Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-23
Surprize inthe Cherry
Pie

! eS, Helen. L 40, lOT the SuulllleI
will go by before you know it, What
would you like to make first?'
! "Oh, | think pies would be the
incest
Il guess that's because you're so
fond of them, dear. But they are not
very easy things to begin with.
should think gingerbread or cookies
or rice pudding would be better"
mo, I'd rather make pie, mother.
if you don't mind-a cherry pie like
the one we had at grandma's last
week, for I'm sure that would win a
prize anywhere"
II haven't o doubt Of it, Helen for
your grandmother is famous pie
maker And you shall learn how to
make them, too, though l haven't time
to each you this morning. But you
can help me with mince if you'd like
to-"
"Oh, that will he fine mother! What
shall | do first?"
well, here are some cherries that
need to be stoned. Suppose you begin
with these. Only be very careful to
get all the stones out, for it spoils a
cherry pie to bite unexpectedly into
hard stone Take the bowl over by
! the window where it is cool. And
you'd better put on your apron, for
| the cherries are very juicy this year
and you mustn't set anything on that
pretty new Bingham dress.
"All right. mother, but l don't see
why you have to wear aprons if you
cook. hate them. Please. after you
get the crust ready may | put in the
,l, nd IN oil h.,
Yes, if you'll hurry and get them
stoned
81 will mother. See, I've got lot
done already"
Then Helen sat down by the window
that looked out onto the smooth green
lawn and the vegetable garden be-
yond Her little fingers worked very
fast at their task, but her eyes would
wander from one thing to another,
both inside the house and out. And
quite often they rested on her two
brothers where they we're at work in
the garden. At times she almost wish
ed she were there too, for she loved
to be out of doors, especially wherever
either Of the boys was
And seeing the boys made her think
of surprises. For all three of the chill
dren loved them better than anything
else and had a new game in which
they were constantly trying to think
up new one. Today 1t was her turn,
and her little mind began to work as
fast az her fingers. After a few mo-
ments, if you had looked at her face,
you would have known she had hit
upon something that pleased her very
much. For fun danced in her big
bright eyes and her face laughed all
Oyei.
Then sh, said softly to herself: 81
know what I'll do to surprise the boys
today I'll stone all the cherries but
just two big ones, and I'll leave those
Just the way they are. Then when the
boys get their pieces of pie at dinner
they'll eat very fast, cause they love
cherry pie so, and all of sudden
they'll bite on a stone and they'll be
so awfully surprised that it will make
them mad. O, won't it be fun!'
So Helen went on with her work and
finished just as her mother said she
was ready for the cherries. Then the
two went into the big pantry and the
pie making began. Mrs. Sanderson
had already rolled out the pie crust
first thing she had to show Helen was
how to arrange the cherries. Then
they sprnkled over them a heaping
cup of sugar and little -four to keep
the juice from running out, and over
it all they put the thin upper crust,
which they wet with enough cold wat
err to make it nice and flaky. Then
they placed it in the hot oven to cook
and Helen ran out into the garden,
saying it was too warm to stay in the
kitchen any longer and that she had
had enough cooking for one mOrrp
Then she got so interested in NAtt
the boys were doing that she forgot
all about the cherry pie and didn't
think of It again until dinner time,
when she saw Biddy bring it into the
dining room and set it down before
her mother to serve. But she was just
as anxious for her piece as the boys
and began e. ting it quite as rapidly.
Then someone mentioned the circus
that was coming to town the next day,
and all three children began to talk
together as fast as they could and got
very excited as they begged their
father to take them to see it. And
though they knew much better, | am
sorry to say they tried to eat and talk
at the same tieme And then it was
that something happened that gave
Helen the biggest surprise of the day,
She had only partly swallowed big
mouthful of pie when she began. 20
father. do you suppose the baby ele
plants will''-when her teeth came
down on something hard and she
stopped short and wondered what had
happened.
Her mother. noticing it. asked
What is the matter Helen? Is it
that tooth again? You must have
something done for it at once"
But Helen did not answer her and
after moment went on eating her
pie. BY this time father was telling
something very interesting about the
young elephants. and Helen interrupt
ed with. Now father, if you don't
take
She got no further, for again her
teeth came down upon something
hard and this time she gave a queer
little scream and put her hand to her