Evening star., 1902-09-13

EN- if they was black. Miss E.lth, she'll
Civ me caricter if Dick asks er.''
just then the visitors bell rang and
sent. my would-be page into the kitchen to
wait until I could speak to him again, and
told him to ask the cook to give him some
Here are your flowers" I slid; take
them with YOU
He looked at me- and then, as if ashamed
OF having offered them, gathered them up
in his hands, with the corner of the red
handkerchief wiped some few leaves and
dust marks off my table, then saying in a
low voice: Il didn't know you 'ad beauties
Of Of, yer own like them in the glass pots, but
I'll give EN- to the cook" So saying, he
went away into the kitchen, and my Wis
ltors came in, and by and by some more
friends arrived.
The weather was very warm, and we sat
chattering and enjoying the shade of the
trees by the open French window. Pres
emily, somebody being thirsty, L suggested
lemonade and ice, and l offered strawber-
ries. and Gf possible) cream, though my
mind misgave me as to the latter delcacy,
for We had several times been obliged to do
without some of our luXurieS If they
tailed fetching as We had no boy to run
errandS quickly on an emergency and be
useful. However, L rang the bell, and
when the housemaid, whose temper, since
sic had been what is curiously termed in
servants hall language "single-handed,'
was most trying, entered L said: Make
some lemonade, Mary, and ask cook to
gather some Strawberries quickly and bring
tnem with some cream.
Mary looked at me as who should say:
We'll, I'm sure! and who's to do it all?
You'll have to wait bit" And 1 knew we
should have to wait, and therefore resigned
myself to do So patiently. keeping up the
ball of gossip, and wondering if a little
sic later on would, perhaps, while away the
time.
Much to my amazement. in less than a
quarter of an hour Mary entered with the
| tray, all being prepared, and directly 1
looked al the strawberry bowl 1 detected
a novel feature in the table decoration. A
practiced hand had evidently been at work,
but whose? Mary was far too matter-of-
fact person. Food, plates, knives and
forks, glasses and cruet stand were all
she ever thought necessary, and even for
center vase of flowers L had to ask and
often to insist, during the time she was
single-handed.
But here was my strawberry bowl, a
pretty one, even when unadorned, with its
pure white porcelain stem entwined with a
wreath of blue convolvulus, and then
a spray of white, the petals just peeping
over the edge of the bowl, and resting near
the luscious red fruit; the cream jug, also
white, had twining flowers of blue, and
| round the lemonade jug, of glass, was a
wreath of yellow blossoms.
How eXquisite!' exclaimed We all.
What fairy could have bestowed such a
treat to our eyes and delight to our sense
Of the beautiful?'
1 supposed some friend of the cook or
Mary had been taking lessons in the art Of
oSSotd dIioiit anu iau given US Specimen.
men.
Soon after, my friends having gone, 1
thought of j. Cole waiting to be dismissed
and sent for-him.
| Cook came in, and with a preliminary
"Ahem!" which l knew of old meant II
have an idea of my own and / mean to get
1t carried out said: "Oh, If you please m,
if might be so bold, did you think serious
of engagin the boy that's waitin' in the
kitchen?"
Why do you ask COOKE" said
We'll, ma am, she replied, trying to hide
a laugh, ''of course it's not for me to pre-.
sumo, but if L might say a word for him
L think he's the very handiest and the
sharpest one we've ever had in this house,
and We've had many, as you know.
Why if you'd only have seen him when
Mary come in in her tantrums at 'ayng to
get the tray single-handed. and begun a.
grUmbin and a-bangin' things about, as is
her way, being of a quick temper. though
as L tells her, too slow a-movin' of herself.
AS L was a-sayin, you should have seen
that boy. If he didn't up and leave his
bread and butter and mug of milk, as he
& was a-enJoyin, Of as 'arty as YOU like, and,
Look ere says he, Civ me the jug. I'll
make some fine drink with lemons. 1 see
Dick do it often up at his place. Civ me
the squeezer. Wait till 1 washes my 'ands
into the scullery, washes his hands, runs
back again in jffy. Got any snow su-
gar? 1 mean all done fine like snow 1
gave it to him; and, sure enough, his little
lemonade before Mary would have squeezed
a lemon. Where do yer buy the cream?'
he says next. I'll run and get it while
you picks the Strawberries Perhaps it
wasn't right, me a-truStin' him, being
stranger, but he was that quick l couldn't
say no. Up he takes the jug, and was off;
and when l come in from the garden with
the Strawberries, if he hadn't been and put
all them flowers on the things. He begs
my pardon for interfering like, and says:
'ope you'll excuse me a-doin' of it, but
the woman at the milk shop said I might
aV EN-; and l see the butler where Dick
lives wind the flowers about like that and
'av elped i'm often; and, please, paid for
the cream, because I'd got two bob of my
own, Dick Civ me on my birthday. Oh, l
| do 'ope. Mrs. Cook he says. that the lady
IL take me; I'll serve 'er well, / will, in
Decd; and then he begins to cry and trem-
BILE, poor little chap, for he'd been running
about lot and never eaten or drank what
l gave him, because he wanted to help and
it was hot in the kitchen, suppose and he
felt faint like, but there he Is. crying; and
just now, when the bell rung which was
two great big boys after the place, he saws,
oh, please say We're sooted," and ask
| the lady if l may stay So, I've taken the
liberty, ma'am,' said cook. ''for somehow
like that little chap, and there's deal in
him. 1 do believe"
So saying cook retired, and in a moment
j. Cole was standing in her place, the blue
eager anxiety as to what his fate would be
making his poor little hands clutch at his
coat sleeves, and his feet shuttle about SO
nervously that I had not the courage to
grieve him by a refusal.
We'll. Joseph" said, "I have decided to
give you months trial. l shall write to
the gentleman who employs your brother
and If he speaks well of you, you may
stay"
And may I stay now, please?'' he said.
May l stay before You gets any answer to
your letter to say I'm all right? L think
you'd peter let me; there ain't no boy: and
Mrs. Cook and Mary'll 'av lot to do. 7
can stay in the stable if you don't like TO
let me be in the house, afore you writes the
letter.
mo, Joe," replied, you NAV NOT he a
good, honest boy, but think you are and
You shall stay here. Now, go back to Mrs.
Wilson, and finish your milk and eat some
thing more, If you can, then have a good
rest and wash; they will show you where
you are to sleep, and at dinner this evening