The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1906-04-05
An Angel
BY MARTHA
McCULLOCH-WILLIAMS
Copyright, 1905. by p. c. Eastment

Margaret came from the orchard
whistling cheerily, heaped basket of
jewel red apples poised carefully upon
her bare brown head. Miss Prudence
Heathcote, her aunt and guardian,
frowned at the whistlng, but had to
smile a bit when Margaret broke out;
Now, Prudence. precious, come at me
with the saying about whistlng girls
and growing hens know you hate
my sole musical accomplishment, but
this day is enough to set craven
image whistlng even dancing. If IL
was of anything softer than granite.
You ought to be out in it. The orchard
is a place enchanted. didn't know
until now things so prosac as apple
gathering and cider making could set
themselves to music"
H I'M" Miss Prudence said. III I'm.
May l ask if Jimmy Blair is out there,
as he promised to be2'
"Of course. a gentleman keeps his
promises, doesn't he?' Margaret an
swere6, tossing her head but flushing
in spite of herself
Again Miss Prudence said HIM
There appeared to be nothing else TO
say But after two breaths she got up
and moved toward the kitchen. sigh
ing out And of course he'll be here
to dinner. That means cooking things.
Men do have such atroclous appetites.'
I'm glad they do" Margaret retort-
ed shamelessly. I've got one to match
anybody. Oh. Aunty Prue, do make a
potato pudding! Make it very rich
and have lots of thick, sweet, real
lemon sauce"
Co way you baggage" Miss Pru-
dence said over her shoulder. "Who
told you what Jimmy likes best? I've
the greatest mind to make dried apple
pies, just to see if he would know the
difference" smiling at Margaret as she
spoke the last sentence.
Margaret blushed very red and be-
gan to pout You mean Jimmy is SO
gone on me he's not in his right mind, =
she said But you're all wrong, Aunty
Prue. IL don't believe he-he cares
for me a bit-hardly. Not that way, at
least. All this week he's been as kind
as could be. but distant-as If he WAS
afraid | wouldn't understand"
Then there's mischief afoot, what
sort I've got to find out" Miss Pru-
dence said vigorously. her hand on the
door knob, for if ever any lad was
clean out of his head, clean idiotic
about chit Of thing it was Jimmy
about you. all last week and all the
weeks before 1t, since you came to
stay with me"
MISCHIEF afoot, but where?" she
kept mentally repeating to herself as
she whisked about the trim kitchen,
her brows puckered. her eyes intro.
spective. On the surface she could see
nothing Nobody had openly any right
or reason to be interfering between the
pair. Jimmy was an orphan the same
as her Peggy. Moreover, he had never
had the least shadow of an entangle-
ment. True, various and sundry young
women had been setting their caps at
him-pretty caps, modestly set-but he
had overlooked them all - unless 1t
were-Miss Prue gave a great start.
There was the root of the trouble; its
name, Vidella Bane Jimmy had rath-
err made up to her In the weeks just
before Peggy came. Now that she
thought of it, he had squirrel Della TO
church two Sundays running, besides
buying many things for her at the
strawberry supper and fair. And Del
Ia it was well known, wanted to mar
ry and settle herself. She had three
younger sisters crowding her in the
home nest. Naturally she would do
what she could to hold Jimmy, the best
chance in all Easton town.
But how she had done 1t Miss Pru.
dence could not fathom, although she
studied the problem almost to the det-
rlment of her dinner She sat down to
II still puzzled. Jimmy greeted her
and the dinner rapturously and talked
great deal of his appetite and of
many other things, but somehow did
not eat with his usual zest. although
be made a fair meal Nobody with a
palate could help doing that with such
things as Miss Prudence set before
him. Jimmy assured Margaret more
than once that II such cooking ran in
the family her future husband was the
lucklest fellow alive.
II think SO too. That's why It's 30
provoking not to have him come along"
Margaret said at last only think.