The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-31

said Horace.
"a great improvement" echoed the other.
sEcho" is the right word-evep their voices
were alike.
In contented frame OF mind they resumed
their seats, their claret and their cigarettes.
The great improvement was this:
For some time past these excellent house
keepers had been sorely exercised by the con-
ventional way in which laundresses fold table
cloths. They did not like the appearance of
the three long creases ON the snowy expanse.
They turned their inventive abilities to &C
count, and week ago walked down to the
residence, redolent of soap and hot water, of
the woman who did the washing, and startled
the poor creature out of her wits by in
sisting upon their table cloths being folded
in a new and improved fashion. They even
demonstrated their meaning by a practical
experiment, and so impressed the nymph of
the wash tub and mangle with the Importance
they attached to the matter that she had
actually managed to learn her lesson well
enough for the result of their teaching to
give them great satisfaction.
Coffee was brought in, and the two gentle
men were about to leave the dining room,
vixen the Rev. Mr.. Monde was announced.
Mr.. Mordle was the curate of Oakbury, and
always welcome guest at Lakewood House.
1t was an unspoken axiom of the Talberts that
the church set the seal of fitness upon her SER
wants, or at least upon her upper servants.
Organ blowers, parish clerks and pew openers
were the lower servants-so, all things being
equal, a clergyman could always break
through the exclusiveness which reigned at
Hazlewood House. Mr.. Mordle was clever in
his way, full of talk, and of course knew
every in and out of the parish in the admin
istration to the wants of which he must have
found the Talberts great assistance. All
great men have their weaknesses-perhaps
their friendship for Mr.. Mordle was the Tai
berts weakness. But then they dearly loved
having a finger in the parochial pie, leaving
out of the question the fact that they liked the
curate, and in the kindness OF their hearts
pitied his loneliness. So he often dropped In
like this, unlimited, and no doubt felt the
privilege to he great honor.
On Mr. Mordle's side, he could thoroughly
appreciate humor, the more so when its exist
ence was quite unsuspected by the sedate
humorist. To him the study of Horace and
Herbert was matter of keen and enduring
delight.
They rose and greeted him. Excuse me-
said Horace rather nervously, "did-n
Eyes, did, answered the curate briskly.
II rubbed them-I scrubbed them-my feet
feel red hot could dance minuet ON your
tablecloth without soiling it,"
The redundancy of the answer set their
minds at rest. The bugbear of their domestic
lives was persons entering their rooms with
out having first wiped their shoes as every
Christian gentleman should. The hall door
was so heavily armed with mats and scraper-s
that such an omission seemed an impossibility.
Yet sometimes it did occur. and its effects
were terrible-almost tragic.
Horace rang for more claret; Herbert
passed his cigarette case, and the three men
chatted for a while ON various subjects.
Presently said Horace with sad decision:
"Ann Jenkins came to US the day before