The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-07-08
bcw rcng Kept g
&C the Bakery.
BY SOPHIE SWEET.
BY SOPHIE SWEET.

CLAIR to goodness Use mos afraid
to Leah dat Tony to min de
bakery, fo' he's de keerlessest chile.
Sat'day night, too. an all de beans to
bake, an my ole man cant never Git
home till twelb o'clock. But de ledge
done send an say can't had no dinner
party widout Aunt Lucy to serve up de
dinner. Sol mus go. Tony, now mem
Der which end you's on, an don't let
muffin happen to de money drawer, nor
de beans, nor Patra, by yo' keerless-
ness"
Tony stood on his woolly head with
delight when the door closed on his
mother. He felt very proud of being
left to min de bakery" But he was
very soon obliged to reverse his posi-
ton and attend to business, for people
were beginning to come with their bean
pots. Everybody in the neighborhood
sent their Sunday beans to be baked in
Aunt Lucy Crumples' great brick oven.
Aunt Lucy was a famous cook. She
had been the cook at Judge Carlisle's. in
the next town, until she married Peter
Crumples, the barber. Peter did a
tlourishing business, but Aunt Lucy
coald not be happy unless she was cook
ing So she set up . bakery, which was
patrOnized by both rich and poor, for
hergoods were ola delectable flavor, and
she was so neat that one might eat off
her floors.
Tony was of great use in the estab-
lishment. He was strong and willing.
and his mother had already discovered
i'll him a genius for cooking, but his
carelessness was a great drawback.
Tony lamented it, but didn't seem
able to help it.
"Ill neber git cured Oh bein' keerless,
till my wool done come straight, TO-
sure.' he always said.
People began to come in with their
bean pots, as | said. The great oven
was heating slowly. 1t took long time
for it to get hot. Tony put the first in
stallment of bean pots into it.
Here, Patra, you done climb in dar
an poke de pots way back. | reckon
dere's gwine to be heaps oh pots to-
night he said.
Patra, a small morsel of humanity,
with her wool tied up into little knobs
with red ribbons, obeyed. She thought
it was great fun to climb into the big
over, which was not yet hot enough to
burn her She arranged the pots care
fully, and was in no hurry to come out.
Tony was preparing their own pots
of beans, for they sold beans Sunday
mornings. Tinklei tinkle. went the
bell of the shop door, and he hurried
out
AS he went by the oven he shut the
door. That oven would never get hot
with the door open. He had quite for
gotten Patra!
Patra screamed with all her small
might. 1t was dark, suffocating. hor-
rible in the oven. Moreover, it was
growing very warm.
She kicked franticaIly at the door.
but it was impossible to open it from
the inside.
Meanwhile Tony, who had gone into
the shop and shut the door behind him,
was putting on very grand airs of pro-
prietorship to Billy McGrath, who had
come to buy cents worth of yeast and
two cents worth of stale gingerbread.
whats that noise?" asked Billy.
suddenly. 1T sounds kind of queer
and far off, as if ii was in the walls"
Muffin but rats" replied TONY.
"Beans jest in time, sar," he continued,
to a customer who had just come in.
Dat oven is gittin' roarin' hot. More
beans! See 'em come in now. Yc'd
know what it was to have yo' hands full
of business if yo' was me, Billy Nc
Grath"
The counter was covered with bean
pots.
Nov Use gwine to shove dem in de
Oven," said Tony to himself, Billy Nc
Grath having departed, manfully con-
cealing his envy, and there being lull
in the rush of custom. Il wonder whar
dat Patra is? Patra, chile, what mis-
chief is yo' in? Patra!"