Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-08-17

began scrubbing the floor. 1t was
while she was in the midst of that
that the boys appeared, hungrv for
supper. Rachel lifted her tired face.
Don't come in one stepi" she
cried. There isn't going to be any
supper tonight! Go straight out
into the yard and stay there!"
The boys looked at each other in
amazement, and then slowly retreat
ed to discuss the situation. They
were still in the thick of the sub
ject when Rachel appeared with a
plateful of bread and butter and an
other of cookies.
Il didn't mean q be cross" she
apologized, "only-things have hap
pened, and I was so tired. This will
have to be your supper tonight"
The boys met her manfully. 81
guess we didn't nina very 1nrtft71
about what you said," Harvey de-
clared.
No." Ralph echoed. These cook
les are first-class, Rachel" And
Rachel went back to her work COM
forted
By six o'clock the kitchen was
cleaned, and everything was done ex-
cept putting the fresh paper on the
pantry shelves. Rachel stopped then
to set ont more bread and cookies
and cold meat for her father, and
make tea for her mother Her moth
er looked from Rachel's tired face
to her small, REDEEMED hands and
bony wrists, and a fierce anger seized
her
"Y IRE not to do a single other
thing!" she declared. 81 don't care
if thousand Mrs. Bilberrys are COM
ing over tomorrow. I'm not going
to let you wear yourself all out.
What's Rachel been doing?" her
father asked.
She's been cleaning house-that's
what she's been doing" Mrs. Cetty
returned. Mrs. Bilberry was in this
afternoon, and said she was coming
over tomorrow morning to do the
cooking. l told her we didn't need
anybody, but she didn't take it in at
all. So we couldn't have her come
into such loo king kitchen, and
RachePs been cleaning it,
''Why didn't you tell her that you
didn't want herr" Rachel's father
asked, Indignantly. He was very
fond of Rachel.
Mrs. Petty sighed She knew
from past experience the impossibili-
ty of making a man understand
Mrs. Bilberry meant to be kfnd-she
was kind, of course-only she didn't
realize all the trouble it would make.
| couldn't let anybody come into
dirty kitchen, though / wish l had,
now that Rachel's so tired.
But I've nearly finished now,
mother" Rachel reminded her.
You've quite finished. You're
not going to do another thing"
only the papers on the pantry
shelves. That isn't hard. Oh, I'll
have to go to the store for some new
cake tins-you know ours are too
bad Tor anybody to USE"
But Mrs. Petty had reached the
limit of concession to Mrs. Bilberry
or anybody else.
You're going to bed!" she de-
clared. Your father can go for the
cake tins, and the pantry will have
to stay as it is
Promptly at nine the next. morning
Mrs. Bilberry appeared. Rachel was
just putting away the last of the
h~eakfast dishes. Mrs. Bilberry
greeted her with breezy benevolence.
There, Rachel, you show me
Whereabouts things are, and then you
can go. / told your mother you
weren't either of you to have mite
of care about the cooking, and l
meant what / said. The flour and
sugar are in those barrels, suppose,
and I've found the eggs for myself.
How much milk have you?"
Nearly a pint. It's down cellar"
well, before you settle down to
anything you might as well run out
and get quart more. | thought I'd
make an Indian pudding while I'm
about it..
Rachel hesitated, her face full Of
anxiety.
II don't know as-we eat Indian
pudding" she stammered.
Well, you'll eat my Indian pud-
ding" Mrs. Bilberry returned, with