Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-06-15

house over month awaiting q more
convenient time for placing it.
Nos or never he said, and in
. short time the old lining was in
the ash barrel, and the new one in
place. there, so far 50 good /; but
/ guess the new maid had better
black the stove while he's about it.,
and he went to the sink closet for
the polish. The little door stuck
fast, aid not until after he had
automatically lifted it up, pressed
it down. ierked it quickly and Civ
en- it long, strong pull did it con-
descend to open.
There he said. with red face
and short breath, you stay there
until fix you : and he placed
heavy kettle against the door. As
he did so he noticed a number of
small punctures in the upper corn
er. 'Ha /! she opens it with knife;
| wonder how she managed it.
Armed with blacking and brush
he set about polishing the range,
and succeeded finely, all going we'll
until he stepped back to admire his
work and stepped into the saucer
of backing, upsetting it apon Pol
lY's clean floor.
THE deucel' he calculated, IF
I'm not having q run of luck
Would not Polly like to see me
nows'
He hurried to the case of draw
ers, where he knew clean cloths
were kept, but this drawer also
stuck, yet with one tremendous
pull he succeeded in opening it and
caught up the first thing he found,
which afterward proved to be one
OF the best towels-he had opened
the wrong drawer.
After hopping up the most of
the stain he lighted the fire, set on
the teakettle and went to the pam
try to forage.
Gold corned beef, bread and
butter and doughnuts. I'll make
some hasty pudding and coffee, and
that'll do. Polly needn't think
for a moment that I'm going to
starve.'
He hunted about for the meal
and coffee, which we're soon forth
coming. but as he crossed the room
yellow stream sifted in his wpke.
rats I! he exclaimed with great
truth. He put the gaawed bag
upon the table and returned to the
closet, set all the bags and packages
upon the floor and peered about for
q mouse hole.
Sure enough there it was in one
corner, stuffed with chewed rags
and paper. Just like a woman !;
wonder if there's any more of the
blamed things
When he had made satisfactory
investigation of the pantry, the fire
had gone out and had to be rekind-
led, and in going after more wood
he became aware of the paucity of
the woodpile.
The hasty pudding 'sputtered'
and burnt the back of his hand; it
tasted raw, too, and the coffee
somehow did not seem much like
Polly's, so he did not enjoy his
bachelor breakfast as much as he
had anticipated. After clearing
away the table he looked fxedly at
the inky stain before the stove.
He attacked it with great energy
and succeeded in removing the last
vestige of the polish, but in drying
the spot he ran a splinter under his
thumb, a splinter which seemed
10th to leave its hiding place.
Don't wonder Polly kicks he
growled, as he jabbed away at the
refractory silver.
When he succeeded in removing
the last installment. he clasped his
hands about his knees and sat
thinking hard.
After few moments he took a
small account book from his pocket,
and still sitting upon the floor he
proceeded to make numerous en-
tries, which ran like this
''1. Two baskets of pansies to
set out.
''2. Straighten the front post.
$50. Lay q new porch floor.
ga. Plane of this miserable one
and oil it.
"5. Plaster up Eve mouse holes.
sec. Put a new washer in the fau-
Get to stop dripping.