The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-14
preferred answering her question with

preferred answering her question with
another.
How did those things come to be
there. Josephine?"
We'll, femme see," said she; that
petticoat I just put in there this morn
ing when 1 cl'ared up my room. 1t
looked so shiftless lying around"
But. Josephine, it should have gone
into the wash, yesterday"
"Yes'm, I know; but I forgot" she
said parenthetically; and that thar
soup-ladle was so black, / knowed it
would distress you, SO I just put it in
there till 1 could get time to scour it
up. 1t burned down in that bean soup
we had last Friday" She spoke as one
who gives sufficient explanation.
And that pie?-lemme see-well,
now. Miss Annie, there really amt no
good reason why that pie should be
there" said she, shaking her head
j%udicially, and looking sympathetically
at me as If together we had discovered
a culprit.
Josephine" my ton was httingly
stern. this is too bad"
Yes, Miss Annie. But I might just
stay from chool this afternoon, and
wash that petticoat and scour up that
ladle, and that thar pie could be chuck
ed in the chicken-yard." Her tone was
that Of one offering advice to a per-
picked friend.
mo, Josephine" I returned decidedly.
You can put the skirt a soak now,
and wash it out when you get home
from school tonight"
"All right, Miss ANNIE" very cheer
fully. but you'll show me how to
piece down them sleeves. won't your"
said she piously, as she gathered up
the bag.
Yes, Josephine."
II suppose it was old Miss Tilda as
found the bag" she remarked in a
matter-of-course tone. as she left the
| room.
Before we were married I had plan
ned to make an ideal home for John.
But such a combination as Aunt Tilda
and Josephine had not entered INTO my
calculations. I did not want to give
up Josephine. She had the making of
a valuable servant in her. Besides, I
had grown fond of the child. If only
John would see how hard it was for me
to live with Aunt Tilda, and find some
other home for her. He probably
like a mother" to me.
A few evenings later, however, some
thing happened which led me to sus-
pect that my husband was not so
utterly stupid as I had given him cred
it for being.
We were at dinner. I always enjoy
the di~nner-hour. John was at home,
at leisure for the rest of the evening.
The fire burned cheerfully in the CRATE,
and our few pieces of glass and silver
sent back a hundred CLEANS for every
ray of light. John was in an unusually
happy mood. The election returns
were just in. "It will be a good thing
for the country to have a man for
president who knows his own mind,'
said he cheerfully.
YES" assented Aunt Tilda sceptical-
ly, "if only he will hold up to it when
he gets to Washington"
At this moment I locke up. Joseph
inc, who stood directly ehind Aunt
Tilda's chair, was nodding her head
in exact imitation. She had so altered
the lines of her face that except for
color, the two faces were strikingly
alike. 1t was a duSky shadow of Aunt
Tilda.
l glanced apprehensively at John.
He had dropped his napkin and was
STOPPING to reach it. Was it the ghost
of a smile disappearing behind his
moustache as he raised his head?
I had not time to decide. Josephine,
with her usual propensity to get
found out" had placed herself di-
rectly in front of a lamp. Aunt Tilda,
looking up suddenly, caught sight Of
the Swallowed, bobbing curls on the
opposite vail.
You may pass me the bread,
Josephine" she said sharply.
And poor Josephine stepped meekly
to the other side of the table, her face
as expressiOnless as a wax dolls. Just
then the door bell rang vigorously, and
Josephine disappeared to answer it.
Its that Durfrey man, she said
shortly, taking her place behind my
chair, where she could escape my re-
proving glance.
Deacon Durfey?" said John. You
go in and entertain him, Aunt Tilda,
while Annie and I finish our dessert.
We will be in pretty soon."
So Aunt Tilda left US, and John
brought his coffee around near the
fire by me, and We talked of things
which were somehow never mentioned
when Aunt Tilda was there. Joseph
inc was busy in the kitchen, and from
the parlor came a continuous murmur
of voices. John listened with a twinkle
in his eye.
They seem to be very we'll enter
tained," he remarked dryly.