Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-02-14
And Mr.. Boutwell,. r1InninO short

And Mr.. Boutwell,, running short of
words, spread his hands abroad in pan
tomlme descriptive of chaos.
So [ understand, said Pamela, calmly.
Where is your kitchen ?''
Two hours afterwards the master was
calmy writing III his study, ana the Chill
dren, washed and dressed, were listening
TO the stories Pamela told them as she
rubbed away at the washboard.
The housekeeper had been dumped
upon bed in small bed room on the
lower floor to sleep off her intoxication,
and potatoes were boiling and a couple
of chickens roasting for the family din
ner.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Crump, having some
important docuu ents to inspect, had
come home unexpectedly, and, entering
the house, had found it empty, and in
tee sitting room came upon a sight which
petriied him with horror.
A little portable desk, which his
daughter had appropriated for her own,
was lying open on the table and in it the
cards we have described, and her ac-
count book.
He read the cards first:
! MISS PAMELA CRUMp
LAUNDRESS.
/ House-cleaning done i'll the best manner.
Then he ran his eye over the account
book.
! WAsHED--Monday, for Mrs. Pease; Tuesday,
| for Mrs. Chalker; Wednesday, for Mrs. Mott;
IRON Thursday afternoon; house cleaning for
/ Mrs. Downs on Saturday.
All this in a furious rage, and almost
fo8ming at the mouth, until he came to
the following items:
Dec. 5th-Bought the silk and fur for cloak.
Dec. 10th-Made cloak 1t fits well.
Dec. 25th-WOre cloak to church, and
thank ed Heaven ! hadn't had to beg it from
| father.
Then Mr.. Crump closed the book and
with queer disposition to cry, sat down
beside his solitary hearth and looked at
the fire for several hours, without stir
ring.
When Pamela opened the door and
came IL, she saw her father, and knew
that he knew it ALL
Pamela, come here, he said. Chow
long has thus been going on?"
Since October, pa" the girl an.
swered
"Then you've been disgracing me and
yourself for three months, " said the old
man. ''YOu, a Crump! aud all to spite
your poor old father for being careful OF
his money"
Pamela was not afraid of her father
now. She came aud sat beside him.
"Pa, she said, lit was not for spite;
it was for need. / suffered so much
modification, not only from being
shabby, but having to beg. If there is
anything IN good blood, as you think
there is, perhaps that made it hard to
beg from even you. [ was happier earn
ing what [ needed. Would you like to
be a beggar, pap"
you've done very wrong, Pamela, -
faid her father. Then he paused, and
added: ''You shall tell me what allow
ance you need for your clothes, and [ will
let you have it monthly. Now give me
those cards.
He burnt them in the fire when she
! had handed them to him, and hurried
away to get his tea, and no more was
! said. The Crumps were not great
! takers.
But Pamela is not sorry for what she
did to this day As for Mr.. Boutwell,,
! he reiolces; for otherwise, perhaps, he
might, being shy man, never have met
| Pamela Crump, who is to marry him be-
fore long, Other people may blame her
for her 'escapade, " or call her "odd," or
| spltetul; be understands her, and adj
mires her all the more.
Though, Pamela" he often says, 81
should have offered myself all the same,
had you actually been a laundress." J..