St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-08-05

her eyes on the crucifix. hurried the
sing-song grace to q close. There was
no cloth on the table, only bottles OF
wine at regular intervals, and silver
mug at each place. The monotony of
this arrangement was never varied ex-
cept by an occasional medicine bottle.
When the meal was over girl passed
around sloppy dish rag and bowl OF
tepid water, in which each washed her
cutlery. After this dainty operation,
the girls filed out. leaving the sisters to
toll up and down with the soiled dishes.
Who had ever put the idea of dumb
waiter in the superior's head will re
main mystery, but it had been done
and it was with no small pride that the
carpenter had been sent for and con.
suited.
None of the girls had been told about
this move, of course, and as the car.
penter had been at work while they
were out of the room, and the door OF
the closet hid all traces of his work
really thought had captured a SEN
sation which would confound the girl
whose valet had waved his hand twice,
l worked her to the verge of frenzy
during the study hour by mockine the
elegant gestures of the valet, and indi-
eating delicately that my heart also had
been touched. At the play hour
walked across to her.
'Hello!" said.
"Ello, vous-meme." she replied,
what is the matter with you? Hav1
you seen him?"
Have 1 seen him!" answered scorn.
fully. NO! have not, but" and 50
on and SO on, with the artful ingenuity
OF 16. OF course, the news spread very
soon in spite of the sworn secrecy, and
at meal time the girls eyes were fixed
on the closet door. Those whose homes
boasted of modern improvements ex-
planned the dumb-waiter system to the
less fortunate.
While this was considered exciting,
the chief interest centered around the
charpentier, and as some unfeeline
man named Charpentier had edited q
text book, there was a certain daring
in referring to "Mon Charpentier
d'Edtelle," even before the head mis-.
tress.
The excitement was at its height on
Thursday, when we all filed in to the
refectory and saw the superior and the
matron standing by the closet, the door
opened wide, and the charpentier in his
Sunday clothes, buttonhole bouquet
and all, gently toying with the rope. ]
nodded to him with an easy familiarity
which impressed the girls, and led the
superior, who disliked my manners. to
point down the flue, where, of course,
he was obliged to look with respectful
interest.
1t seems that he was to teach the
matron and the cook how to work the
machine, and he stayed during the
meal. 1t was pathetic to see the wonder
with which the lay sisters regarded
the contrivance. They nodded and
whispered together. and rolled their
eyes. When called to use it they ham
died the rope as if it had been made of
spun glass, they clung to it as to life
preserver when sending down a heavy
load of plates, and unanimously dubbed
it 'La Bette"
1 have always attributed it to the
conscious embarrassment of the car
penter in having SO many girls staring
at him that he omitted to explain the
use of the speaking tube and whistle
beside the door.
At the evening meal the superior In
person superintended the use of Ia
Bette. 1t went pretty well, but could
see that she was nervous. In the morn
ing the head mattress and the matron
ofiiciated. Also at dejeuner and dinner.
In fact. for several days In Bette was
used and commended with discretion.
The jolly little sister who used to bring
up the plat au jour came up the first
day empty handed and looking anxious.
The next day she sent the potatoes,
but appeared with the principal dish, n
Of yore, and beamed upon our hungry
faces.
.'Surely, ma soeur," said the matron,
politely, you might have saved your
steps,"
..Oh!" she answered. ''it is so unstyl-
ish. 1t must take away the appetite to
have dish sent flying up through two
stories, and the sauce all spilled in tax.
ing it from the shelf" The matron did
not reply, but when the time came to
send the dish down, behold, Il Bette
would not work! A few timid tugs at
the rope only seemed to make it more
stationary. volunteered to help. but
found that the rope was caught in the
wheel, SO that none but the carpenter
could remedy il. He was accordingly
sent for. He did not arrive until we
had assembled for the evening meal. He
worked over it for few minutes, ex-
planning with the greatest condescen-
sion the theory and the art Of it. At
last he went down to the kitchen to see
that the dinner WIS sent up in safety.
A timid little lay sister, who had just
been promoted to the refectory service.
stood by the waiter, with her hand on
the rope. The matron kept her eye on
her while she cut the long loaf into
thick slices. The girls. who had revived
for moment in the presence of the car
penter, had settled down to gloomy
silence. We were all hungry and tired.
We could hear slight murmur of voices
coming up the flue. The ropes creaked
and we all rejoiced in the prospect Of
having our dinner, when loud shrill
whistle from the speaking-tube fright
ened the sister SO that she let 60 of the
rope and screamed. II is needless to
say that there followed, loud crash OF
china falling two stories. In, q mo-
ment, the carpenter, followed hy the
cook. rushed into the refectory. He be-
gan to expostulate with the sister. The
cook explained that the dinner was %
mixed with broken china that there was
not mouthful At to eat. The girls be.
pam to complain and disorder reigned
supreme.
The poor little sister fatty refused to
70 near the waiter to have the tube and
whistle explained to her. The matron,
with the presence Of mind which char
acterixes good people, sent M to the
playroom and gave us permission 70