The New Girl

"Now, Charley, yoii'll bc pure (o rcmembcr?" '■ïo remeniher - whnt?" sniil Mr. Mcredith, wirb n hopelesa cxprcssion of inanity on his coimteimncp. Kitty Meredilh dropped both hands despairiiigly ai liev side=, ■■Charles!" shecxclaimed,"you don't nican tlial you've forgotten ñlrendy?" 'My dcar," snid Mr. Meredith,fuinbling i ii Ihedepihsof hisovercoai pockets for a misging ::!ove, "1 niay iiot have forgotten - uut I don't secm exoctly to rémeinlxjrl" "Tlio oysters!" ünggcsted Uio wifo. "Oh, yes," said Mr. Mcreduh, "the oysters." "And tbc two ounccs of doublé Ecpliyr scarlot wool!" "Exactly." "And the depot-back fo bc in wfiiti ti _r al two o'clock l'ór yourcougin i'roin Uhicaoro." ]lr. Mercditli slappcd his hand on the toble. 'iílie i- poming ta-day. I declare to goodneg3!" he ejacul ited. "And a dozen Havana orangea for dessert, and tro pounds t' white grapps, and some ot'thoe delicioua little tiaples bisenit uid mnccaroons, from Baltaselli'fl - cii. and let iliom send mo np a tfirl from St. CÍiarsl" ■A - wkich'i"3 "A .ui :■!. yon poo=o! Vov jrcnoi-1 lidusework. Phoebe went homo this mofiiing wiih a face-ache, anu I cau't be lul't alone with company coni i ii and iiil. .Süntl slic's a good cook and uiidorsiands waiting at tablc!"' And Mr. Meredith rushed oíT (o cntuii 1 1)0 ninc Ihirty expresa witli a kal -hlo-copic confusión of grapes, 7 i iyr wniil, depot-hacks, oyster, ana servant-maida ciu-ecving' throtigh liis bi-ain, wuicli bodod ïll tor Mrs. Mcreditri's domes! ie pfaiig. S'h;lc tliatldy,claspingboth hands over lier foreliead, in a oort of trag-ic LÏr, rushed down ntotlie kitchen, wheiv a vcry good-looking young maji ofsotnetwoor three-and-twenty was on his knees in front of the rauge. tryiiig ïo coax a most nnwillitig iiro "to burn. Tlie good-looking young man gliiiïced np. with a comical ftparkle in liis cv; s, ;uii a Bimidyfc of soot traversin the bridge of his noso. WeliVsaid he. "Toni," cried Mrs. Merodith, hysterically, "can yon make lobster salad?" 'Like a bonk!'' said ïom. "And coftec?" "I learned in Paris!" "Good," said Mrs. Meredith. "And I can make buttermilk biscuit - and, between u.=, will get np a decent lunch for t ie yoiing lady from Chicago I As lor diiniei' - " "Well? again remar ked tlie young man with the soot-besimnluol nose. "Providence must proviuel" siyhed the niatron. "Tbere'san old chintz-colored rooster in the barnvard." said Toni. ly. "tf I coukl once catoh him, i"d bare n chicken stewl" 'Toni,'' said Mi. Meredith, "did vou over make a chicken stcw? ' "No." 'T.ien yon doii't know whfit you're (nlk.ug about," said the lady, with sumo asperity. "Ves. I do, too," maintained the Amateur Soyer. "Onions, potatoer, celery, pcarl-barley, with a pyich ol uil, nul - " "Nonsense!" interposed Mrs. Mereditli. ''Do piek that lobster out of its liHi. -nul Ioiivc off roinniiriiijr! You're i botter at poetryand newspaper íes than yon are in the kitchen ; fh, t be gure," with a twinge of ■con eieucp, "goodness knows wnat I ld do without yon justin this parli ulareiuci-gcncy, you dear old darlin. The lobster was only hnlf picked out of its shcll, tlie buttermilk biecuit was still uumixed, and Mrs. Meredith, with apocket-haudkerchief titidaround hor jretty brown hair, was dusting the fittie dsawiiig-rooni, when there carne a ring at the door-boll. ishe pot the torbaned head out ot' the wiudow aíicr a most uijceremonious fasliion. "Wrlio"s there?" she demanded, in a hiru contralto. "Etoefl Mr& Meredith live here?" retorted a woinan's voice. And nt the same instant the yonng mairou caught sightofa neat black lenther bag, a bliick alpaca dros-1, and a shawl !oi the plainost High land plaid. 'U's the ncw Kirl, thank Providencc!" said Mra, Meredith; and sho flew down Btairs, thauking honest Charley, in ?r lieart, lor his unexpected proraptitude. "Como in," shc said, opening the door wide. "I ani glad you are so punctua!, inr good girl. F rom the St. G'har'.s Inteíligonce Bureau, I suppose? Xu, don't tiike ott' your Ui i!;.s up here - the servant's room ii below stairs; you tnay as wcll come directly down into tiio kitchen." öhe led the way down, followod by the ncw girl, whose countcnancc bore rather a bowikleied expression. "Vrhat is your name she askod patronizitigly. "My name? Oh, it's Martha," answeruil the strauger in soine confusión, (Martha?" criiically repeaied Mrs, Meredith. "What au ngly name! 1 iliink I sliall cali you Patty. Have you good rel'erenccsf" "I - bcliove so.:' '1 thiuk," said Mrs. Meredith, survcying lier from top to toe, "yon are a : Hule over-dressed for your gituation, Patty : but of oourse you have soine plaiucr clothea in your trunk whcii it coinés:"' Tne stranger liftcd a pair of grave blue eyos to the tall ibrm, girded arouud with a towel, who was vigorou si y wrestliug witli the claws of a stupendous lobster at the table beyond. "Do you keep a man cook, ina'am," said slie? -Mrs. Meredith drew heraelf tip.- "Certaiuly uot," said she. "Tfaie is my brother, Mr. fSchvyn, who is kindly assisting me to make a salad." 'liut lio is not doing it right," said the ncw gh-1. '-lle"!! liever get the meat out ot the sliell in that way. Let me show you. Mr. Sehvyn." And with cleft iiiigers she loosened the luscious white from the wiar. lei ?hell iu a that ni.ide Mr, Schvyu cry "Bravo! '■And iiow. ratty, .=aii Mr. Mercdith.I will showyou wherethe thinga are, and leavo you to gct us np as nico a lmicli asyou can lor half past tivo o'clock; we are expecting my lmsband's cousin froni Chicago, and I want everything in perfect order." "J'Jl finish tbo salad," said Torn, wlio had socretly been obscrving the pretty face nnd trim figure of the ncw doinestic, "nor that l've commenoed it. But you needii't look so pertnrbed, Patty, if that's yonr uaine. PU be caret'ul not to get in yonr way. And you can ask my sister there if l'm not a handy soi-t of a fellow around the kitchen." Kitty shook herheadsnrreptition8ly nt ïoim behind the screen; Toni lutely affected ïiot to perceive the warning gestare. Halt' an honr afterward he carne up (o the dinlng-rooni where Mre. Meredilh was nrntnging her best lilac-andgold china. 'Kitty," Baid he, "slie's a jewel! A cení of tlie li i-at water! Depend apon it, silo's not ahvays vrorked in the kitchen! I quotcd Shakespeare apropos of something or other. I don't remember what. and shc recognized the frr.ind. old worda at once - her eyes brigh tened, and you should have seeu tlio color come into hor cheeks!" "Quoted Shakespeare!" cried out Mrs. Meredith. "Xo a commou kitchen girl!" 'J don't beüore in high life bnlow stairs," said Mrs. Meredith disdainfully. Tlie lunch camonp at half past two, in perfect order, but no comin froni Chicago arrived - no depot hack rolled up to the door. "How provokina!'' said Kitty. - "Miss Meredith raust have missedsoiiie eseiitial connecting train. Charley wlll be so vcxed! Bat, however, I don't so much niind company coming in at any time, now that I have got Buch nn excellent girl !" Thedinuerof daintily-roasted qinils nndaraobit frioassee, with a dessert of' custards and jolly. wis dnly served at prcCiscly scven. at which hoor Mr. Meredith himself hounced in, hot and flushed with the liaste he liad made. 'Where is ghe?" cried he. "WlieixTis wlio?" cried Jittjr. "My couin from Chicago!" "Oli!" .said Kitty. "tíhe has not come!" "Not come?" . "No!" Mr. Meredith drew a long sigh of mingled regret and relief. "Tlien, atter all," said he "it's not so unlucky." "What is not so nnliicky?" ietulantly demanded his wife, "My dear Charles, you are expressing yonrself altogether in riddles." 'That I forgot all about the oysters, and the zcphvr wool, and the servant girl? "Forgot?" "Yes- forgot. Isn't that plain English enough?" 'Uut you didn't forjret," remonstrated Mrs. Mcreditu. "You sent her. - She's here now, in t!ie kï tellen." Mr. Meredith slarted. 'l've sent no one," said he. "Never thooght of the girl from that moment to tïiis, I give you my word of honor!" "Then," slowly ejaculaled Kitty, "who did send her?" "Ring the bell!" said Mr. Meredith. "Let's liave her up! Who knows but she's one of those regular conlidence women. with an eyc to the forks and isl" And as he spoke he jerked the bellcoid with somc energy. in a minute or two the new girl up, gtuiUiigaml courtesying. Merediüi uttcrod an exclama tiou oí' iVIllílZ Mlltllt. "Why, ii's Martha Merodithl" shouied lie. "Ii's niy cousiu i'roin I" And-h: clasped lierinliigarms,with ft shower of kiüses tbat made honcst Toin's hair stand on oud. ' ("1 wisli slie was niy consin from Cliicag-o," ui tcrcd lie, in a stage aside.) Kitty turiied as scarlet as a pepporpoil. "Oh,good gracio'.is!" sliorricd clnspinz lirr ]i;tic llanda jütvousIv, "and I took lier for the eookl" 'And I ani a cook - TívlinTi iiccecsity reqnircs it, Cousiu Kitty!" said pretty Martha Mereditli, making her peace with a kiss. "Dun't bo vexcd witlimo for hnmoring the joke - imlced. indeed, I couldn't lielp it. And Í will sliow you how to make those meringues glacees, and the Neapolitan creams, toDaorrow!" And tliey all Bat happily down together to the roasi qmil and fricasseed ralibif - and Kitty and-Margaret went togethcr to the Intelligence bureau on (he morrow and establishod a Milesian dañino] in the kitchon, wlio was nol at all inconïruons to her snrronndin And Torn leaned orer liis sisier's slionlder, and whsperad Wïiggishly : - "Didn'tïtell you sho w&s&gem of the iirst water?"