| Show mald MAID OF ALL wore WORK rachel ramsay looked very pretty indeed as bhe she came down the narrow wooden staircase in the little ft brown farm house that afternoon dressed in a white muslin drobs dross strewn all ail allover over oyer with tiny pink rose robe buds and aud a fresh face frill around her neck tied with pink ribbon while her pretty feet were buttoned into a new pair of boots with high french heels and her hair was ear car curled in loose glossy coilla of shining bronze eh said eald granny ramsay looking Ingup up from her everlasting knit ting work over which she ahe wag was half asleep goin goin to church heys hey grit it sunday grandma 2 explained the girl laughing and color ing pm going to the tower to bee eee miss cal cai callhoun thoun she ahas has often invited mo me there ther theresae eshe she and miss mies bell s Fa hawl baid said granny ramsay who was one of those venerable people privileged to speak their minds of all occasions what do the fine city ladies at the tower want of a farmen farmer daughter like you but grandma invited me it reminds me said baid grandma shrewdly of the old story of the iron pot an and d the china pot swimming down stream together and they dont nowise sult suit j rachel bachel said no more but escaped into the shady lane where the maples were beginning to turn pale yellow in the first september frosts grandma is always criticising criticizing critic ising everybody she sho thought 1 I know the ladies at the tower wi wirl will 1 l bo be glad to see gee me miss alice wants to sketch my head bead for elsine elaine 1 and miss bell asked mo me to eing duets with her she bald said I 1 had a voice like a lark larh and perhaps mr harold haroldson will be there F for or I 1 know ho he often visits at the housep house and anti rachel emilid to herself as she crossed the rustic rusle 6 brid bridge 0 and find went through the gads wads lo 10 to the tha tower a fantastic fan wooden cottage witha with a semicircular semi remi circular trot nonh if which was let for the summer the owner thereof preferring to live in a square brick structure in la the the little side door was open and rachel went in from the left of the passageway passage way a door opened into the kitchen and there to her infinite amazement she sho saw miss alice calhoun herself in the tes esthetic dress of pale sage green and roses in her hair contemplating a pair of decapitated fowls which lay on the table miss mibs alicel alice she exclaimed Is that you rachel bachel cried the city young lady pouncing on her as a drowning man pounces on the neatest floating straw oh I 1 never was so glad to see anybody in all my life these horrid hensl henel bridget has gone away in a rage because bemuse I 1 presumed to find fault with the coffee this morning and we have got company to dinner and I 1 an idea how to get got the feathers of these crea creatures turea turoa but now that you are here heres everything will be right and she shook onn off the big bib apron and step stepped ped back with a it sigh of relief I 1 rachel eachen looked perplexed she had come there not to enact the roll of the kitchen maid but to visit miss mies calhoun to sit in her drawing room and enjoy the conversation of her guests and she did not exactly relish this summary dismissal to the kitchen there is soup stock s went on miss alice and gland a balade and a delicate piece of halibut and with the fouls roasted and a pie or a pudding or something which I 1 dare date stay eay you can make we shall do very nicely im particularly anxious about the dinner because we are to have company excuse me now because I 1 have havo to dress and away tripped amr alias alice selfish and smiling as ever was queen Cleopat oleo Cleo patras raps rals self poor Ea rachel rachell chell cheli she stood a in the hot kitchen the tho tears springing to her ayee a pang of dib dis disappointment a P at her heart sha she knew ew all about it harold haroldson and mr dallas were to dine there that day she she was to be cook waitress maid of all work what signified it what she ehe called herself she remembered what grandma had said bald and for once in her ilfe life gave that venerable lady lady credit for discrimination there thero was no help for it however she tied on the tho bib apron tucked the curls back of her ears and went to work to prepare the chickens for the roasting pan now and thon than pausing to brush away the round bright tears which rolled down her cheeks these young ladies ladles evidently intended to make her useful she might have known that they d did ids beforehand she bhe could hear bear the soft sound of bell calhound Cal houns guitar the sweet subdued tinkle tinkie of alices laughter the deep monotonous un der current of voices and then she glanced down at her pretty muslin dress and bowa bows b dwa of pink ribbon and began to think that miss calhoun had taken an unfair advantage of her if she could only hava havo heard the rapid and energetic colloquy which transpired between the two sisters in their dressing room when first alice came up stairs she would perhaps have better comprehended the drift cf things good news miss misa calhoun had bad cried waving her scented pocket handkerchief in the air ave got a girl in the kitche kitchell nl coill no said mies miss bella bellu fair haired cream complexion damsel dael with pale blue eyes and a perpetual smile f rachel ramsey nodded alice came up in her beat bib and tucker to spend tho the day of course I 1 confiscated fisca ted her at once ones althe the bold pushing thing said bal nal with a disdainful gesture sheb ashes a deal too pretty to bring into the drawing room for haroldson and armine dallas to flirt with added miss alice knowingly and I 1 dont see any way that I 1 could have avoided it it if it had not been for those lucky luchy chicken chickens sr and bridgets fortunate fit of temper make haste baste now be le hero here in n minute and I 1 1 know little littie bachel is lafirst a dirst first class cook for ive uve been there to ten tea bo so the young edies of the towe tower were veto enjoying the feast of reason an and the flow of soul in their cool draw ing room with books new gathered roseo rosco ross and blue guitars gul gui tarns whilo while poor rachel ramsay wag was broiling in the kitchen over peach tarts and bud neapolitan creams 4 she bhe llad had bad forgotten fargo t ten teu her disappointment but artist t like ilke she had thrown herself nto info her occupation with engrossing interest and she was stirring g creams with a quick ene one gertio ertic hand when a step crossed the thresh hold hero hero here are bome some freeh fresh trout bridget to Bur surprise prisa prise your mistress bald said a cur cun clear voice and to her infinite amazement harold haroldson Harol deon stood before her in his hunting bunting costume with a fishing rod lightly a balanced balan baian cid eid on his hib hl shoulder pm not bridget eald eaid the girl laughing but still stirring on pm rachel miss mibs he exclaimed lifting his cap how in the name of all that is wonderful came you here and then not without humor humors rachel detailed the manner and in cio clo clients lents of her capture I 1 gil 1 am the maid of sil nii ali allwork work if you please bhe sh ahe eaid oaid said sald with a curtsy then esthen let mo me help you 11 said haroldean Harol deon 1 briskly tying a F second bib apron round around a his hunting bunting euit suit aci 1 I used to be a pretty good hand at spider and gridiron when I 1 camped out on lako lake up in maine 11 but bat youre not 1 engaged caid said eachen rachel half pleased halt half frighten ed K 1 I can volunteer observed the young man gilve give me the oil and vinegar and you will hee een what a dressing a la mayonnaise I 1 can provide for that salad balad or 0 yours and if ever a pair of cook cooks spent pent s a sort borit of morning in the kitchen this pair did they laughed they made mada innocent lokes jokes they behaved jike like two school children and at last when rachel ran out into the tho garden to gather some water caresses cresses ti tek deck the newly roasted fowls mr harolds on heard the voice of miss mies bell calhoun calling down the stairway rachel bachal Ba chol choi bachell chell cheil you may serve the dinner everyone every one ono is here but that ti tiresome haroldson and heh hea here too calmly responded that gentleman who was wre wrt washing ahing his hands at the pump cried bell ball ehr shrilly lily illy the altho cook and butter butier but ler aro arc expected to take their meals in the kitchen said mr haroldson with commendable gravity cand gand andave ive lve no objection to that arrangement 11 and nothing could coald harold haroid haroldean to come up to the didiog room he and rathel rachel together ate aty their sort of cf repast and washed the dishes although the matter somewhat lost its spice when the misses calhoun and their company ditc an y all adjourned en maese masse to the k nen non and persisted in joining their ranks and when the purple sunset came dreamily down over the dark cedars that overhung the brawling stream streams and the gay guests had all departed alice and bell calhoun gazed dubiously at each other was ever anything so provoking said bell he has actually gone home with her hers baid said alice alica bursting into angry tears and after all the pains paint we took to keep them apart sighed bell ball it was all your fault petulantly exclaimed alice noticing that farmers daughter and dragging her out of her sphere in that eort fort of wayll but it was you that plumed yourself on getting her into the kitchen scolded bell and a nice mess mesa youve made of it but how bow were wo we to tote tell teil hat that it wa wat going to enke ende end so groaned poor alice well rachel said granny ramsay when the girl came in just as the lamp lampa were lighted what sort of a day did you have humph grunted granny If a queer way of entertaining visitors but araps city manners ber perhaps Per haps hapa it is said bachet demurely who was it carne came home homo with you aked granny who was not quite deaf or blind as yet and left you at the garden gate gatt one irone of the other servants gaid eaid rachel well weil I 1 never bald asid granny cW whereas coheres heres henes all your pride rachel ramsay 1 oil I never was prouder in all I 1 ilfe life fe than I 1 am ana tonight to night said ea ra chel listen Ll sten grandma for I 1 have so much to tell you mr harold haroldson of new york yord walked home with uve met him ever so many times timeo before this bumm ernt erat picnics and archery parties and such but I 1 never knew fenew that he be cared for me arld arid abato to night he asked me to marry himy him and he ia Is to come here hero tomorrow to morrow morning to see father do you yon love him baid bald baid said granny ramsay huskily and rachel bachel answered yes then god bless you my child and give you both a long and happy life said the old lady softly smoothing the girla bright head and every one was satisfied except the ladies of the tower helen forrest fairest graves |
