The Republican journal., 1901-06-20

Miss Patience was in the field bright
and early, and it was evident at glance
| to those who knew her best, that she
was well-nigh bursting with some i'm
| portant secret that she was only await
ing a fitting opportunity to divulge
| That opportunity was not long coming
| for Mrs. Deacon Farrell, who was a
constitutional croaker, took occasion
to say, in reference to the hard times:
''The Deacon has been tryin' ter cok
| lect the church tax, and he says he
never found money so tight in all the
years he's lived here. It's as hard ter
get five dollars now as it used ter be
ten dollars"
"And no WONDER" spoke up Miss Pa
tience, with the stony severity of a
sphynx. "You can't expect folks ter
| like payin' out their money when they
see it fairly thrown away and wasted.''
| Everybody looked curious, and some
of the younger girls began to bride de-
| family. The minister's sweet young
wife was evidently favorite with
| them at least
''What do you mean 10y that?" asked
Mrs. Deacon, pointedly. mis- Graham
is young and inexperienced, to be sure;
| but, as Deacon was sayin' only yester-
| day, she does very well indeed, consid-
| erin'.'
Miss Patience tossed her head know
ingly. Il don't want ter say nothin' to
hurt her. but livin' next door, as | do, |
can't always help seein' and hearin
| things that other folks can't be expect
ed to know about, an when | see an
know things like
Thnfa onl tho
deacon's wife asked, excitedly:
Like what?"
| Chicken pies, with the legs and feet
of the chicken baked in
Had thunderbolt fallen among
them, it could not have caused greater
surprise to these tidy, thrifty, New
| England house-keepers than this dread
full revelation of the incapacity of their
| pastors young wife.
''Are you sure of it?' gasped one ma
tron, breaking the ominous silence.
Il know of it for fact" was solemn
| ly returned.
Chicken legs in pe,"
She's a born foolw calculated the
Deacon's wife, Indignantly. "and I'm
thankful, for her poor husbands sake,
that | sent her over one of my pies yes
terday. They had to throw hers away,
of course, and it's lucky that he didn't
have ter go without his Thanksgivin'
breakfast on account of her ignorance
and shiftleSsneSs.
How did you know about the pie ?''
asked one of the girls,
Miss Patience bristled defantly
''That's nobody's business but my own
she retorted, tartly. Il don't go round
to find out things that don't concern
IN u h11f -hnr,
they're thrown right into my face as
you might say, | don't shut my eyes no
more'n other folks
Just here the door opened, and in
walked the subject of their conversa-
ton, her pretty face glowing with the
haste she had made. and mischievouS
! twinkle in her brown eyes that nobody
noticed, so occupied were they in hid
ing the confusion that her sudden en-
trance had created.
Walking up to the table where most
of the ladies were sitting, she saluted
them cordially, and then hoding out up
on the tip of one slender finger we'll
worn silver thimble, she said, archly:
"Where do you think / found your
| thimble, Miss Patience"
So pleased was Miss Patience to re
gain her lost treasure that she forgot
for moment all her assumed dignity,
and exclaimed, joyfully:
''Well, l declare, l am glad to see
that thimble once more. | told Mary
Jane that | felt sure l had it on my
finger when | ran into your house
Thanksgivin' mornin' arter the yeast.
But when | got home it war nowhere
to be found. Now, where did you find
it?''
Her shrill, high voice had attracted
the attention of all in the room. and
everybody looked up curiously as the
minister's wife replied, with an inno-
| cent smile:
''In the chicken pie that our good
friend here''-and she nodded brightly
to Mrs. Farrell-'sent me. l left the
pie on the dresser when l went down
cellar after your yeast, and as | came
back | put it on the table, and when
my husband cut it, there was your
thimble in it. How could it have got
there? It is certainly very mysterious.
Silence, dead, profound, yet oh, how
| terribly significant to the deacon's wife
and her spinster neighbOr, fell upon the
! group. This was apparently unnoticed
| by Mrs. Graham, who, with playful
admonition to Miss Patience to take
| better care of her thimble III future,
| began an animated conversation with
the ladies nearest her. that soon re-
stored the company to their wonted
ease and good humor.
But poor Miss Patience! She never
heard the last of that lost thimble,
while the Deacon's wife, to the day of
her death, never trusted any hands but
! her own to make Thanksgiving pies for
| her minister.
HIS LIFE SAVED