Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-12-04
HER TEMPTATION.
nv AVA N. rALcorT.

her delight.
''Oh goodyin she exclaimed.
1T is a very small piece you viii have at
best, child, said the mother; this Is to be
company cake / saw we were about out
when / was down cellar
Margie's face fell. Company cake" was a
name given to it by Win and herself. Law
ing in the country, as they did, 1t was always
necessary to be prepared for sudden and I'M
expected guests, and it seemed TO the chill
dren as if the best of mothers cooking
was always put aside. to be served only at
a time when, as they had been taught, it
was shockingly rude TO ask for second
piece.
Her face grew much longer when her moth
er, giving her the bowl of raIsins, told her
to stone them as quickly as she could.
How mean it is, she thought, ito have
to pick over these raisins, when l hate 1t,
and never to have more than one little piece
of cakel Oh, wish might once have
loaf all for myself. / think mother might
give me one She won't; she never viii.
wish / was grown up. What fun l should
have!"
And here Margie fell to thinking so deeply
she quite forgot about the raisins, until
aroused by a sharp tap on her head from her
mother, who told her to hurry and not waste
time in dreaming.
She worked rapidly after that, and soon
had the raisins ready for her mother; then
she stood moment to watch the batter
poured into the pans, and the pans put into
the oven. As the last pan was going in she
ventured to ask:
Couldn't have little loaf for. myself,
mother?"
mo, indeed" said Mrs. Lee, briskly, as
she closed the oven door with bang. Il
don't want you eating such rich stuff. | will
make you little loaf of sponge cake, if you
want one"
But Margie did not care for sponge
cake, and, for the present, the subject was
dismissed.
Next day Margie went down in the cellar
for an apple While she was there, she sud-
denly thought of the cake baked the day be-
fore.
81 wonder how it looks" she said to her
SELF 81 think will take peep at it."
Before she had time to think her hand
went in. The hand did not come out empty,
as her mouth could testify soon after, if it
had not been too full to speak.
Then she was so frightened at what she
had done, she ran upstairs and out into
the garden as fast as she could. There she
spent FIVE minutes in hating herself and
Wishing u.
not go into the cellar again for ever so long
no, not until the company" came and ate
the dreadful cake.
But, alas! for her resolutions, in about an
hour her mother sent her to the cellar for
something wanted Margie noticed the
cloth which had covered the cake was not
put on as smoothly as when she first went
down. 1t had been lifted off and put on
anew.
When she came upstairs, there were some
crumbs on her frock. Mrs Lee was too busy
to notice them.
"How long it took you, child" she said,
as Margie handed her the desired article,
and, not waiting to be questioned, ran out
of the kitchen.
After that Margie went to the cellar every
day. 1t seemed as if the cake had bewitched
her; she could not keep it out of her mind.
One day her mother said:
'You must not eat so many apples. You
will be ILL.,"
Margie grew very red, but said nothing.
Once she thought it very greedy never to
share the cake with WILL and she carried
him a piece to where he was sitting, out
under the apple tree.
where did you get it?" he asked, after
the first bite.
Never mind,' she said, but she looked
uncomfortable.
81 hope, Margie, you did not steal it?"
Will looked very grave.
EAT it and ask no questions" she said,
with a poor effort at laugh.
This was just what he would not do. He
put the cake on the seat beside him, and,
getting up, walked away without word.
Margie knew that he despised her, and she
IL Ill - - L..
time to force herself upon him. Besides,
there was the piece of cake What could she
do with it? She had no inclination just then
to eat it. Where could she put it out of
sight?
At last, taking it In her hand, she stole
softly to the pig pen, and that day the pig
had an unusual feast. VIII never alluded
to the subject again, but Margie felt sure he
thought of it whenever he looked at her,
and that, to her guilty conscience, seemed
very often.
Days went by. No company came, and the
cake grew less and less, until at last there
was but small piece left. Margie was
miserable girl through those weeks, and she
began to look really i'll.
81 can't imagine what is the matter with
the child" said her mother, one evening.
"She is so unlike herself"
"Ob, I guess she is all right" said her
father, absently.
just then he was deeply interested in an
article in the evening newspaper.
At last the end came. One evening, as
they were all sitting at tea, Mr.. Lee said to
his wife:
Have you any fruit cake in the house?
feel just like having piece"
"Why, yes" said Mrs. Lee. -'T made
couple of loaves two or three weeks ago, in
case of company. Nobody has come, and
you can have some as well as not"
Margie wished the floor would open and
let her down into the cellar beneath. She
turned first red, then pale, and pinehed her
hands under the table to help conceal her
agitation.
But this was not circumstance to her
feelings when Catharine came in with very
long face and the small corner of loaf OF
cake on plate. Then her face grew red as
fire, and she fixed her eyes on her plate, not
daring to look up. There came singing in
her ears, and she hoped she was going to
die.
"Why, Catharinel" exclaimed Mrs. Lee.
This is all there is, ma 'am-every bit"
said the maid.
Mrs. Lee looked around in speeches. sur
prise. Her glance fell at last on Margie One
look was enough.
You can go upstairs" she said.
Margie did not wait to be told twice, but
fed TO her room. She had very unpleasant