The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-11-07

ness, the tired yet happy girl hung
up her ginghanl apron and rolled down
her sleeves with 4 sigh of relief. The
chicken was in the cool cellar all ready
for the frying pan, the potato salad
must be prepared later on, for it could
rot stand too long, While it would only
take 4 few minutes 10 cream the pCt1
toes while the chicken fried.
Nancy thought of all this while set
ting the table. The wide kitchen was
also the dining-room, but it was built
before people began cutting their
houses up into SO many rooms. The
east end with its mating covered
floor, windows full of sweet smelling
plants. and daintily set table with its
snowy linen and shining glass, formed
50 pretty and inviting a picture, no one
need look further.
The girl gave 4 sigh of satisfaction as
she surveyed her finished task, then
covered all with a length of netting.
An hours rest, a lunch for which she
brought a good appetite, and then she
set out on her search for October treas
ures.
She was back long before the hour OF
her parents return, and when they ar
rived she stood at the gate to receive
them. Hal Dinsley was with them,
as she had expected, and he thought he
had never seen so fair u picture as she
presented in her soft brown dress, a
spray of belated goldenrod at her throat
and another in her hair.
There was n happy look in her dark
eyes, and a deep flush stained her cheek
as he held her hand in greeting. But
someway he did not like the Cousin
Hail." so freely bestowed. A nearer
and dearer title would have been far
more to This liking.
They were a little late, so made haste
to prepare for the meal which Nancy
said was waiting for them.
How everybody did enjoy that tea.
1t was not considered ill-mannered in
that section, if anything was particu-
larly good, to say so, and Nancy found
herself loaded with compliments.
Now. here's a pie Il man can eat
without 4 haunting fear of indigestion
or nightmare" said Mr.. Moore, as he
deposited a generous triangle of the
mock mince upon his plate. You have
eNcelled yourself, dear, they are splen-
did" Thus it vas with everything I'M
til the cakes were passed.
Nancy sat with downcast eyes, blush
ing under Halls admiring glances, when
4 sudden and complete silence on the
part of all caused her to look up. Mr..
Moore was evidently on the verge of =
TT, or making a heroic attempt to sup
press a laugh. She glanced at Hal. He,
too, was smiling, despite all efforts TO
the contrary. My DEAR" said her
mother in a queer voice, where did
you get the sugar for your cake?"
Nancy looked surprised. "Why, after
I used what was in the bucket, L opened
tEat paper papa brought yesterday"
"Oh, by George, l thought So" and
Mr.. Moore hurst into a ringing peal of
laughter.
Mrs. Moore could not speak, but mo-
toned for Nancy to taste her piece o.
cake.
She obeyed, but the expression of dis
gusted amazement on her face which
followed was too much for Hal, and he
Joined the chorus. Nancy sat Il mo-
ment the picture of modification. Her
beautiful cake, which rivaled the snow
in whiteness, and her cream layer of
which she had been SO proud, We're both
made of salt!
But really; it was o comical, and 4
moment later she was laughing as
heartily as any of them.
Well, the supper was a great success.
Notwithstanding her awful blunder;
and ere she laid her head upon her
pillow that night, Cousin Hal, who
really was no cousin after all, had asked
her to sweeten his cakes for all his life.
And she had promised to do 50, provided
he furnished nothing but salt.
Nancy IS now mistress of a home OF
her own, and has become a notable
housewife. But she never uses the con-
tents of a package without being ure
whether it is sugar or salt.-Good
JNucaIaaDipr