The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-06-09

at that moment Argenty was knocking at
Mrs. Phelps kitchen door.
Mrs. Phelps herself opened the door,
her expression Of pleased expectation
turning to a frown as she saw Argenty.
But Argenty did not notice.
''What do folks eat the next morning
after they have had an awful headache all
day and hain't ct nothing?' was her eager
question.
Mrs. Phelps looked surprised, but she
answered Toast and tea
''Thank you kindly, ma am said Ar
gently, turning away.
Here called Mrs. Phelps.
Argenty turned towards her.
Butter toast, not milk toast, is what S
wanted"
Then the girl smiled radiant smile
That's the very kind | know how to
Make she said. "a cooking woman
showed me once. "
Away hurried Argenty, while Mrs.
Phelps gazed after her.
That girls gettin' woke up she
said; ''she surely is; but FL venture to
say her toast will be doughty in the middle.
L il step over, guess, in about ten min
utes, and see to it. | pose Celestiny' S
been having a spell with her head"
The ten minutes had heightened to
twenty when Mrs. Phelps entered Miss
Hoppett's kitchen.
The teakettle was boiling on the stove,
and on a plate in Argenty's hand was a
thin slice of beautifully Drowned bread
Here said Mrs. Phelps. "Let me
look at that before you turn the boiling
water over it.
She turned the plate and examined the
IL If Ill
'Well, you We 90, it right for a wonder,
she said
Again Argenty smiled. With a quick
movement she Hooded the toast with boil
ing water and instantly drained it off into
pan.
well, that's right, too,' commented
Mrs. Phelps.
Then, with tiny humps of butter on it,
it was put into the oven.
~ guess, said Mrs. Phelps, "Celes-
tiny Il think that's good toast. I'll make
the tea for her myself"
II shouldn't WONDER said Miss Hop
petit, later in the day, ''if | set Argenty
to cookin. Her first straw points that
way.
Miss IIoppett did not recover as usual
from her headache. She was ailing and
without an appetite for several days. Ar
gently looked at her and was miserable.
Il wish | could cook something for
her, she said to herself; land l could,
too, if Mrs. Phelps would tell me what
and show me how.
She sat irresoute half an hour Then
she said: Il don't care if Mrs. Phelps
don t like me, I'm going to ask her.
Miss Hoppett was lying down, and
silently Argenty stole out of the house
and fastened across the street. She was
met this time, however, without frown.
"What can l get her to eat?' she asked,
without preliminary word. Prelimina-
ries, she felt, were not for her when she
was dealing with Mrs Phelps.
Hum said Mrs. Phelps. ''What has
she had to eat?''
Argenty told her, and then added:
But she can't eat none of it, and so it s
lust the same as if she hadn't had moth
ng'
''Lf l was you, remarked Mrs. Phelps
II should try rice. Rice
sounds easy, but it amt. a stirred up
mess of lice there amt dog could
abide
Eyes M said Argenty, eagerly.
81 see yon' re a-listenin' to me, and I'll
tell you how to cook it,, went on the old
astonished TO find in her own
breast feeling of approval toward
Argenty.
Nov, " she said, when she had con-
eluded her minute directions, do you
think You can do it?''
II believe | can" replied Argenty,
brightly,
II she had answered dippantly, Mrs.
Phelps heart would have closed to her at
RI =,
-hat, besides confidence in her own powers.
showed respect for Mrs, Phelps, and an
appreciation of the difficulties in prepar-
ng rice.
II believe she can, too remarked
lurrying back. ''Them big hungry ewes
cries Of cookin, | must admit. There
,he comes again. [ wonder what she's
iorgot?'' She rose and opened the door
without waiting for Argenty to knock.
"Ohn' said the girl; what do you put
,ver it9''
TO be suren' cried Mrs. Phelps.
We'll, in this case, cream and sugar
would be best, | guess"
Il just got the rice out to pick over
when happened to think of it, explain
ID Argenty.
"That girls got some Judgment, if she
S bean pole said Mrs. Phelps, when
Argenty had gone back a second time
Mrs. Phelps and all her friends were
plump and roly-poly, and a tall and
slender human figure was all wrong in her
yes.
Yes she said. II have known girls
hat would have been dishin' up before
hey thought of maxim sauce for the
ice. Well, Celestinys favored for once.
Argenty does rely seem to want to do for
ler.h
All the afternoon Miss Hoppett lay
silent in her room, though she was not
.sleep. And it was quite supper time
when Argenty appeared in the door way,
Ter cheeks flushed and her eyes alight. to
lsk her out to the table.
YEARLY Miss Hoppett rose, and slowly
he walked into the little dining room.
She was some fifty year old, but to-day
'he looked older.
''Why, childn' she exclaimed. in a
pleasant tone; ''what have you got for
ne? Rice?" And she smiled.
eyes," answered Argenty, her heart
ull of happiness.
Miss Hoppett drew the dainty saucer
coward her, poured on cream and sifted
sugar, and quietly took mouthful, ex-
,ecting nothing, but pleased that Argenty
lad tried to get something for her that
he could eat.
IL L.