you going to do?"
Lucy tried 1t. She was smiling
considerably; but Mr.. Pierce did not
see II, her face being turned away.
"Drcadfuli" she cried. "And l
want my scarf, and my hat, and the
rest of my box of candy, and dozen
things. must have thcmi'
"Thc back door is locked, I'm ccr-
tain. They always lock it when they
go away" said Mr.. Pierce. "Lets
sec."
The back door, when they reached
It, was locked.
"We'll have to sit under tho elms
till they get home," Mr.. Pierce
averred, cor get through a window"
"Wc must get ill.," said Lucy, de-
cisivcly, "and get the door open.
They may not DO home till supper
time. We mustl'
"Your word is law" said Mrs.
Wood wards cousin, with em phasis
and look.
"Thank you," said Mr.. WoodwarIs
niece, family blushing.
"The front windows are locked"
Mr.. Pierce observed. 81 saw Kate
lock them"
"And this one is rather high said
Lucy.
"Rather," he agreed. W should
need a hook-and- ladder"
"You might try the pantry win
dow" Lucy suggested. "Its too bad
to make you, but
at is nothing" said Mr.. Pierce,
gallantly. "lhe pantry Window
All right"
Tho pantry window was not locked,
but it held wire screen. Mr.. Pierce,
standing on his toes, slrovo TO re-
move it, aud failed.
"Waitl" he said.
He went to the barn aud came back
with wooden box and a hummer.
1t was a serious undertaking. lie
hammered and pulled for five min
utes, bruising his fingers and frown-
ing.
"Pm so sorry!" Lucy murmured.
"Not at ALL" Mr.. Pierce responded,
with cheerful haste. Tho screw had
yielded. "Now l can vault in, l
think, without any trouble"
"Don't vault into the pics" said
Lucy, catching sight of them on
shelf within.
Mr.. Pierce sprang; Lucy heard a
soft, ominous crash.
She was not looking, however. She
turned aud ran swiftly around the
house and straight in at the front
door; then, after short, instructive
pause before the hall mirror, she
walked dcmurely into the pantry.
"Oh, dcarl" she said, sinking into
a chair, in spasms of helpless laugh
ter.
Mr.. Pierce stood in tho middle Of
the pantry, stiff and straight and un-
smiling. A tin pan had rolled into q
corner, and fair share Of its con-
tents had rolled there, too-eggs;