Year: 1874

faction of seeing ''the storm was blow
ing over" the wrinkles in her forehead
lessened in number and depth, the mouth
regained its more pleasing expression
and herself began to breathe more freely.


Supper was ready, and she had called
to her father to come, and was taking
the clothes off the line as she went back
when her mother called her.


Oh. Henrietta Henrietta, come here,
quick


She dropped the clothes pin she had
just pulled off, and ran in through the
sitting-room depositing the armful of
clothes on the lounge as she ran.


Come, you are the pokiest girl, and
don't try my patience, why couldn't you
come when l called you


Why, mother, did just as fast as I
could. | had an armful of clothes l was
taking down.


Of course =! you always have an arm
full of clothes then, or something when I
need you. You had better say head
full of going to town to school, and then
you would hit it about right. l do just
hope and pray something will turn up
to keep you at home, it has been nothing
but that for year, and for my part I
have heard all l want of it. Now, run
over to Mrs. Crunis' and get those eggs
she promised me from her Brahmas. |
want to set old yellow to night, and had
like to have forgotten it with so many
million things to worry me, don't stop
to talk ! Do you hear, Henrietta Steb-
bins?


Yes'm, | do hear! answered back Et-
ia, and away she went, cross-lots to Mrs.
Crunis' fast as she could, for her aching
head and the pain in her side which had
come during her run home from school,
and which had not left yet, but it was
only little way, just a few yards
thirty or forty maybe, and she got the
eggs and was home again JUST as her
father and the men from the field went
into the supper room followed by her
mother, who, seeing her turned to say:


Well, you did 60 quick once in your
life, must say Now, child take that
crock of cream out to the cave so it will
not get warm. and then come to your
supper-hurry now don't keep us wait
ing for you.


Eta took the crock full of cream, and
staggered at first under its weight but
she often carries heavier things than
that-but what if something should hap
pen as ma hopes there will, to keep me
from going away to school. Oh, dear !
seems to me l had rather die than to


She did not finish her sentence, not
then, nor ever, I guess. She was hurry
ing so, all the time, because she knew
that whenever her mother was in the
mood she was in that night, she always
had father wait for her to be at the ia
BILE before the blessing was asked, and
she did not want to provoke her mother
any more.


She set her crock down to open the
door of the cave, a sort of trap door it
was, that stood slanting so as to shed
water, and it was always heavy to open,
and heavy to hold while she let it down
which her mother always bade her '.de
carefully so as not to slam it all to piec.
es' it was dreadfully heavy tonight
but it was even now and she stopped
down to raise her crock of cream, step
ping down one step as she did SO, by
way of lifting it more easily, and also tx
gain time when-"what does all my
head p she thought, and splash wen
the cream, crash fell our Eta head
long into the cave, where she lay per
fectly quiet.


In the house at the table they sat
Mr.. Stebbins looking at his wife littl
anxiously to see whether the indication
there were to proceed or wait the,
seemed to his practical eye to be, to wait
So they sat silently waiting one full min
ute, then another, then Mrs. Stebbin


fdgetted in her chair and exclaimc,
(thoughtfully for once y that girl can


hurry to save her life, don't wait for he
Mr.. Stebbins, if you are in hurry.


So the good man said grace rever


emily, after which Mrs Stebbins poure


the tea, and thought she would set it O
the stove to keep hot, and just see wEa
could keep Henrietta. She looked ou


toward the cave-no one there Sh
stepped quickly out along the path in
, stealthy sort of way, wondering the Will
what can the child be doing, not eatin
sour cream, | hope


Goodness me what next I'd like [
ask, if she hain't fallen in and split m
; cream and broke the crock all to smids


ems, the awkward hussy Henrietta
Henrietta lStebdns!.


Henrietta did not even so much {
r stir. and her mother drew her skirts u
about her instinetively to keep the
e from the cream spattered wall, an
stepped cautiously down into the cav
a She then proceeded to lift up her chill,
e and turned up a white face with blooc