The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-05-03
THE HOUSE CLEANING.

ana lNlh NNMn Win = NV>tUlV az AoStf-
lute despair
Not going 20 clean house again, Mrs,
Benedict Why, il seems as If We had
only Just recoverel from the dreadful
tearing up process of last spring ,,
Mrs. Benedict slowly dropped four
humps of sugar into his ,utlcc then
handed il to him. utterly ryEarlless of
the misery IN his face.
- Dre0diul tearing mp that's pog-
feet nonsense. Mr.. Ammliuu. As il you
were very much lucouvtulruccI last
MAY while the carpets were mp and the
curtains down and the painting going
on. OF course l shall clean; it's my
habit, and has been for twenty old
years
Mr., Ammilon gave q little groan at
the sad fate that awaited him-tlat
awaited all bachelors IN boarding houses
IN the shape Ot several consecutive
days OF bare floors and the oior u soap;
Of cold dinners eaten wherever il was
convenient % set the dining table: oi
Mrs. Beuelc; III chronic state of
hustle auI cr1SSueSs, and the servants
impudent trci ANA Sulky; of wide open
doors aud windows where the dnuEhts
tore through.
He was q gentleman, however. Mr.,
Ammidon was, and So repreSsed his i'll
temper and disgust and mental maleiic.
tionS that house cleaning Was "a purely
malicious luSCgatlon ut his Satanic
majesty for the torment OF mankind
"Well be So nice and sweet and clean,
Mrs. Benedict went on. with horrible
cheerfulneSs, land I've been thinking
Ifi1 frv4.
Mr. Ammidon. I'm sure you'll ike
that? ?"
"Yery much-when its done, mad
am.
And he cut his meal short ana rushed
ont of doors into the cool, fresh October
evening air.
All, bah can already experience
the agonies of last spring Good heaven
the woman must be made Of cast iron 10
attempt such siege again. Ii Is no
wonder her husband died if be suffered
two attacks OF house cleaning wear, and
shall die or grow crazy unless l leave
her-but l suppose al women are
equally idiotic.
4 groan Of genuine misery broke from
his lips Is he strobe along, his hat
jammed over his eveS-very unlike the
handsome gentleman he really WAS, with
his frank, CHEEKY face and pleasant
mouth, with the white. even teeth, and
the half curling, thick dark hair, and the
grave, intelligent ewes. that nothing
could rutfle as the idea OF Mrs
Benedict's semi-annual - tearing
up "a courteous, refined, genial
gentleman, whom society found puzzle
because Of his persistent bachelorhood.
when il knew OF at least Lalf-lOzeu
women who would have jumped NJ the
faintest chance OF an offer of marriage
from Lim-who himself wondered why
he never had fallen in love-aud whom
pretty little Mrs Baldwin, the blue
eyed, blonde haired widow, with no IN
cumbeTance. a house OF her own, an An
income Of three thousand q year, often
felt quite piquei with that he was So very
unimpressiOnablc.
So Mr. Ammiion strobe along. almost
mechanically turning corners. his pace
gradually growing slower. and then. ali
n once, he heard the brilliant tones
Of piano as some skilled hands played,
and, looking up, found himself in front
OF a warmly lighted, CHEEKY, hospitabla
hOuse-the very house where Mrs. Bes-
sic Baldwin lived
The contrast was so startlinglv vivid
between the pictures IN his imagination
that lie involuntarily paused-oue, the
picture of the way alrs. Beuedict's
boarding house would look next dly. the
other Of how Mrs. Baldwin's elegant
little home always appeared when be-
called there and as it appeared now
through the lace curtaius-auiet. warm.
hospitable, inviting.
And ike a revelation from heaven II
came 10 hIm-an idea, determination
that was 50 strong, so resistless that he
walked forthwith up Mrs. Baldwin s front
steps and rang the door bell, wondering
rs he did why the music had ceased and .
where the player had gone.
I'm marry her il she'll have me. and
then we'll see how many times wear
the house is cleaned that is. # -
Then the door opened and the maid
invited him into the parlor, with the IN
formation that Mrs. Baldwin had lust
run into a neighbor's by the side gate.
bat wOuld be back directly if the sick
child was better she had gone to see.
Mr.. Ammidon ensc0nced himself IN
the easiest chair in the room-a great
deep, wide, cushioned affair that was
drawn up by the elittle low table under the
chandelier.
Bless her pretty blue eyesl Gone
to see a sick child / like that like
it. What blessing that it occurred to
me to offer myself 10 such good hearted.
cheerful, tender, fond little woman as
she Is and what q miraculous fool I
have been not 10 have done il long ago.
Why, honestly, feel as if / had been
in love with her all along and / believe
/ have been, and never knew it. !"
His handsome head leaned comforta-
bly, against the cushions, and his well
shaped, well booted feet were crossed on
a low ottoman near the fire that burned
costly and brightly.
He waited ten-tYenty-thi min
utes, and when she did not come al the
expiration of three-quarters Of an hour
Mr.. AmmidOn was conscious of a keen
disappointment that astonished himself.
AT all events, my object shall'b ac-
complished, so far as / can accomplish
it, " he thought.
And he took his gold and ivory pen,
and wrote an ardent, courteous, unde-
niably eager statement of his case, asking
her to be his loved wife, and begged an
answer on the morrow, when she should
be visiting Mrs. Benedict.
81 accidentally learned you would take
tea with us tomorrow night, he wrote,
''and I must know at once when / meet
you if l am the blessed man | hope to
be. If you can look favorably on my
suit let me know by answering Yes TO
the first question put to you. If it is
otherwise, I will not trouble you further"
Then he signed himself suitably, put
the folded and addressed note conspicu-
ously on the top Of a pile of newspaper
and sheet music on the piano, and took .
his leave, in strange whirl OF excite
ment and expectation.
Half an hour later Mrs. Baldwin came
in, stopping as she passed the dining
room door 10 sneak to the girl.
''You carried all those papers and the +
music up stairs, Annie, as 1 told you ?"
''The very minute the gentleman went
away, Mrs. Baldwin, was Mr.. Ammi-
don, and he came Just as you went out. .
''Oh, that's too bad that was not in ! /
Mrs. Mays little Edith is very, very sick,
Anaie