The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-10-22
trinkets about the room, it was decided

trinkets about the room, it was decided
success.
''There, Mamie" " said Kate, when we
reached the cozy kitchen on our tour of
inspection, "you can tuck your little feet
right into the oven, and feast your eyes
on the braided mat, and If the cat was
only here, you would have reached the
climax of earthly happiness.
The young architect looked inquiring-
ly, and Nannie's ideal of bliss was ex-
planned to him. He made no comments,
but looked at her with a peculiar ex-
preston in his handsome eyes, and felt
that the stability of the society was
threatened.
The next night as we were sitting
down cozily to our tea and toast, and
baked apples and milk, there was ring
at the door, and Kate, answering it,
came back with basket.
''It's directed to you, Mamie" p" she
said, holding it to the light. So Mamie
opened it, when out stepped plump,
self-satisfed Maltese kitten, and attached
to one fore-paw was card which said /:
''The Climax" Beth turned the card
over, and read the young architects
name.
"Oh. Nannie9" she said, turning on
her reproachfully, 81 hope you are not
going to spoil everything" But Nan
ME was busy filling saucer for the new
conner, and made no answer.
may as well say here that, soon after,
the young man came to me in a very
straightforward way, made known his
ipfapfinno in ranorA m Nannia onH
asked permission to visit her. That
night, while she was gone on an errand,
l laid the question before the other
girls.
~ move," said Kate, who was rather
given to sounding phrases-'I move
that he be granted leave to withdraw. I"
'Oh, let him comeP said Beth, with
true Southern obliviousness OF conse-
quences.
Well, he came, and came again, and
the little romance unfolded in a kindlier
atmosphere than that of boarding
house parlor, and after while think
we all rather enjoyed him, as he was a
high-minded, intelligent young fellow,
who conducted his wooing with very
little nonsense. Some evenings he
would come in with his drawing board
under his arm, and establishing him
self at our kitchen table, put in his mar
velously fine lines and figures, with
Mamie sitting beside him with her sew
ing, making quite Darby j Joan
picture. Kate sometimes shook her fist
at him from the covert of the sitting
room, but she usually ended with "Bless
the childrenp
But to turn from love to figures. How
much did 1t cost2
Now, do not expect to be believed
when l say that our entire furnishing,
from the small mirrors in our bedrooms
to the big iron spoon in the pantry, cost
exactly $128. So; nevertheless, that was
the exact total. 1t may seem more cred
liable when it is understood that our
dressing tables, wash-stands, and otto
mans were packing boxes, and that the
inviting cushioned chairs were originally
barrels. OF course our bedsteads were
not furnished with hair mattresses and
rose blankets, but we had warm cover
ings, and clean straw filled ticks, which
were simply luxurious after boarding
house mattresses.
Our table was not set forth with cut
glass and silver Except Kate's spoons
and forks, but it was clean, and the
food wholesome and varied.
And about the cost of living2 We
elected Kate treasurer, and every Satur-
day night each of us put five dollars and
half into box kept for the purpose,
and she paid for everything out of it..
We questioned her often, during the first
month, how the money was holding out,
but she made no satisfactory answer.
The first day of January we each found
on our plate at supper the following no
tice: "The first monthly meeting of the
Home Cooperative Society will be held
this evening in the kitchen, as soon
as the dishes are done. A full attend
ance is desired, to hear the report of the
treasurer.
Every member was present, and the
treasurer read her report. After setting
forth at some length the origin and OBJ
ject of the society, she presented the
following figures:
In ACCOUNT WITH HOME COOPERATIVE SOCIETY.