She intended to keep her word, but while she was smelling the spices,
it struck her that it would be a good joke to season the pies from the
other box. "Like an April fool," she thought; so she took a spoon and
measured in a liberal supply of mustard and red pepper; then she went
out into the yard.

It was fortunate that the minister and his new wife were not coming
until the next day. Ethelwyn, however, spent a very unhappy afternoon.
That night she woke up sobbing, and crawled into grandmother's big bed.

"What's the matter, child?" said grandmother, sitting up in bed with a
start. "Are you sick?"

"Yes, grandmother, awful! You'll never like me again, I know." And then
she told her about the pumpkin pies.

"Well, child, I am thankful you told me," said grandmother with a sigh,
"for when you are as old as I am, and have a reputation for doing
things, it goes hard to make a failure of them, and I should have been
much mortified. Fortunately there are plenty of pie shells, and there is
more pumpkin steamed, so that I can season and put them together in the
morning. But I am glad, dear child, that your conscience wouldn't let
you sleep comfortably until you had told; be careful, however, never
again to break your word. Remember the Van Starks' watchword, 'Love,
Truth, and Honor.' Now cuddle down here and go to sleep."

Ethelwyn, feeling much relieved, slept in the canopy bed with
grandmother, until long past daylight. When she came down-stairs, the
great golden pies were coming out of the oven, and the minister and his