The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1906-10-12
The frown on Mistress Hapgood's

| open Salu sue. lnere Is no one else
who could have done 1t. have been
away, and you children were alone in
the house One Of you is telling 8
wicked fb."
There was a dead silence. The
children stole inquiring glances at
each other, and role d fearful eyes in
their mothers direc tion.::
Very WE'LL" continued Mistress
Hapgood, "if one cannot confess, all
mus, suff'.r. You must all 60 without
your supper"
Then Tho:nas's vail deepened, and
some of the others joined in. Pris-
ella stood qnite still looking at them.
Mistress Hapgood, with her lips COM
pressed, and stepping very firmly
brought out the pound cake and cut
it into squares, AID portioned out the
plum sauce. the thin ohnny cakes
were baking before the fire.
Presently Priscilla went up to her
mother and pulled her indigo gown
softly.
"Mothel!" said she.
"What is it?' her mother asked
shortly.
Il went into the pantry this after
noon. I-might have left the door
open.'
Don't you know whether you did
or not?"
II shouldn't wonder if l did," an
swered Priscilla, trembling.
Just then there was noise out in
the yard; the company had come.
"Well. you can 60 without your
supper then," said her mother, hur-
riedly. "And you deserve a greater
punishment for not telling me before" ="
While the other children sat at the
table with their elders and ate the de.
licious johnny-cake toast, the pound
cake and the plum sauce, Priscilla sat
in the corner and knitted on a blue
yarn stocking. Her uncle and aunt
and cousins, and her father, CAPTAIN
Hapgood, had all been informed of the
reason, and Priscilla hung her head
over the stocking, and could scarcely
see the stitches through her tears.
They we're almost through supper
when Grandmother E liott, Mistress
Hapgood's mother, came in. She
lived just across the yard. She spoke
to them all; then she looked sharply
at Priscilla.
What has the child done?" asked
she.
Mistress Hapgood related the story
briefly. Grandmother Elliott looked
surprised.
"Priscilla did not leave the door
open," she said. II came over this
afternoon after your Balm of Gilead
bottle. Adoniam cut bis thumb, and
left the door open on purpose; it was
smoky in there, and | was afraid it
would make your new butter taste. l
did not think of the cat. ALI the chill
dren were playing over in the field"
Everybody looked at Priscilla.
Then her father spoke up, and he
could not have spoken more sternly
to the soldiers whom he comms nded.
Priscilla bent her face quite down
to the blue yarn stocking and wept.
"Did you know that you did not
leave the pantry door open?" he con-
tinued.
Eyes, sir" gasped Priscilla.
After the company had gone her
father proceeded to deal with her after
the code of his day, and in accordance
with his own convictions. He took
down the birch rod, with which all
the children were acquainted, and he
babe Priscilla stand before him.
II want you to remember, daugh'
ter said Captain Hapgood, "that a
falsehood is falsehood, for whate yer
cause it may be told" -
Then be brought down the= birch
rod several times over Priscilla's slen-
der shoulders ~. .-:
Priscilla covered her face with her
apron and cried softly. Captain Hap
good, after he had put away the birch
rod, went up to her and drew the
apron gently away. He was not a
man given to endearments, but he
kissed her solemnly on her fair child
ish forehead.
"The rod was for the falsehood
daughter" said Captain Hapgood
and this is for the kindness and self
sacrifice toward thy brothers and sis
ters."
Mistress Hapgood was bustling
around the hearth. Presently she
called Priscilla.
kkn Al,