Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-12-17

which had been her mothers. and that
Nanny said she knew how TO make
| lovely wafiles.
We expected a tedious time finding n
rent within our means; hut il is aston
ishing how fortune helps those who try
| TO help themselves. That very week u
nice little scholar of Nannie's stopped
after school to say that her parents
were going to move out of tho city.
| We knew where she lived-a pleasant
house in respectable locality, so after
supper Kate and hunted up tho land
lourd, the next day we went in body
10 inspect the place, and the bargain
was concluded.
Between that time and our departure
we babe fair to lose our reputation of
being the quietest boarders in the
house, for every night there was talk
ing and laughing in one room or tho
other, while we stitched and hemned
and figured-this last the hardest of all.
Kate, with confidence born of much
| handling of money. made out list in q
twinkling, which list was perfectly sat
isfactory TO all of us-.until we inquired
prices. One thing we were agreed upon,
and that was, rigid economy, so We
it looked quite reasonable.
Well, the first day of December found
us in ''our own hired house." and as
Beth turned the key in the door, we
felt that we had burned our ships be-
hind us.
The outgoing tenants seemed to re-
| gard our experiment in the light of n
huge joke, which they were willing to
help along, so they gave us a number
OF housekeeping things, among Others n
braided mat, and half dozen plants
all in blossom, and sold us their range
ut a very low price. Those familiar
with the peculiar attributes of stoves
and stove-pipes will understand what o
relief it was to have a reliable range in
running order Besides this. we had q
couple of bcdsteads with the furnish
ings, a few dishes, our trunks, and q
half dozen packing boxes of different
sizes.
The next fortnight was busy one.
We rose early and went TO bed late, and
| lived in picnic fashion, while we
painted, and pounded. and planned.
| We were in q state of mind where we
wished for no advice, much less help,
from anybody outside; but after jam
ming considerable plaster from the
walls, and skin from our knuckles, we
decided there were times when man
could be made useful, and at Mamie S
suggestion n certain young architect
from tho boarding house was taken
INTO our confidence and did valiant serv-
ice in putting up shelves and hooks.
One Friday night, with the last screw
in the kitchen clock shelf, the work
was done, and L doubt if many brides,
going into houses luxuriously appointed
without care of theirs, feel half the sat
isfaction that we did in looking round
on the result OF our ingenuity and hard
work. And 1t was q right coy little
place. There was q goodsizeu sitting
room with two sleeping rooms opening
from it, u kitchen adjoining, store
room, closets, etc, and rs the house
was on corner, we had the sun most
of the day.
Kate and Mamie painted the floor of
their room soft gray, and covered their
dressing-table and wash-stand with
blue and drab chintz. The one window
was drapcd with full curtains of un-
blcachcd cotton, trimmed and looped
back with bands of the chintz, and u
low cushioned chair and ottoman were
covered with the same blue and drab
covering.
A low painted bcdstcad and chest of
drawers completed their furniture, and
strips of blue and gray carpeting before
the larger pieces took away any suspic-
ion of baroness.
The room Beth and shared was pre-
cisely similar, except that our floor was
init h.ssr I.t
cretonne covers and bits of carpet were
scarlet and white. But it was on our
common sitting-room that we lavished
our greatest skill. The three windows
were curtained with full draperies of
chcese-cloth, over cream colored shades,
n big crimson bow ut the top of each
window where the draperies parted.
Mamie, who was not in the least
aesthetic, pleaded to have the whole
floor covered, but rs this meant twenty
five yards of carpeting, she was voted
down on the score of economy rs well rs
of art. A wide margin was stained q
most delightful dead-leaf brown, and
nine yards of crimson and wood colored
carpet made square large enough to
come well out around the center table.
And the table-we saw it one day in
front of an auction-room. The top
looked as though opposing forces had
fought across it, but the standard was
good and solid; SO home it went, and
when it was covered with Beth's old
gray shawl dyed crimson, and the
student-lamp set over the darn in the
middle, the effect was all that could be
desired.
Then we had Beth's piano and the
plants, and nobody knows until she
tries it how far piano and plants &c
toward furnishing room. We had q
comfortable lounge, bought 'in the
CLOTH and covered by our own hands
big Shaker rocking chair, and two OF
three smaller rockers and camp-chairs
The wallpaper was subdued, and oul
few pictures and bracket s made
quite show, and when we had scat
tered our books and trinkets about the
room; it was decided success.
There, Nannie," said Kate, whcr
we reached the cozy kitchen on on
tour OF inspection, ''you can tuck YOU
little feet right into the oven, and feas
your eyes on the braided mat, and il
the cat was only here, you would have
reached the climax of earthly happi
ness "
The young architect looked inquir
ingly. and Nannie's ideal of bliss was
explained to him. He made no com.
ments, but looked ut her with peculiar
expression in his handsome eyes, and
elt.that the stability of the society was
threatened.
The next night, as wo were sitting
down cozily ut our tea and toast, anC
baked apples and milk, there was a ring
at the door, and Kate. answering it
came back with basket.
ut is directed to you, Nannic," she
said, holding it to the light. So Mamie
, opened 1t, when out stepped plump
self-satisfied Maltese Kitten, and at
tached to one forc-paw was a care
which said: "The Climax" Betl