The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-02-24

'&ZN: s ssss it sG ss a sse ers
rich juices, and of a goodly array Of
pies of all denominations-suc pies,
teeming with all the odors OF the
Araby blest, as had won dear, moth
erly Mrs. Sunderland an enviable
reputation through all the region
round about
And fitting busily at her mothers
side, in the great, clean, shining
kitchen; with light feet and the very
daintiest, deftest little hands in all
the world, was the blooming Ivy
'"sole daughter of her house and
heart
"There, MOTHER" she said, placing
a gigantic plum cake on the table
with a triumphant flourish, 'that's
the last! The baking is done, thank
goodness, and now I'll attack the
.parlor.'
II wouldn't tonight, DEAR" said
Mrs. Sunderland. You'll tire your
self out. There'll be plenty Of time
in the morning."
s'Oh, no, mother. l promised to
be at the church early, to practice
the new anthem. They all declare
they can't get along without me.
And l thought ii | could snatch an
hour some time between now and
then that I'd finish off my blue silk
it only needs stitch or two. Julia
Hunt said she might be over after
dinner and bring her cousin with
her. She's from the city, you know,
and so stylish "And then," she
added, with Il rather overdone at
tempt at carelessness, cts possible
Joe Dalton may be here in the even
ing"
Him! Joe Dalton" said Mrs. Su n
'-derland, a little surprised, but too
much absorbed in her contemplation
of the cake to pay strict attention to
less important matters. "And when
did you hear from him?'
Oh, not since he left in the summer.
But he told me then that he intend
ed to pass Thanksgiving at the
'squire's, and that if he did he'd give
us a call But really must begin at
the Parlor.''
And into the parlors he went, a
.curiously-happy light on her face,
while she busted the quaint old
spindle-legged piano, and polished
the mirror between the windows, and
rubbed the brass fire dogs till they
-shone again. Then she brought
out long wreaths OF fragrant ground
pine and knots of scarlet leaves, and
garlanded the old family portraits,
and filled vases and baskets, till the
old room was sweet and glowing as
the bower of a forest queen.
Perhaps it was all to please Julia
Hunt and her city cousin, but know
that all the while before Ivy's happy
eyes were floating memories of Joe
Dalton's admiring looks when one
day last summer she decorated the
room with wild clematis vines, and
still in her ears were ringing his
praises of what he called her lex
~quisite artistic instincts"
Suddenly the whistle of the even
ing train was heard, away went the
tired feet, twinkling up three fights
of stairs to the attic, where Ivy cod
died down in the window command
ing view of the turn of the road by
which the 'squire's open wagon must
pass on it's way home from the de-
pot. Yes, sure enough, there came
the wagon behind the pair of high
stepping hays. Ivy could distinguish
the 'squire's portly figure on the
front seat, beside the coachman, and
behind was slenderer form that
Ivy's beating heart told her was Joe.
But a little half-jealous pang shot
through the same heart as she saw
that a lady, evidently young, sat be-
side him, and marked the devoted
air with which he leaned toward her,
one arm extended behind her on the
back of the seat, the other pointing
here and there, as drawing her at
tention to the different beauties Of
the landscape.
"Some cousin, 1 suppose" she said
to herself, as she went slowly down
the stairs to her own room. The
apron must be removed. the silky
braids smoothed with extra care
and the plain linen collar replaced
with frills of dainty lace. Then from
it's little sandal-wood box Ivy drew
forth slender chain and locket, the
sole ornament she possessed, anc
settled it among the frills with 8