The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-10
TOO MUCH COOPERATION.

TOO MUCH COOPERATION.
IL was Celtic who started it. She
has always been astrifle ultra in her
views, and this tendency seemed to
increase after our marriage-or per-
haps / only noticed it the more.
The house was large, to be sure, and
so much Oft on the ground; one can
stand great house up and down, for
then you can keep cozy on one floor
and ignore therest, but when itspreads
out like q banyan tree, with rooms to
the right and left fyou, all echoing
and empty, tits uncanny.
remember well the evening Cettine
proposed it. It was the girls might
OUT and ] had been called suddenly
away for an hour or two, after
O'Clock.
returned. to find my wife bolt up
right in the stiffest chair in the room,
with staring eyes, blanched cheeks and
quivering lips.
She pouncedyes, pounced-upon
me at once, broke into passion OF
sobs, and clutched my neck in a
smothering embrace.
gently dlsengaged myself and ask
ed in as soothing tone as could
command:
What is the matter, dear?"
f'Matters lsniif-sniffl, you'd better
ask ldcep sobl. I'll never. stay alone
in this house again as long as live
never, Tracy Tupper, neverl'
But, my dear"
4 say, Tracy Tupper, Inever will"
When Cettie takes that tone thereis
no use arguing, SO i meekly remarked:
"We'll try not to let it happen again,
love, but certainly seemed unavoid-
able this evening. Tell me, dear, what
frightened your"
Tracy, can'tl Twas just the
. feeling so creepy and horrid and
those slow, creaking noises, up stairs
and down. like ghostly footsteps, and
! was sure | saw eyes at that glass
door into your den"
"All nonsense, dear-mere nerves,
nothing more- wish that you could
! have some friends here of evenings,
though, when I must be away. We
wouldn't neither Of us be willing to sell
the old homestead, but it certainly Is
worlds to large for us. 1t ought to be
all inhabited"
Tracy, it ISL" my little wife's
voice and eyes were TRAGIC in their
I solemnity.) Every house is full; if
not OF living people, OF something else.
They just run riot in this housep'
"Cettie, how absurd
"And OIL Tracy, I've such a fine
plan, if you'd only consent! 1t would
be so delightfully."- jollyn'
@ And then she sprung it upon me.
And it seemed so plausible, on the
face OF it, that it was impossible for
me to refuse. The McCar.y brothers
with their wives were about TO be
turned out OF doors, as it were, by the
sudden. death OF their landlady; while
4 the Dicksons were obliged to give up
housekeeping on account of the
madam's poor health. That would
make four couples OF us, all young and
all at present childless; the best of
friends, a congenial, liberal-minded,
sociable little crowd.
Sam McCarty, the oldest, was fat.
jolly fellow of 35 with a black-eyed
wife, justrounding the halfway corner;
while Bob, only %, had brought home
\ the daintiest bit OF girlish womanhood
Ne had seen il. many q day. My old
chum, Will Dickson, was the best
story-teller in the state, with n dump
ling OF Q wife-well, you know Celtic
and me.
The plan took at once; men and
women all agreed to cooperate.
We hired as honsekeeper an excel
lent woman whom Celtic had known
for years. and gave her oversight of
this whole establishment. She was to
select her own servants 1.-TWO besides
tke lallndress), and to do the market
; ing, each couple paying a fourth Of the
. expenses, and each lady ordering the
meals. week and week about.
There were rooms enough on the
two floors for each to have a suite be-
sides the general parlor and the
square" !" as We had always called IS,
which merits description by itself.
Il was the well of the great old
fashioned square stairway, just back
s OF the main hall, and was lighted only
blythe edome-shaped| skylishtfa lar above
except in the cool weather, when the
great open fire opposite the portiere
which shut it in frolm the main hall
made il the brighteSt snuggery imas
inable. Here the chairs were all easy
the small tables Conveniently placed
with their piles OF publications ready
for any to1nger; and bae MS met fol
gossip alter meals, for The mail in rlss
morning aud for the.gannes or music
nieht. Being so shut IN by sur
rounding rooms no hint OF storm or
cisaiige seemed to invade it's privacy,
sssd y snslg. safe feeling peryaded the
hole place. E
or = time onr household machinery