The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-09


me, and we'll have to lock the larder O.
nights if we want to keep things in
safety there"
cit amt bears-not of the kind that
walk on four legs" determinedly replied
Aunt Jessamine. II tell you, Jack, it's
the other kind, and, while L name no
one, believe | could, if l would, tell
you where the pies 60"
"Don't be suspicious, mother, I'll
watch tomorrow night"
"Oh, he's not coming back that soon.
heard him say that ne wouldn't be
back for week"
Then you suspect some one?"
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 swept the room with her blue eyes
which finally settled on her mother,
whose perturbed countenance seemed to
tell her that something was wrong.
''What's the matter, mother?" she
asked, gently.
''Three more pies went last night
the three 1 baked for the preacher who
will be here tomorrow"
Il thought some one was in the larder
last night, for when went in a while
ago there were crumbs on the floor"
.'Yes, he ate them there-theres ap-
parent room TO believe this. He must
boye beap yarv hunrrv ~
.'Bears are cute animals
"Bears?" and Aunt Jessamine glanced
at Jack, about whose lips lurked aSmile
which she did not seem to catch.
.sYou 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 it 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 hackwoods
beauty colored and she gave utterance
to cry of astonishment.
"Impossible, Jack She can't have
such terrible suspicion. 1t 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 it is quite likely to do unless
we disabuse mothers mind OF 1t. she
really believes that Josh. your oeau'
stole into the clubhouse and ate the pies.
Strange to say pies have vanished on the
nights of his visits; l have noticed tna5
myself, Rachie, and, as mother mas hearo
that Josh is a good hand at least you
should not blame her so very mucu'
..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. I don't oelleVe
Josh would do that, but the pies nave
vanished; you will admit TINS. Motne' ~
is convinced that ne is the depreca'oF
and-and-" =. -
Rachel, unable to control herself mad
fled from the room and Jack went baoK
TO his task. ,.o1f
''It's queer" he said 10 m n,n'1 aa
"Don't know that Josh likes pies 90
pecialy pumpkin pies like mother osa oaAes, -
and there is Just the slightest doupI .an ~
nv mind that he didn't come oacN 1l'ed ai.ei
he bade Rachie goodnight ana tacA'e'
the ones in the larder. o,,-
Meanwhile kacne Palmer was walk
I! INC across the meadow toward tne -anr,e -asale
that ran through the farm some distance