Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1905-09-28

THE OVEN.
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BY r. w. CHILD.

- N4SAL DldCOs IL
49, the place is tight enough"
~ Mr.. Colchester had spoken
.,, after we had been silently
situhg Tor several minutes watching
Tue mist that was creeping over the
moonllt water and listening to the
chlrp of the crickets in the grass Ho
always began a story by stating the
moral. His way was to present some
conclusion and then prove it bv q ner-
sonal experience.
L was thinking of my sister," he
Explained. "She once saved MS hotb
from a fearful death. If it had not
Deen.for her ready wit / should have
been a biscuit!'
AZ thls every n Strengthened up
perceptibly. Mr.. Colchester's stories
were always interesting.
Perhaps all of you do not know that
my rather was a cracker manufacture
err he continued, 'and that he had q
shop with machinery and three ovens
IN 1t. OF course that would be con.
sldered nothing to-day, when there arc
bakeries that supply thousands of peo-
ple IN every part of the country. but
when l was a boy I remember I used
TO wonder that there were enouob
mouths to consume all that nv fathers
Workmen made.
Il often went down to the sbon. for
it was really fascinating to watch the
mixers turning the great rolls of dough
over and over, and see the cutting ma
enlnes chopping a long strap of it into
little sticky Jumps. Then old Carberrv
the baker, would toss the pieces which
had been patted and nodded by hand
on the tiled floor of the oven. Some
times my sister Margaret used to 90
with me, for we were great chums.
ana 1t was on one of those occasions
that we got into trouble.
The day, I remember. had heon
rainy, n after a discouraging attamn+
to amuse ourselves in the house. Mar.
garet said, Let's take umbrellas and
go down to the bakery,
II was so glad of the suggestion that
l forgot it was the noon hour. when
the men would be gone and the ma.
chlnery shut down. It wasn't until we
saw the deserted room that we remem.
bered it.
'Well,' said I, we are bright, aren't
we! But let's look roundup tell Won
let's o at the cool oven,
"'Cool oven!' exclaimed Maroaro+ :,
surprise.
S
i explained to her that in fhe mr..
o1nary course of business onlv. two
ovens were used, and that unless there
were extra orders there was always ono
oven which was out of commission
being shut off from the furnaces below
by the big sheet-iron hampers.
L raised the latch of the heavy door
and bent down to look across the flat
tiled surface inside.
Its just like a cave. isn't if. Roh9
cried my sister; and I laughed at tho
loea II asked her whether she ex-
pected TO see a bear or a robber walk
out.
VI course 1 don'tr! she said. for she
always was on her guard against NV
making fun of her. Let's crawl in
An right said 1, touching the brick
walls to make sure I hadn't made .
mistake; and then I followed her in
side through the gloomy opening.
Wi it get my dress dirty? Mar.
garet asked, out of the darkness.
NO, indeed said I. They have n
keep these ovens clean as can he
They're fussy- about every speck Of
dusE
I had hardly finished when the iron
door behind us shut with a resoundino
clang. One of the workmen who had
come back to work had closed it!
20 Bob,' cried my sister, with a IL.
lie scream of fright, we're shut inr'
Like two biscuits I laughed
All we have to do is to shout and
some n will come
But Margaret was really sca rod
m CROPPED her way neal me to mt her
hand on my shoulder. l confess the
darkness and the close, stuffy air were
far from cheerful.
= began to call as loud as ] could,