The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-04-18
Caught
i'm the
Tolls

Ct was the footman's place, strictly
Gking, to do SO, but knowing th&t
I two old ladies preferred me,
lys made a point of doing SOY 3,
{ Of them, think it was Miss Ma
ti'a q, said:
Well, Jubber, and what do You
! TX of the new housemaid? Tell
canddly, do you think she will
GuJt?"
II think, ma'am," replied, she
Is remarkably good-looking young
woman. You see. ma am, she only
came yesterday, so 1t is impossible
for me to tell exactly. l can only say
she seems a respectable girl enough.
and certainly very clean and tidy,
ma am"
Yes, she is very presentable, GER
tainly," chimed in Miss Jane; but
you know, Jubber, we want some
thing more than good looks.
You see, Jubber, Ann Preedy had
been here so many years, and my sis
ter and | were so familiar with her
ways, that we cannot get used to
new maid very quickly Still. YOU
understand, we have such very great
faith in your opinions upon all do.
mestic affairs, Jubber, that if you
expressed yourself satisfied with
Mary Blake we should feel quite easy
In our minds.
$50 we will ask you, Jubber, to
keep your eyes on her. and to re-
port to us on her general conduct,
and so on, in-say, a weeks time
from now"
Well, | did keep an eye on the
young woman, as | was told, and
week Of her acquaintance only con-
frmed my original Impression
namely, that she was as good-look-
Ing a girl as one would wish to sec
auburn hair, slightly inclined to red,
trim, compact little figure, and such
a foot and ankle! ! wouldn't give q
thank you for the prettiest woman
in England, assure you, if she had
mt neat feet and ankles. And those
Mary Blake certainly possessed. She
was wonderfully quick. and neat,
too in her housework.
The first morning after she came I
superintended in person her dusting
of the old china in the drawing
room. | could not have done 1t bet
.et myself Well, It's a remarkable
'" instance, that every blessed
hing after that did | find myself
IN toward the drawing room,
re Mary Blake was busy dusting
ornaments.
Are you fond of china" said I,
one morning, as | watched the new
housemaid tenderly taking up lit
tie Dresden sheperdess.
"Oh, yes,' she exclaimed 81 can
assure you, Mr.. Jubber, that busting
this room Of a morning is a labor Of
love to me; 1t is, truly. My late mis-
tress gave me book all about old
china, and II know something
about 1t, sir. Next to listening to
music l think like to look at beau
tiful china. And, oh! Mr. Jubber,
how lovely you do perform on that
violin! When you was playing last
night In your room / sat and listen
ed, and 1t was a treat to a poor girl.
Yes, and when you played Home,
Sweet Home. oh! Mr.. Jubber, you
don't know how | felt.
"Oh! Mr.. Jubber. could not help
crying. II c-c-cannot help It now.
Oh! Mr.. J-J-Jubber, f-f-forgive me,
wo-o-n't you? I c-c-can't help It.
you are SO k-k-kind to me-"
And, with that, blessed II she
didn't throw herself into my arms,
sobbing as II her heart would break.
Well, all ! can say Is, when a young
and lovely woman in distress twines
her arms round the neck OF sus-
ceptible man. and goes on as Mary
Blake did to me that morning, I
imagine there is only one thing that
man can do under the circumstances,
and did 1t, you may be sure. lin
short-kissed her!
beat somewhat undignifled and
hasty retreat.
Curiously enough, that very morn
Ing made up the week that my MS
tress had given me in which I was to
form an estimate of the character Of
Mary Blake.
Il am happy to say" | reported
that / consider Mary Blake perfect
In every possible way. She is modest
and unassuming in her manner, and
I am bound to say that as a house
maid I never yet saw her equal.
think, ma'am," | wound up, "the
most fragile china In the world
would be perfectly safe II she had
the handling OF It."
My dear Jane" exclaimed Miss
Matilda, clapping her hands together
In great delight-"my dear Jane,
never were, / do believe, such lucky
people as we are We have actually
found another treasure"
Well. dear reader, the interest
took in Mary Blake's career still
continued. and found myself every
morning experimenting the busting
operations In the drawing room. The
roguish blue eyes (no longer with
tears In 'em) would still look into
mine In the same pleading, trustful