Cousin Maude

"Ole marster be hanged!" muttered Janet, breaking not one, but

three, into the water, for her own stomach began to clamor for food.

Everything was ready at last; a clean towel covered the server, the

fragrant black tea was made, the boiled egg was laid upon the toast,

and then Janet said, "She ought to have a rellish--preserves, jelly,

baked apple, or somethin'," and she opened a cupboard door, while

Hannah, springing to her feet, exclaimed, "Quit dat; thar aint no

sich truck in dis house."

But Janet's sharp eye had discovered behind a pile of papers, rags,

and dried herbs a tumbler of currant jelly, which Hannah had

secretly made and hidden away for her own private eating. Hannah's

first impulse was to snatch the jelly from Janet's hand, but feeling

intuitively that in the resolute Scotchwoman she had a mistress, and

fearing lest Maude should betray her to the doctor she exclaimed,

"If that aint the very stuff Miss Ruggles sent in for Miss Matty! I

forgot it till this blessed minit!" and shutting the cupboard door,

she stood with her back against it lest Janet should discover sundry

other delicacies hidden away for a like purpose.

"Mother has not had a feast like this--and she'll enjoy it so much,"

said Maude, as she started up the stairs followed by Janet, who, ere

they reached the chamber, suddenly stopped, saying, "I tell you what

'tis, if she knows I'm here she won't eat a mou'ful, so you say

nothin', and when she's through I'll come."

This seemed reasonable to Maude, who, leaving Janet to look through

a crevice in the door, entered alone into her mother's presence.

Mrs. Kennedy had waited long for Maude, and at last, weary with

listening to the rain, which made her feel so desolate and sad, she

fell asleep, as little Louis at her side had done before her; but

Maude's cheering voice awoke her.

"Look, mother," she cried, "see the nice dinner!" and her own eyes

fairly danced as she placed the tray upon the table before her

mother, who, scarcely less pleased, exclaimed, "A boiled egg--and

jelly, too!--I've wanted them both so much. How did it happen?"

"Eat first, and then I'll tell you," answered Maude, propping her up

with pillows, and setting the server in her lap.

"It tastes like old times--like Janet," said the invalid, and from

the room without, where Janet watched, there came a faint, choking

sound, which Matty thought was the wind and which Maude knew was

Janet.