Middletown transcript., 1908-03-14

Ellen patted them gently to
make them fit into the corners
Light as feathers, she nodded,
approvingly. Well, the poor
child deserves a little help, !
suppose. I'll just run across
and tuck them into her oven !;
mine isn't hot enough. The way
the smokes pouring out OF that
chimney, she's got all her drafts
wide open-as usual. Il beats
me how Corinna's child can pos
sibly be Barbara
Corinna's child had been Bar
bara for sixteen years. She had
grown. tall and comely and scat
ter. Drained dn2that was Aunt
Ellen's word. She had not q
trace of Corinna's housewifely
talent even in embryo, Her
mother could make bread and
beds when she was six better
than Barbara could at sixteen
/ taught Corinna myself, Aunt
Ellen thought. then added hon
- =
estly but With a grimace, And l
taught Barbara Well, I'm not
going to shoulder the RESPONSE
btlity Of that child-she could 90
a good deal better if she tried
What riles me is her Indifference.
All this while Aunt Ellen had
covered the delicate loaves with
q fresh towel, put on her sun
bonnet, and started forth across
the green space between the two
houses. The two loayes would
help the child out. Itvas rather
an undertaking for a schoolgirl
to keep house for o live man and
three live boys.
| ought to be more charitable
gentle Aunt Ellen repented. She
entered the Uttered, hot little
kitchen with a resolve to see
nothing but the oven door.
But on the very threshold an
acrid, penetrating smell greeted
her: she had to see that smell
With a groan she sped to the
stove. threw open the o7en door,
and discovered two black and
smoking loaves of what Barbara
might have meant for bread.
Black as your hat fiat as pan
cakes was her grim inventory
Well, all is, / pity those men
Barbara was evidently no
where in sight or sonnd-ol
smell. The little loaves had beer
put into the oven, all the drafts
Of the stove opened wide to IN
sure their burning, then left tt
the tender mercies of proFl
dence. That was Barbara's s way
of baking.
It's lucky ! made bread myse1
I'm not going to let my brother
in-law and nephews starve t'
death in sight OF my kneadlng
board
Aunt Ellen was on her knees
doing energetic things. I'M
black loaves came out with !
sweep of her arm, the white per
feet ones went in, the oven doc
snapped shut.
Now III regulate this tire-al
It needs is toning down Thos'
,oayesll bake in half an hour
Barbara /! Barbara Where \
the child ? You couldn t surpris'
me any, telling me she'd gon'
visiting! Well, all is, I've got .
go home and run across again il
twenty minutes or 50. I'm goint
to have that bread baked right
Ill take this mess OF charcoa
home with me and throw it int
the hen-yard- rd--charcoals health.
il it isn't appetizing. And
nights well swap bread tins witt
Barbara, too; these are just hk
mine, and it will save some fetch
ing and carrying.
Aunt Ellen hustled home, stop
ping only a minute to toss Bar
bara's bread into the midst 9
her flock of chickens.
She had hardly washed and sc
away the tins when wheels clat
tered rapidly into her little sid
yard. It was her son Dana, an
calamity sat beside him on th
seat. Aunt Ellen ran to the door
Which is it? she gasped. Mary
The baby2
Both. They fell downstairs
Don't stop to take your apron Of
mother! The mans face wa
white with anxiety.
When Amt Ellen, q few mir
utes later, locked up her littl
house and rode away, she did nc
know it would be many anxiou
weeks before she came back