Then she was pierced with an arrow of hunger, terrible, devouring
starvation! Why was it she was always so much hungrier just as she got
out of school, than ever at meal-times? She did hope this wouldn't be
one of those awful days when Aunt Hetty's old Agnes had let the
cookie-jar get empty!
She walked on fast, now, across the back yard where the hens, just as
happy as she was to be on solid ground, pottered around dreamily, their
eyes half-shut up. . . . Elly could just think how good the sun must feel
on their feathers! She could imagine perfectly how it would be to have
feathers instead of skin and hair. She went into the kitchen door.
Nobody was there. She went through into the pantry. Nobody there!
Nobody, that is, except the cookie-jar, larger than any other object in
the room, looming up like a wash-tub. She lifted the old cracked plate
kept on it for cover. Oh, it was full,--a fresh baking! And raisins
in them! The water ran into her mouth in a little gush. Oh my, how
good and cracklesome they looked! And how beautifully the sugar
sprinkled on them would grit against your teeth as you ate it! Oh
gracious!
She put her hand in and touched one. There was nothing that felt like a
freshly baked cookie; even through your mitten you could know, with
your eyes shut, it was a cookie. She took hold of one, and stood
perfectly still. She could take that, just as easy! Nobody would miss
it, with the jar so full. Aunt Hetty and Agnes were probably
house-cleaning, like everybody else, upstairs. Nobody would ever know.
The water of desire was at the very corners of her mouth now. She felt
her insides surging up and down in longing. Nobody would know!
She opened her hand, put the cookie back, laid the plate on the top of
the jar, and walked out of the pantry. Of course she couldn't do that.
What had she been thinking of,--such a stealy, common thing, and she
Mother's daughter!
But, oh! It was awful, having to be up to Mother! She sniffed forlornly
and drew her mitten across her nose. She had wanted it so! And she was
just dying, she was so hungry. And Mother wouldn't even let her ask
people for things to eat. Suppose Aunt Hetty didn't think to ask her!
She went through the dining-room, into the hall, and called upstairs,
"Aunt Hetty! Aunt Hetty!" She was almost crying she felt so sorry for
herself.
"Yis," came back a faint voice, very thin and high, the way old people's
voices sounded when they tried to call loud. "Up in the east-wing
garret."