The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-27

that had accumulated on It's sides. III
do say It, there amt bin a hand
BOmer batch Of doughnuts than that set
on any pantry shelf in Bolton this fall;
leastwise, none that we've seem"
Gimme one o. them" said a small
voice, as a dirty little hand was thrust
On at the kitchen window, and a grimy
finger pointed at the colander piled
high with the brown circles, braids
and diamonds, that Miss Ann Eliza
was contemplating with 80 much salts
faction.
Land sakes aliye!" she cried, and
the rolllng-pin fell to the floor with
bang. "Who be you? Git right down
from there. l shouldn't wonder If you
was a steppln' right on my jacminot
posebush"
The hand was withdrawn so quickly,
and It had been such a small hand, that
Miss Somers, from some feeling Of
cOmpunction, or possibly to gain time,
added, you kin go round back"
Now Miss Eliza, all through the
morning as she lifted from the boiling
fat each doughnut as It attained the
required shade of brown, had seen vi
sions of her self Offering her friends,
who might drop in during the day, a
lew of her doughnuts on one Of her
best china plates, and she could almost
hear them say, "These are the best /
ever did eat; they just melt in your
mouth" and she could see herself with
proud generosity complying to their
requests for the receipt
She knew there would be no such APP
probation from boy-boys had no
place in Miss ELIAS catalogue Of use
ful ings-nevertheless she selected
the last doughnut that had been fried,
made from odds and ends of dough
which had the merit of being much
larger, if also much inferior in quality
% the others, and after depositing the
colander in the pantry, stepped to the
hack door.
well, l never did," she cried, rest
ing both hands on her hips and regard
ing the owner Of the hand that had
80 rudely disturbed her equanimity.
A queer little figure stood there. The
boy might have been anywhere from
seven to ten years old. He was very
small, but his face might have seen a
score of years, so deep were its lines
KE was framed in the rim of brown
derby hat that had probably, once
sheltered a more fortunate member Of
society.
The few articles of clothing, al
though in tatters, were evidently his
own, as regarded origin as we'll as
possession; while his feet were protect
ed by ladies' shoes Of by no means
Cinderella proportions.
From under the hat two big gray
eyes fixed upon the doughnut which
DdIss Eliza held in her hand; not long,
however, for waving all ceremony, the
boy took it quickly from between her
fingers, and the doughnut disappeared
fn three mouthfuls, so much to Miss
Eaiza's alarm, that she ran for a glass
OF milk; for she often remarked that
sponge cake and doughnuts, be they
ever so light, did beat all for sticking
In ones throat, and for her part she
never could eat either without drinking
at least two cups Of tea to get them
down.
The milk followed the doughnut, and
evidently met with some degree Of ap-
probation, for the hard and weary little
face softened as it was lifted to Miss
Gimme sumpin' ter do"
Miss Somers regarded all boys as hel
natural enemies. Living alone for the
past twenty years since her father
Farmer Somers, died, she associated
them only with stolen fruit and tram
pied flower beds, and so declared then
'fmps and pests" and impatient witt
herself for relenting toward one of the
race to this extent, said sharply
Eyes, wash your face"
She closed the door, drove the boil
In with good deal of force, and wen
back to her task of clearing up.
This DONE and having eaten her fru
gal dinner, she went upstairs anC
made her afternoon toilet.
Before sitting down to her small
mending she thought of her plants ne
elected this busy day; so taking thu
watering pot from its hook in tn
porch, she went out to the cistern t.
MI it, for she always maintained tina
no plants ever fourished like thos
watered with pure rain water.
This was a day Of upsets. There, b.