The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1885-09-04

IT want to know if your fellow is COM
ing out to dinner, so as to know whether
or not I shall put on the decalcomania
things"
"Of course he isn't coming out to din
ner. Do you suppose that I could ask
him out here to eat mush?"
"Well," Sophronia said, with touch
of vehement scorn, 81 think it will be
snealxing mean to eat dinner while he is
in the house and not ask him out.
What do you suppose he'll think of such
performance? He'd never marry you
i'll the world"
"He needn't know there's eating go.
ing OH. He'll think we dine at four or
five or six, like city folks. can hint
to him that we do"
but he'll hear the dishes rattle, said
Sophronia.
mo, you can set the table in the
kitchen and keep all the doors shut"
"Well," said Sophronia, swapping,
"pall scold at good rate about eating
there in the middle of tubs and wringer
aud wash-boiler and the heat, and about
having only mush. I shall put oil the
blame ON to you, 1 wish you to under
stand. It's your business to order and
provide things"
''But how could I, in such peculiar
circumstances, said Miss Laura, hum
bly,.
"If Mr.. Gumms wasn't gump,"
Sophronia said, she wouldn't have
come out here ON Monday. He might
have known that we'd eaten up every
thing O Sunday"
"But you KNOW" Miss I4aura apollo.
gized, she's always been bachelor,
poor fellow! He'll soon learn better.
Pacify pa rs we'll as you can, Phrony.
dear; put the blame on me if it is neces-
sary to defend yourself. I shall not DO
here long to bear fault finding. Now,
please, Phrony, dear, don't call me out
any more and please please don't rat
tie tho Dishes and just hint to pa the
situation tell him that probably my
fortune is hanging in the balance, and
ask him to eat quietly"
"All right" said Sophronia, cheer
fully, "Tll do my best Perhaps I may
persuade him to eat with his fingers,
and mush is noiselcss kind of food"
Sophronia had q sense of the funny,
and beside. felt cheered at the prospec-
tive abdication of the family.
Miss Laura again departed to happi-
ness. Sophronia began tiptoeing about
the kitchen. Why she did this is not
evident, since she was still without
shoes. Upon !he writer's honor, the
wit of the last remark was unintentional.)
The father came in soon. The situation
was explained to him. For some time
he had been reckoning on the convent
ence of having son-in-law to get loan
from when the wits should not produce
well. ae readily fell in with the whisk
idea, and joined Sophronia in tiptoeing.
He had two hundred and thirteen pounds
to keep quiet; his feet had never been
submitted to Chinese treatment, and his
boots squcaked When he whispered
that he'd help her set the table, So
.ohronis was alarmed.
I'D rather, pa, that you'd sit down
and keep quiet; your boots are so
noisy" she whispered.
''Thats fortunate thing" he whis-
percd back "their noise will drown
the rattle of the dishes.
At this he went OH his toes the length
of the kitchen out to the cupboard,
which wHs il the wood-shed So
phronia "whiried in" to clean the
table OF the soap and starch and blueing,
OF pans and pals and dippers and
clothes poker, Then she spread the
cloth, then she went over to the stove
and stirred the mash. Then the pa
came squeaking squcaking, squeaking, q
glass tulnblcr il each hand. Sophronia
took them gently, and set them slowly,
holding her breath.
I've got an idea" whispered the man
OF Wits and away he went toeing back
to the cupboard
Sophron;a laid the knives and forks
and spoons, handling them as if they
were OF spun glass. She heard the
CHATTER of dishes out at the cupboard,
and began warbling to drown the noise.
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