Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-09-20
CHAPTER xv.-cOntinued.

versatiOnally.
Perennial Prue jumped, fairly
clutched at her work. Uncle Jerry
frowned Leavily.
Lettie, clinging to the role OF
hostess, smiled genially. "You look
awful intrusted in each other. l guess
you"
"Lettie, didn't / tell YOU
1t was Uncle Jerry's voice-a severe
voice. too, but Lettie scarcely listened.
She stepped in front of Prudence.
Miss Hapgood," she said confiden-
TALLY, faint it a funny thing, the way
your cheeks get all colored up when
you talk to Uncle Jerry? Pennies
don't. Sometimes she talks to him
long time, and she don't ever"
"Oh," gasped Prudence in .pitiable
confusion, tits only because-because
he was telling about" Her delicate
hands fiuttered in distress.
"Shawl Don't get so nervous" ad-
vised Lettie briskly. "Ain't nothing
to make you nervous. Just make
yourself to home
She was very sure of the correct
ness of this phrase, it being much
thought of in The Custard Cup, and
she was therefore hugely astonished
when she felt firm hand on her
shoulder, a hand with compelling
force that switched her about and
marched her toward the kitchen.
"To think of you, talking to lady
that wayp' spluttered Uncle Jerry.
"'You'd better stay in the kitchen till
you learn manners"
''AIy landy goodness!" gasped Let
tie, nursing her thin shoulder and
gazing wrathfully at the closed door
into the living-room. "Td like to know
what made him so cross. And me
being extra pleasant, too! Well, by
1iminy!'' she snapped. 'Pll bet I can
feed a lady If he don't think l can
talk to one."
Crink came in with the corn, and
Lettie prodded the fire till the top of
the stove was hot. Gradually she for
got her rebuff in watching the corn in
the pepper.
'Fn Caesar" she remarked, casting
a reflective eye on the small, eager
dog, who was gazing at her with vi
brating hope, 'you mays well get
out. I don't scurcely b'lieve you'll
get a bit Of this here corn-'less you
divide the old maids with Bonnie Ger
aldine Crink, take this pepper and
I'll get the dishes. What say let's
I'll bet Penzie'd like to have US use
them little glass dishes that come with
the coupons. It's gotta be somep'n
small, cause land knows there won't
no Teller get many kernels"
She passed the pepper to Crink and
dragged a stool in front of the apple
box cupboard beside the stove. The
glass dishes, being very choice, were
IL one of the upper boxes. behind the
spices. Lettie began moving the
spice boxes to another shelf.
"Oh-ohr ' she shrieked. 81 dropped
one. Pick it up, quickl Oh! Quick ="
But neither child could be quicker
than the spice box had been. It had
fallen on the stove. When it struck,
the cover flew off. A liberal quantity
of cayenne pepper spread over the
hot stove, and instantly a spiral of
black smoke arose, like diabolic in
.cense. An acrid odorr filed the
kitchen; a singing permeation as
sailed nostrils and threats.
ooh, amt that the darndest-- Obi
Murder! Helpl Helpl Come! Come
along! Quickl OH"
FIJI Caesar coughed madly, leaped
into the air; then dashed into the
open. Crlnk dropped the pepper,
splitting the precious corn over the
stove and floor. Coughing and sneez-
ing, he and Lettie made frantic dabs
at the stove with spoons and shovel,
trying to remove the pepper, but their
efforts only spread it more thoroughly.
With every breath they drew in biting
fire.
Uncle Jerry and Prudence, fright
-ened by the uproar, burst into the
kitchen, and with lightning response
to the all-pervading stimulus, joined
in the general sneezing. At the same
moment Mrs. Penf1eld came flying
through the house and swooped down
upon her distracted family with ener-
getic command
sect out of the house, everybody"
she cried.
Jerry Winston sprang forward and
transferred the hot griddles to the
end of the stove. Mrs. Penfield
suatched a towel, wet it under the
faucet, and held It to her nose while
she deadened the fire and opened the
windows.
The tortured family and the tor
tured guest fled to the back yard,
fighting the red-hot misery that clung
in their Threats, breathing in great
breaths of the cool air that soothed
and inf1amed at the same time.
80 Penzie," walled Lettie, dancing
about in agony, "I-honest to good
MSS, 1 was-was trying to entertain
Miss Hap" She sneezed.
"Its-its all right" choked the
guest. 'T was never more-more-
cheheezer '
Uncle Jerry coughed violently. "It's
a looming-schweeze
Honest, Penzies" protested Lettie,
with streaming eyes, 81 was trying
TOTO please you. lit was an ac-
cident."
Mrs. Penfield shook her head sadly.
81 never saw anything like the way
oil,