St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-08


Wet rag with it, don't you, and tie
it round your neckT
"Yup. Be sure and use a flannel
rag and red flannel if you've got it.
That acts quicker n the other kinds
Fifteen cent bother
81 guess so. Nights well give me
some sass'p'rilla while you're about it;
always handy to have in the house.
And-er-say, is that canned soup
you've got up on that shelf?"
The astonished clerk admitted that
it was.
"Well, give me can of the chicken
kind
Mr.. Smalley, standing on a chair
to reach the shelf where the soup
was kept, shook his head.
Now, that's too bad, cap'n," he said,
'sbut we're all out of chicken just now.
Fact is. we amt got nothin' but ter
matter and beef broth. Yes, and
declare if the termatter amt all gone"
"Humph! Then guess I'll take the
beef. Needn't mind wrappin' it up.
So long"
The captain entered the house quiet
| ly and tiptoed to the door of the bed
room. Emily was asleep, and the sight
of the childish head upon the pillow
/ gave him a start as he peeped in at it.
! 1t looked so natural, almost as If it
| belonged there. 1t had been in
bed like that and in that very room
that he had slept when boy.
Gabe, brimful of curiosity, brought
the box little later. His curiosity
was ungratifed, Captain Cyrus ex-
planning that it. was a package he had
been expecting.
He was warming the beef broth in a
peared. She was dressed in dry
clothes from the box and seemed to be
feeling as good as new.
''Hellor' exclaimed Captain Cy.
you're on deck again, hey? How's
icicles?'
'All gone" was the reply. do you
do your own work? Can't 1 help?
can set the table. I used to for Mrs.
Oliver
The captain protested that he could
do it himself just as well; but, the girl,
protesting, he showed her where the
dishes were kept. From the corner of
his eye he watched her as she unfold
ed the tablecloth.
els this the only one you've got?"
she inquired. Its awful dirty"
"Hum! Yes. 1 amt tended up to
my washin' and ironin' the way I'd
ought to. I'll lose my job if 1 don't
look out, hey?"
Before they sat down to the meal
Captain Cy insisted that his guest
take a tablespoonful of the sarsapa-
rilla and decorate her throat with a
section of red flannel soaked in the
TArabian balsam."
"Have some soup? Some I bought
purpose for you. Best thing goin' for
; folks with icicles," remarked the cap
tain, waving the iron spoon he had
used to stir the contents of the sauce
pan.
Eyes, sir, thank you. But don't you
ask blessing?"
''Hey?"
"a blessing, you know-saying that
you're thankful for the food now set
before u.s.
Hum! Why, to tell you the truth
I've kind of neglected that, I'm afraid.
Bein' thankful for the grub I've had
lately was most too much of a strain,
I shouldn't wonder"
81 know the one mamma used to say.
Shall I ask it for your
"Sho! guess SO if you want to-"
The girl bent her head and repeated
short grace. Captain Cy watched
her curiously.
"Now I'll have some soup, please,
observed Emily. I'm awful hungry.
had breakfast at o'clock this morn
ing, and we didn't have a chance to
eat much"
A good many times that day the cap
tain caught himself wondering if he
wasn't dreaming. The whole affair
seemed too ridiculous to be an actual
experience Dinner over, he and EN-
ME attended to the dishes, he wash
ing and she wiping. And even at this
early stage of their acquaintance her
disposition to take charge of things
was apparent She found fault with
the dish towels They were almost as
bad as the tablecloth, she said. Con
1 sidering that the same set had been In
use since Mrs. Beasley's departure, the
cr1C1c1Sm was not altogether DdS0l0SS
Excuse me-" she said, "but don't
e you think that plate had better be
!. done over? I guess you didn't see that
place In the corner. Perhaps you've
!. forgot your specs. Auntie Oliver
I couldn't see well without her specs"
e Captain Cy grinned and admitted
!, that a second washing wouldn't hurt
. the plate.
II guess your auntie was one of the
, particular kind he said.
mo, sir; twas mamma. She couldn't
bear dirty things. Auntie used to say
that mamma Hunted dust with a mag
. nifying glass. She didn't, though. She
only liked to be neat. guess dust
doesn't worry men so much as it does
women
'Why?''
: "Oh, cause there's so much OF II
here. Don't you think so? I'll helI
you clean up by and by If you want
> to-"