Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-08-14
Sinlning Our Floor.

Staining Our Floor.
wen stain the floor this summer" ."
said Tombolina. It's cooler for hot
weather. Evcrybody's doing it."
Who'll do the staining? said PUN
bingo.
"Oh. I'll do it. Mrs. Dye did hers.
and ever So much cheaper than the
painter. Shes given me her recipe.
Now, ! III tel you what you must get for
me nt the paint shop"
Pumbingo groancd internally.
First coat: Half and half of burned
umlNr and sienna. Also half and half
linsccd oil and turpcntiuc. with little
japanese dryer. That's .hc first coat.
That must dry. Then MI all the cracks
with red putty. The second coat is half
and half burned sienna and umbor to
one-third oil and two-thirds turpcntino,
with great deal of japanese dryer
Then varnish. Thcrci"
Pumbingo was ncxt seen carving
many pint bottles from "A paint shop and
emitting In the street ear a strong smell
OF turpcntinc and yaInish. He was then
required to search for suudry empty to-
mato cans, in which 10 mix the stain.
AT any other time hundreds OF empty to-
mato cans would have been seen kick
ing about the street. He had for years
been pursued and waylaid by yagrant
tomato cans. Now, not n tomato can
could be found. Al gone. Not neigh
hor or friend had an empty tomato can.
\ iull day was required to hunt up two
empty cans wherein to mix the floor
stain When thc,@pwcrc found all the
absent tomato cans again appeared Now
that they were not wanted. they las In.
sultlngly about his door and got under
hi. feet. The nshmcn put everything IN
Their carts but tomato cans. Pumhingo
picked up half a dozen. determined never
again Ia be out of tomato cans
Then il was Tombolina's turn. She
did the staining and vanishing. A
friend loaned her brush; II was a small
brush. too small hy half 4 bigger
brush would have painted twice as much
in half the time.
There was a grca, deal of mixing the
first day uf burned umbcr. sienna oil
and turpcntino. Tomhoiiua stained FIRST
the floor. then herself then the wash.
boards in patches and hlotches. then
more Of herself, and finally more or loss
oi the hnrd-iinishcd wall in spattoTs and
blotchcs.
"Ilulloa!" cried Pumhinro. breaking
rudeiy in on the poor girl hard at work
on her knees. who's been squirting
tobacco juice OH this wall2"
rs the brush which spatters." said
Tumbolina.
Makes you frccklcd. don't II ?" saws he
oh. do shut up'' said She
But, see here, he continued. "the
stain don't seem 20 cQunlize. FTisn't an
equal thing Here Is part of YOUR floor
butiernut color. part light yellow. part
mahogany. iIow's that2 Looks like n
map of Europe"
We'll. you see the cans were 80 small
had II make SO mary separate mixings
OF the stun. and every mixing somehow
makes different color. OH dear. how
my knees DO achcl" said Tombolina.
Tombolina stained all that day: the
iloor and herself. the washboards and
the ceiling Everything had to be taken
out Of the two rooms being stained
They dincd in the kitchen wherein chairs,
sofa. parlur table. extra coal scuttles,
sewing machine. irnnls. tubs, hedsteads.
boxes and other furniture tried to mob
the happy pair and gCi on iIiiF table
he Door was not dry neNt dav. At
carly morn. Tombolina going forth io
inspect Bcr work. disceTned through the
tworoums double line of hnrc male foot
tracks imprinted on the still sticky sur
face.
q" told YOU not 10 gu in tho rooms tin
they were dry" said she. repronchfully.
to Pmbingo.
"yrwasn't me-" he said, stubbornly.
Who else could it have beeno 10
you mean that mine are those huge foot
marksp" said she.
1t was the catg' said he. "Pshaw
| must have walked in ms s'ocp.n
On the third day she puiiicd the cracks
with red putty. She had no idea before
how much putty some cracks wanted.
They seemed hungry forred putty. Pun
hingo was kept on the trbi after putty.
Also more turpcntine. oil. lumber. sienna.
japanese dryer and varnish PumbinVo
smelled like paint shop. So did shey
So did the house.
The third coat is now going on. Pun
bingo IL buying extra pints of turpentino
ut the drug store nj high price. Tom
holina's back fecls rs If Il had broken in
the middle. Her knees have spawned.
and she can't get up without help. hut
she's resolved 10 stain or dye In the at
tempt.-Now Tort Graphic.
Justice In Albania.