Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1885-08-27
A PLAIN STORY.
What q Mess O. Vittles" Came
Near Being Upset.

What q "Mess O. Vittles" Came
Near Being Upset.
IAN next week I'll finish up them
puffs, an then I'll wash that wooden
wrapper for Calista, an hat'H be
DONE" said Miss Jane. with emphasis,
as she remorselessly wrung the lasl
drop of water from her cloth, and
hanging the dish-pan on a nail. vigor.
ously rubbed out the sink with bit Of
flannel moistened with kerosene. There
was no one in the little ''but'ry'' with
her, but she had habit of thinking
aloud, just as her father read his week.
" paper aloud for forty years. 1t was
like telling some one what she thought,
or what she saw, or did, or heard. As
che stepped briskly across the kitchen
floor voice from the back room
called:
Sister,
The squeak in Miss James shoes
gasped helplessly, and then died.
''Well?" said she. interrogatively.
''Are you going out?''
''Only jes'to hang these dish-rags on
the fence. What is it?"
'Tll wait till you come back" said
the voice, and the old rocking chair re-
sumed its creechy-cra and Miss
James shoes tapped little more brisk
IT,, l.
out of her lifetime while she waited to
hear what her sister had to say. Looks
kind o'ketch NJ she muttercd. spread
ing her toy els on the picket fence, and
tipping back her head to squint one
eye at a small black cloud that was
creeping up from the horizon. Il
b'leve l must tiy for another mess
O them Strawberries, though; there
moth n makes so oh sauce for me, "
and Miss Jane gathered up her milk
pans from the cellar door. where they
had been lazily summing themselves
since five o'clock in the morning, and
went in.
She announced herself as '.goin'
down to tn sou'west corner O the back
pastur',' wien she appeared at the
back room door a few minutes later,
tying calico sun-bonnet under her
oh n: that is" she added, Iii you
didn't want nothin' that you wanted
me to keep in for.
The old rocking-chair creaked nerv-
ousiy few times, and Calista's fingers
trembled as she tried to coax the thread
into the eve of the needle.
Miss Jane waited.
THERE Calista laid down the
needle, and drew long breath.
$40 you remember, sister. what the
minister's wife was saying yesterday"
'.About that slack piece, Sereny Jack
son, gong to be married? Can't mako
pudding sauce! Not that Miss Chand-
Ter said anything about that. but la!
don't know the whole kit?''
mo, not that, sister. What she said
about the poor children coming out in
to the country for little vacation. Oh,
sister, laid and thought last night
Calista choked little, and then she
spoke out bravely-''Tve been thinking
why couldn't we take one for the two
weeks?"
The shot was fired now. and the half
frightened gunner waited for the smoke
to clear away before she could reckon
the effect on the enemy. Miss Jane.
who stood for the enemy in this case,
certainly wasn't dead, but it was equal
ly certain she was pretty well stunned.
WELL" she said, recovering herself
little after few minutes, Il hadn't
thought nothin' about it, an l don't
believe you could stan it one day an
night, Calista;" and this tiny plant of
an objection being well sproutcd, it
grew with rapidity that almost
amazed the cultivator herself, and
Calista was informed that such "a
young one. bein' uneddicated and un-
hammered. would bang up the dishes.
eat the preserves, smash the eggs and
kill the chickens, worry the cat, and
finally cry nights for ITS mother. if lit
has one, which l shouldn't be sur
prised If it hadn't" added the good
woman, grimly. IAN it's two chances
to one but 'twould be foreigner when
We got it, and sarsy ut that: for you
know. Calista, as well as l do. that q
good part of the city is made up of
foreigners-o kind and another"
Miss Jane had emptied her culver,
AMI paused. but Calista was running
her needle slowly through the block Of
pink print, as if every arrow had flown
over her head.
She laid her work on her knee now,
and looked through the window away
to TIE blue hills that melted into the
horizon. Il didn't sleep much last
night" she said, gently-a shade stole
over Miss James sharp face, but Calista
went on, quietly thought as
laid in my good clean bed, just as the
light was coming. and heard the birds
singing everywhere, and the lay-locks
brushed against the window, and they
smel ed so pretty-I thought how Ms
Chandler said some of them dear little
things neyer'd smclt a rose. nor so
much as seen any green grass"
The voice ended in sobs, and Miss
Jane felt her own eyes grow dim, and
realized at her strong tower of de-
tense would fall if. she fingered here
much longer.
She rose determinedly, and tied her
bonnet strings n a snugger knot
= here don't feel bad about it, she
sal In tn nix it over, and-we'll
see.
- car OFT. do Thou be in her
tho ghts, silently prayed tn. sister
1ait at. LONE, but she only sail. cheerily,