The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-21


coolin'. An say, you see that you don't
bring him in this house fer good hour
| TO come Chickens has to fry slow. /
| amt a-goin' 10 be drove fer the presi-
dent o. the United States, an you kin
| tell him that, eff you want TO. It's ASK
| in enough o. me to stay home a-sewin'
| over hot stove while the hull town il
| out enjoyin' the accident, without hav-
in strange man rockin' an fannin' In
my ettin'-roon, a-fussin' an fumin'
cause / amt hurryin' faster with his
dinner. Now you go long an ketch me
two pullets, do you mind, er I'll go an
| hunt q cool place in the cellar an let
your Mr.. Stranger hunt somewhere else
fer dinner. But here; first of all you
take him couple O. cookies TO kind o.
stay his stummick. an you draw him
out bit, an see ef he's one o. the kind
to be sungy bout payin'. Ef he is. you
| needn't come back"
"He's got money, you may depend"
| said Sol. confidently. I'll ketch you
the pullets right away; the cookies will
keep, reckon"
Having discharged this mission, Sol
returned leisurely to report to the
| stranger cheering news of his success.
"Icf you sec me lean my hoe agen the
| fence, you may know it's bargain"
| he had said to Cynthy Ann at parting.
"It's all settled, but you're not TO 90
nigh the house fer an hour. She pinted-
ly told me 10 tell you she wouldn't he
| drove fer the president himself. had
a wrus'lin' match with her, you better
believe. Mighty nigh give ii up, once.
| You see she was sewin' one othem
| piece-quilts she's so crazy about, an
when Cynthy Ann Bowker Is busy Mt
work o. that kind, It's about Ike tryin
! 10 whistle "A hog out of n sweet-per-
tater patch To git her 20 lay 1t down.
| But you see / sort o let on about the
nuisance o. people comm round an
pesterin' fer favors at unhandy times,
| an doubtin' whether you'd got the
| price of q meal o. vittlcs about you,
an things like that, till I'd got her
a-pullin' contraireywise. An nowshe's
got started an no stoppin' her. She'll
Eies, try -herself, an, fix you out With
/ luxuries o. the season, from corn-bread
! TO weddin' cake, reckon"
Sol bent himself, laughing irnmoder-
| ately at the drollness of this impromptu
concert. Then, suddenly bethinking
himself, he delivered the cookies. ''She
| thought you mightn't be able to watt"
he explained. The man gave queer
smile, but accepted the gift with be-
| coming humility. Sol leaned his hoe
against the fence and stopped to re-
move an imaginary pebble from his
| shoe. Then the gucst-to-be retired to
the shade of towering sycamore on
q creel-bank near by, to beguile the
interval of waiting with newspaper.
"I don't properly recall your name."
said Sol, inquiringly, rs he ushered the
suppliant for Cynthy AIMS favor into
the dining-room.
Brown" said the guest, simply, and
rs his hostess, heated and persp:ring.
came in at the moment from the kitchen,
he bowed smiling, before Sol could
formally introduce him.
"It's too bad 10 put you to so much
trouble, Miss Bowkcr," he apologized,
glancing at the bountifully furnished
table with look of appreciation which
spoke at the same time sincere concern
for the labor ID had cost her. 81 fear l
have imposed on your good nature. I
really must apologize for allowing you
10 undertake such task, this warm
day"
1T amt the trouble, eff things was
only cooked right" Cynthy Ann replied,
graciously. The grim look OF reserve
faded from her features under the touch
OF his sympathy. There's times when
I'm that fiustered, like I've been since
the accident, that can't cook fit fer
section-hand. Speakin' o. that, want
you TO tell me, Sol Adams, what ails
them biscuit"
A curious smile lurking behind the air
OF mystery which invested this query.
suggested that the solution of the prob
lem would be found to shed light upon
various indeterminate factors which
operate frequently to battle the cooks
| calculations.
Being thus expressly challenged to
! pass Judgment, Sol seated himself at u
respectful distance from the table, but
tered biscuit and nibbled at 1t with a
eountcnance composed to an aspect Of
profound ratiocination far removed
from any suggestion of animal appetite.
Mr.. Brown and Cynthy Ann awaited
breathlessly the verdict. After mo-
incnt Cynthy Ann broke the silence.
~ see you amt maxim no headway,
Sol. No. 1t amt the Jumps in the flour.
ner the mite too much sody, though
them faults 1 kin notice il you can't.
Well, then, reckon I'll have TO tell you,
men is such poor guesscrs; it's the lower
crusto bein' speck underdone. I'd
ought TO left the pan scttin' on the bot
tom of the oven half minute longer.
If Id q had time I'd "a slung the hull
batch out 10 the chickens nn' begun all
over. Bet they'll have TO do. so draw up
your chair. Mr.. Smith, while L fetch the
sweet pertatcrs."
As the meal progressed, Cynthy Ann.
| n.ta -. ~.