Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-19

Old Blazers Hero
By DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.
s#H E& #& 8 q BFE e. e e HaE

mothers wheelbarrow to bring 'em home
on"
Well. then" said Hepzibah, you be
there in half an hour in the back kitchen.
and | shall come around to you and have
something to say to you"
There was an air of benevolent mys
terry about Hepzibah as she said this.
which excited the curiosity both of maid
and mother; but she contented herself by
mystic mods and smiles, and having Sc
cured her supply of fruit. departed. She
/ left the basket at her mistress house,
and ran with a gaunt and jerky gait, at
which anybody unacquainted with the
nature of her errand might have laugh
ed. to her mothers.
Has that rabbit pie been cut into
YETI she demanded breathlessly.
No." said her mother. II was a-keep
in it for tomorrow"
Hepzibah marched straightway to
cupboard in the corner of the kitchen,
andAthere possessed herself of a sub
stantial pie, which she proceeded to fold
Up in a sRow-white cloth, which she Sc
cured by bali a dozen pins drawn from
different parts of her own person. The
old woman looked on at this for a while
in dumb establishment.
What on EARTH" she asked at
''beest goin' to do with the pie? 1t t
like you, Hepzibah. to come and steal
your mothers victuals."
I'm get time tonight" said Hepzibah
"and come up and make a new I'M; but
/ / want this now" And to the old lady 8
infinite establishment she took up the
pastry anu marched off with it, still
breathless from her run.
She bore it straight to Mrs. Hackett's
house. and, entering by the hack door,
confronted the maid, who was already
there awaiting her.
Now. mind you," said Hepzibah,
warning the maid with great solemnity
what you have got to do now has got
to be handled very proper and polite
You've got to take this here pie to Mrs.
Hackett, with Mrs. Blanes best compli-
ments, and to say''-and here Hepzibah
began to blush and had some difficulty in
encountering the maids gance-"you've
got to say as Mrs. Blame had two o.
these made, expecting company as never
came, and as she's afraid as it'll grow
stale upon her hands, and as she hopes
that Mrs. Hackett will be so good as to
accept of it."
Now, this is by no means an uncom-
mon form of rural civility; but it hap
pened, unfortunately for Hepzibah's
fraud, that Mary Hackett and Mrs
| Blame had never been on terms to offer
each other this sort of homely rustic
kindness. And when Hepzibah had gone,
and the maid nothing doubling the story
she had to tell, but being fully able to
divine the real intent of the gift, APP
preached her mistress with the pie and
Hepzibah's tale together, it seemed to
/ Mary's outraged feelings the cruelest in
suit she had yet received. She was a
little creature; but for a mere instant
she seemed to tower and she stood over
the trembling maid like a statue of in
dignation. IL cost her much trouble to
quiet herself, bat in a little while she
succeeded.
Take the pie back to Mrs. Blame with
my best thanks for her kindness" she
said, land tell her that L can make no
use of it,"
The maid. charged with this message
which seemed to her mind to make the
deadliest possible breach of politeness
would willingly have abandoned the pie
by the roadside and indeed fingered a
good FIVE minutes in front of Mrs Blane's
house before she dared to ring the bell
When at last she plucked up courage to
do this, and was rehearsing her speech
in preparation for Hepzibah, the door
opened and a bearded face appeared,
kindly in expression by nature, but look
ing at this moment stern and white
enough to brighten the maids wits away
altogether.
What is it, my dear?r he asked her
gently seeing that she was alarmed
It's not my fault, if you please, sin"
said the maid, but missus won't keep
the pie, and she sends it back to Mrs.
Blame with her best thanks"
oh" said Blame; land who is your
mistressf'
Mrs. Hackett, if you please. sir, .
said the maid.
Ned Blame dropped the pie dish, which
went to pieces within its cover He
stopped with an expression of grave
pain to recover it, and stood with it in
his hands-a wet and sticky mass-as
he looked down at the girl.
Mrs. Blame" he said, sent this to
Mrs. lIackettT
Yes, sir
THANK YOU" said Blame quietly; that
will do
The girl having discharged her err
rand, made the best of her way back.
glad that it was over; and Blame, having
closed the door, walked straight into the
| kitchen, where his mother sat in her Gus
tomary place by the side of the hearth.
Mother he said. depositing the
wrecked pie ON the table aud turning
upon her in grave reproof, this is an
/ insult"
'Lawk mercy-' cried Mrs Blame.
what's an insult?'
Your sending this pie TO Mrs. Hack
ett''
pie 10 Mrs HackettI' said his moth
! er. in great establishment. What's the
! lad taking about, in the name of Won
der? I've sent no pie TO Mrs Hackett,"
! At this instant Hepzibah, who had
been attending TO some duties in the rear
I of the house. bounced suddenly into the
| kitchen, and hearing these words stood
transtixed with a sense of her own guilty
deceit. Blame looked up at her and read
the truth in her face at glance
1T was YOU" he asked. who sent this
pie to Mrs. Haekett:'
Hepxibah paled and held on to the
i latch of the door for support. You sent
3 IL rs coming rum my tuoOueT- hep<t-
/ bah was silent. and looked as If sac
were being charged with murder. "Why
did you do thisT'
Why? Deary me. Edward" said
/ Hepzibah. recovering herself a little.
/ how you do talk. and how you do look
at body over a little bit of civility like
that! The poor things never gone and
I sent il back again.
What is the meaning of all thisy'
said Blame. stern and cold.
The meaning of it," said Hepzibah.
| shaking herself back into courage by an
/ effort-"the meaning OF it is as | wanted
10 do the poor creature kindness as
her pride wouldn't stand"
Blame turned as pale as Hepzihah had
been a minute earlier.
- i-s,3,aSS ha aStal *sW-har 1n