Part 8 (1/2)

”You s,” said Prudence

”Working like this ry”

The day aret out of doors after the stea in the shade of the trees, a little tired after her early rising She could see Bridget and Baby at the botto Baby's pink sun-bonnet bobbed about like a rose going for a walk in the berry-bed Before she reached the kitchen door she began to sar

”I expect it has spilt on the stove,” she thought; ”that pot is pretty heavy for Grizzel to lift”

The ser, and when Mollie reached the kitchen there was not only a sn of Grizzel, nor of anyone else; the house was silent and e of the boiled-over jaement, different from the stoves of her acquaintance The ja over for some time, for not only the saucepan, the stove, and the fender, but even the floor was covered with a dark-brown sticky syrup She trod carefully to the fire-place and lifted the pan to one side, the s fortunes is pretty hot work in Australia,” she muttered to herself ”If I made many there wouldn't be much of me left to enjoy them with Where on earth is Grizzel?”

She found her in their bedrooolden bowl, quite oblivious of a world which contained ja, Grizzel--I am afraid it is rather badly burnt”

”My ja back to the world of every day

”Goodness ot all about the jam” She hastily dumped her bon on the -sill, and flew to the kitchen, followed by Mollie

”Oh dear, dear, dear!” she cried, when her eyes fell upon the scene of devastation ”Oh, my jam! my jam! Oh, why aetting into the way of the other half! Oh, Mollie--my lovely, beautiful jam!”

”Let's taste it and see; _perhaps_ it isn't burnt,” Mollie suggested But one sip was enough ”Ab-so-lute wash-out!” was her verdict Grizzel seized the pot by the handle andto do?” asked Mollie, following her

”Bury it,” said Grizzel, laying down the pot and seizing a spade

She rapidly dug a shallow hole, poured the sticky black mixture into it and tossed back the earth

”And they were so pretty a few hours ago,” she wailed ”Why on earth did I go and spoil theirl!”

”It isn't _really_ any ly ”I'd just as soon be burnt as eaten ht be cooked first and eaten afterwards I must say it is rather hard lines on mutton when you come to think of it”

Grizzel took the blackened pot to the pump, filled it ater, and carried it back to the kitchen The fire was nearly out, and logs had to be piled on and blown up with the bellows before the pot could be set on again Grizzel looked round for a towel to clear up the horribleand they were all hanging out to dry on the line

”Get a newspaper and cruested Mollie; ”wet it in the pot-water”

When Bridget and Baby appeared at the door, two very hot and sticky children were surrounded by a litter of crumpled, wet, black newspapers, and the stove was as far as you can possibly iet

Nothing could have looked less like holy saints than Mollie and Grizzel did at that moment They stood up in the midst of the ruins, and Mollie waited for the skies to fall But Biddy was a good- natured soul

”An' me stove new cleaned this verythe children out of the ith her apron as she spoke