Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-10
WHAT KATHLEEN DID.

Kathleen was perfectly positive that
could she have just as much cake and
preserves 10 eat as she liked she would
be perfectly happy. She would give
up having butter on her bread and
milk in her tea and go to bed at 6
O'Clock and do anything at all to please
mama, if she could only have as much
cake and preserves as she could eat
just for once. But mamma smiled and
shook her head.
1t was autumn evening when aunt
and uncle BrownSon had come to call
that Kathleen had sat wonderfully
still, and Aunt Lucy asked the little
girl why she was so serious. 81 am
little sleepy" said the little fibber
The china closet where the preserves
and cake We're kept was open. as
mamma had been there for some re-
freShmentS for her visitors. They all
stood at the door, when suddenly
Kathleen disappeared into the pantry,
and squeezing herself into the closet
among the jam jars and tin-cake box.
eS, stood perfectly still Mamma came
in, and, closing the door, turned the
key in the lock and naughty Kathleen
heard her retreating footsteps as she
walked down the hall and upstairs.
Kathleen was prepared to have a
very nice time of it. So greedy was
she that she forgot to be afraid of
the darkness, and so often had she
longingly gazed at this pantry and its
treasures that she knew precisely
where the jelly-cake was
She found the box, lifted the lid and
put her hand down into the box, and
out came the big jelly-cake. Even in
he darkness she seemed to realize
how brown it was, bow red the jelly
looked in between the layers of cake
and how we'll powdered the top was
with sugar. She took little bites all
around the edge, and when she had
satisfied her first hunger for sweets,
CROPPED around till she found some
cream puffS meant for dessert to
cream puffS meant for dessert to-
morrow when the minister was coming
to dinner. The little robber decided
that she needed cream puffs much
more than the minister did, and so
disposed of them all. Then she sat
down on the floor and began to get
lonely.
II wonder" she said, eff Molly made
any custard for dinner?" and then ran
her hands along the shell where the
custards We're usually placed. There
We're nOne-all the cups were empty
except one. Kathleen put cup and all
to her lips, and then-how she did
scream!
In the meantime mamma and papa
had hunted the house over, but no
Kathleen could be found. Finally
papa took a lantern and secured the
garden and the neighborhood, but no
Kathleen. Then suddenly mamma
was startled almost into Mysteries by
a piercing scream from the pantry. 1t
was followed by frantic cries of Mann
ma! Mamma!'
The door was opened in an instant,
and into mammals arms fell the most
forlorn looking little girl that ever
was seen.
Her hair was rumpled, her face
smeared with tears, dust. jelly and
cake crumbs, and her dress ruined
with sugar and cream. The shelves
and floor were scattered with sugar
and crumbs, a broken mustard pot
rolled on the floor, a round piece of
jelly cake with a neatly scalloped edge
lay on top of it, and a jam jar was
placed on top of a cream puff which
had escaped greedy Kathie's cropping
hands.
Mamma looked on in speeches. dis
may, while Kathie hOwled, and point
ing to the mustard pot, cried between
her sObs: 81 thought it was a-a-
custard and d-drank it. Oh, bo-hoo,
bo-hoow
Mamma said nothing Kathie de-
served punishment richly, and she
had got it. When the closet was cleared
up and Kathleen put to bed, she said
humbly, as she put some cracked ice
in her burning mouth: 1t hurts
dreadful?'
cit was good that you took it, bad
girl" replied mamma. "It will be good
for your digestion"