The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-12-24
MRS. PRINGLE'S CONSPIRACY.
Home Magazine.l

''Theres grandmother, dear-run and
bring her in"
Tiptoe toddled out to meet the brisk-step-
ping, fresh-faced, oIdish mot old) lady who
came IN at the gate.
''Come to spend the day, haven't you,
mother2 How nice of you"
Young Mr.. Pringle had never yet dis
covered that her hus bands mother was her
"mother-in-law" in the popular acceptance
Of the term.
u"Yes, I've come, hate; but don't you stop
your work; tbs nice, cool morning for sew
ing-go right on" Il. BIZ e
So after eDsconsing her visitor in an easy
chair, and supplying her with fan and foot
stool, Mrs. Pringle resumed her Dasting and
fitting, with an occasional ten minutes or so
of rapid stitching, the only interruption to
the stream of talk of which seemed in no
way to interfere with the motions of her
def fingers.
"Therel' she exclaimed, as noon drew
near. ssCome here, pet"
She proceeded to try on Master Tiptoe
the result of her mornings work, jaunty
thing of tucks and rufles which rdly
reached to the knees of the chubby morsel.
1t was duly pulled down, jerked around,
patted smooth here, pulled out there and
quickly tied about with sash improvised
from strip of lining muslin snatched from
the floor.
"Now," with a kiss and shake, "run to
grandmother and say: Isn't l sweet. grand
mother2'"
"Isn't = mamma - feet = ganmuzzerw
came with heroic tempt at very precise
pronunciation.
mo, no, that isn't it." laughed mamma;
A.xS Al
In her arms.
srhat is it, exactly, Tiptoe. / declare,
Kate, you are as industrious little soul as
/ ever sawi And what q knack you have
at such thingsl and if Robert don't get no
it won't be your fault"
The kindly woman had never been
blessed with daughter of her own, and
this sons wife of hers was well nigh perfect
in her eyes.
But the affectlonate speech failed to bring
an answering smile. A troubled express
sion arose to the young woman's face, and
tears slowly gath cred in her eyes. She un-
buttoned Tiptoe's slip, unmindful of his pro
test against having ON his "ugly OF dress'
again, but compromising matters by tying
on the pink muslin sash over the buff cham
berry. The machine was righted and closed
up, and the cuttings gathered from the floor
before the unburthening came which the
mother knew would come.
IL don't know, mothe'; sometimes feel
quite discouraged, and rally think It Is not
much use for me to try"
"Why Ka,e, dear, what do you mean2
Are things going wrong with RobertW
'sOh, no, motberl Nothing, mean. for
you to worry over It's only that am
anxious about Robert smoking so much-I
know it is hurting him in more ways than
one"
His mothers face grew grave.
ais he smoking more than fOrmerly?'
Eyes; I'm sere it is growing on him.
From what see and what / can guess at,
think he smokes eight or ten cigars day.
have known him to smoke dozen In q
day
TOO bad, y said his mother with sigh.
ssOf course it must be great injury to him
in time if it is not already
"And thtn, he can not afford it. / don't
think he realizes at all what drain it is.
know he needs every cent he can keep In
his business. and try my best to save in
every way can, but, mother, do get out
of heart sometimes when l see that. with all
my pinching and scrsping, can't save as
much in q week as he spends on cigars in
day." .f
q II see, GEAR.
"And 1 know it is selfish way to look at
it, but / often feel impatient and angry
at going without so many little things that
would like to have. I'm perfectly willing
to do without, you know, only can't make
il seem right that should do all the doing
without"
at is not right"
"Still, it is really Roberts only fault, so
perhaps / ought not to complain. Think
hew much worse some men are. Suppose
he drank, now"
That's a poor excuse, Kate. You would
not excuse person for being liar because
he was not q thief"
"Wellp' Young Mrs. Pringle drew a
long ugh. al don't know what to do about
it, Pm sure. When I try to talk to him
about it he either puts me off or laughs at
me, and tells me not to bother my head
about things don't understand"
Suppose, Kate. YOU ask him for the same
amount he spends in cigars for you to spend
for your own grati6cationf"
"But couldn't have the conscience to
spe-d money on superfuities, mother. L
remember how Emily Brand used to do
that-she thought she was quite justified in
spending three or four doliars week in
trash. because her husband spend the same
in cigars. So he smoked and she spent, and
he broke up in business, and now they are
living, nobody knows how, in some little
Western town."
al think you might manage to open
Roberts eyes "a little, though, Kate. Lis
ten
Mrs. Pringle, the elder, smiled as If in
admiration of some clever scheme within
her brain, yet shook her head 10 solemn ap-
preciation of the serious character of the
subject A very earnest counsel followed,
brought to sudden end by the appearance
of the son and husband, carrying his young
heir, VINO had run to meet him, on one
shoulder and a small parcel under his other
arm.
"a new book, Robertf"sasked his mother,
glan cling at it after greetings had been ex-
changed.
"Oh," put in Kate, ''is 1t that Carlisle
we were speaking Off You said you'd bring
one up" il5a- =.
.iNo. il ia not. I went for q copy, but
they had none of the cheap editions, and /