and said, 'Is not this meant for your friends?'
what could I do? I had to take it, and read the paragraph; and, my
dears, here it is. Oh, I have been so unhappy all day about it! What
will your father and brother do? Mrs. Dutton let me cut this out, when
she saw how I felt about it."

I took the scrap of paper which she handed to me; and the blood rushed
to my heart, as I read an item with the following heading:--

"A MADISON-SQUARE SENSATION."

It was a garbled and scurrilous account of the late little incident at
our house, implying, indeed openly asserting, that there had been a
wholesale attempt at poisoning. Names were not given, not even the
initials under which the reporters of such gossip often pretend to
disguise publicity, and in a measure avoid responsibility; but, to the
initiated, there could be no doubt that the paragraph referred to my
unlucky cookery. Further particulars, it was said, would be given at a
later date, although it was difficult to obtain information, as the
parties concerned had endeavored to hush up the matter; and "money is a
power in this community."

I turned faint and giddy as I read; while Bessie, who looked over my
shoulder, burst into a tempest of indignant exclamation.

"Dear child! Don't turn so white, Amy, my dear; I am so sorry I showed
it to you," cried Miss Craven, aghast at my alarm and agitation. "It is
outrageous, scandalous; but it cannot hurt you: you see no names are
given. But I shall never forgive myself, for I told Mrs. Dutton about
the 'food for the gods'. She was interested, you know, when you were
here with me learning to make it, and asked me how it turned out. But
she is discretion itself; she would not say a word, nor let any one
know--Oh! my dear child, what shall I do? What shall we all do?"

But the vivid imagination with which I was credited by my friends, and
which not unseldom did cause me many a needless foreboding, was rampant
now; and visions arose before me of disgrace to the family, if those
dreadful newspaper people did, as they threatened, "give further
particulars," and perhaps go to greater lengths, and even print my name
in their horrible sheet. Should I ever be able to hold up my head
again? I sat in dumb, terrified astonishment.

But here, Bessie, with her practical common sense, came to the front,
and brought me back to reason.

"So that is the way you meant to make such a success of your 'food for
the gods,' is it, you fraud?" she