The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-11-17

suds- And of ali things in the world, h
abomina;es house-cleaning Wen clea
honse while he's here, Gypsy, eh?"
The girls brilliant eyes sparkle
through her quickly dried tears love
ly carlnine color mounted into he
cheeks
Nancy she cried, you are secon,
Bismarck -
go long with YOU" said Nancy. witt
a chuckle
Mr.. Meredith WIS standing on the doc
step, all smiles, when gypsy came to the
door, with her brown frizzes tied up in :
/ pocket handkerchief, and hinge biI
apron eclipsing her pretty figure.
Ny dear GYPSY, how are you?' saic
( Mr. Meredith Your kind pa was 4
good as 10 invite me to come here when
I ever 1t Was convenient 80, as my house
I keeper Is gone for week. have con
Guided
-oh. yes, very glad to see you, I'm
sure !" said Gypsy, hurriedly. Walk in
Father and mother and Malvina have
gone to camp meeting. But Nancy i.
here. And Nancy and l an. cleaning
house"
Mr.. Merediths face elongated itself
Cleaning house. he repeated. doIor-
ously. But that's al nonsense. No
properly kept house ever needs cieaning'
lie came slowly on step ladder
stood at the end Of the hall-hurriedly
stirred up pals Of whitew,sh foameI on
either side, while Nancy, in d faded cali
ca dr,=ss, advanced
Walk right in, Mr.. Meredith siii
She. walk right in. Well try and make
YOU A. comfortable IL We can. ! told
(ipsy says /. just as certsin - you pull
up things and 90 to house cleaning. COM
paHyll COME They always do, says l.
But Gypsy she does 81 - much store by
house cleaning. She says she's going TO
clean mouse once a month when she has
home Of her own.
Mr.. Meredith simply gasped, and said
nothing.
~oh, Yes said Gypsy, artlessly, clasp
ing her hands Cleanliness i next to
godliness. you know And do 20 de-
light in soapsuds and ShiteNashing. and
floor scrubbine, and all that sort of thing.
That's right, Mr Meredith, sit right down.
We shan't tear this roon to pieces until
after dinner"
I'm very glad Of that" dejeetedly Ut
tered the middle-aged swain Il think
myself that house cleaning
And III get dinner at once" inter
rupted Nancy ~Gypsy IL queer girl
She don't like to cook {; she says when
shes married she's going to boil pot
once a week, and live off cold victuals the
rest Of the time"
But il seems 70 me that that i mis-
taken idea argued Mr. Meredith MY
mother was famous ocook. She al
ways baked pies fresh every day, and
made hot biscuit for breakfast and I've
a recipe Of hers for chicken pot-pie that
wouldn't exchange for It's weight in
gold
. despise cooking" said GYPSY, in
differently And don't mean to slave
over the kitchen stove, 10 suit the preju-
dices of any man living
Mr. Meredith stared at her once more,
and in default of any fitting reply, open
ed and closed his fat mouth in a fishy
way even Gvpsy's eighteen-year-old
beauty could hardly reconcile him to
such heretieal opinions as these
Dinner was served.
And the kind Of meal / like" said
Gypsy easily cooked and easily got out
Of the way
Boiled egys. smoked beef cut in thin,
pink shavings, bread and butter, and tea,
weak almost To inanition. formed the bill
Of fare.
Mr., Meredith ate with knife of one
pattern and a fork Of another, and sweet
ened his tea with brown sugar, on account
of the white variety having been mis-
laid.
Nothing matters much when va
are cleaning house said Gypsy, radi-
antly
But Mr.. Meredith, who fully apprecia-
ted all the creature comforts of this world
entertained very different opinion.
After this rather unsatisfactory meal,
GYPSY set her elderly lover to beating a
rag carpet which was stretched over a
clothesline
I'm sure you'd rather Re doing some
thing than sitting still, = said (iipSy, a she
put long lilac sapling into the hands f
her aged adorer. and adiured him 10 beat
the thin .laces carefully An after
you've finished that. she added with a
gracious smile, you shall get up on the
lidder and help Nancy with the ceiling"
Mr.. Meredith worked ike day labor
er. until the friendly darkne : came to
ms aid Even then he was set 10 prying
nails on ola carpet, with a : rew-driver,
on hi knees, by the light of a sputtering
kerosene lamp.
We are getting along 20 splendidly
with the ho,Ise-eIeaning r' chirped GYPSY
with an exultant laugh
Mr.. Meredith supped off fried salt
ulaekerel anu mush and milk, AMI sient
on bedstead which occupied desc ATE
waste of newly-s rubbed floor.
He woke up. the next morning, with
darting rheumatic pains in all his bones,
and came do vn stairs with a losering
brow.
GYPSY was there. in the highest spirits.
with her head .lready tied up in an old
apron
You are Just the person we want" she
aid. Nancy wants al .he bureaus and
heavy furniture moved out on the porch,
- that we can begin to clean the parlor
at once
Then said Mr.. Meredith iratelv.
g she win have 10 get ONE one else TO do
il for her. hate house cleaning-and III
have nothing more TO do with II y
Il won't marry anv man who won't al
low me to clean house as often a. want"
said GYPSY, with spirit"
/ shall no. ask you to make the sacri-
fee for me, Miss Gypsy said Mr. Mere