Year: 1871

Cldl pel, ana ne euuCaleu neT dlteI ms
own heart. The best schools had done
what they could for Kate, and she had
amply repaid her fond fathers effort and
satisfied his ambition. The school days
| had been over about three months, and
Kate had been passing gay season at
home Mr.. and Mrs. Prentice had felt
that she should have little time to her.
self before she entered the harder school
of busy life that was to be before her as
teacher, but those three months be-
tween school going and school teaching
had done for Kate what they had done
for many another girl in the same idle
time, and there she stood in the door
way, with all her years of book knowl-
edge and kitchen ignorance behind her,
announcing her intention of making
that mysterious compound, that chef
d'oeuvre of accomplished housekeepers
chicken pie.


Mrs. Prentice turned pale; she thought
Kate little crazy.


Mr.. Prentice smiled. There was a
twinkle in his eye.


"Let her try, mother; let her try"
and with very quick step and merry
heart, he was gone. But he talked
aloud as he went down the street.


Il wonder who it can be. | am sure
l don't know, but it must be somebody
for when'a girl that never could endure
the sight of kitchen begins to want to
learn how to cook, it's as sure there's
somebody else in the question as it is
when you See one little brown bird
building nest in spring, that there's
brighter, gayer bird not far off, that is
equally interested in that sample Of
! housebuilding.


Mr.. Prentice was right.


"But Kate" said to her mother, you
surely don't mean to do it alone; you'll
spoil it as sure as the world you never
made even common pie, and it takes a
real Snack to make chicken pie


81 surely do" said Kate, "and if |
spoil it | spoil it. And what's more, l
must do it all myself, and you may get
entirely out of the kitchen-yes out of
the house. You may 60 over to Aunt
Marlha's aud spend the day, so that the
people who eat the pie may be sure that
| did it all myself The fact is (and
here comes the fact about which Mr..
Prentice was so curious) Charley Ad-
ans is coming here to dinner tomorrow.
He's always wishing for one Of his moth
er's chicken pies, so I'm going to make
one for him"


With thousand injunctions about the
crust and the gravy, and the fire and
the oven, and with many misgivings,
Mrs. Prentice withdrew, and Kate, her
daughter, reigned in her stead.


Mr.. Prentice returned at evening with
his wife, and was told by her Of the
events Of the day They went together
to look at the pie.


"Oh, Mr.. Prentice, l never cau have
such looking pie 60 on my table, said
the model housekeeper.


"Oh, yes, mother, it might look
good deal worse but | will step down
early to the market, and have some nice
things sent home, which you will make
all right, you know. We mustn't let
Kate spoil all the changes by a poor
dinner"


The next day came, and with it Char
lev Adams, and the dinner was one Of
Mrs. Prentice's best, so that Charlie was
in capital humor when he reached the
pie, and declared that it was years since
he had eaten such chicken pie. He
might, with equal truth, have said he
had never eaten such chicken pie, for
the crust was tough as well as burned,
and Kate had been in Il reverie while
making as well as baking so she had
forgotten the salt, aud it was indeed a
very poor pie. But what is it that Nir-
oil says-"Love seasons all things p
even chicken pie.


So Charley ate it just as if it was his
mothers best, and Kate was radiant with
happiness.


After dinner, Mr. Prentice said shyly
to his wife, "It's all right. A man must
be thoroughly in love with woman TO
eat such pie as that with so good
grace"


And it was all right. Out under the
stars that night Kates reverie came
true-anG Charlie told her once more
that he loved chicken pie, and her a
great Geal better, and that she and she
only must make it for him all his life,
and they decided about the cottage, and
Kate's dreams that night were a medley
of cottages, and bridal dresses, and chick
en- pie.


They had been married year, and
Il