Wichita eagle., 1889-11-16
A DOMESTIC CHRONICLE.


tering his wife's room, I've sent that girl Of
yours about her business"
Mrs. Cavendish looked up with a start.
She was buttoning Bob's apron, patiently
following him about the room as he frisked
after the cat
"Whati" said she, in dislnayed voice.
81 spoke distinctly enough. didn't Ii I
ve-discharged-Lucyl"
''What for, Jamesg'
"Insolence, that's ALL"
But Lucy never could have been inso-
lent" pleaded Mrs. Cavendish, twitching off
the last button from Bobs apron in her per-
turbation.
''Oh, couldn't she thought just wish you
had been there, that is all"
What did she say JamesY'
II told her she was half an hour behind
with breakfast, and asked her what she
meant by it; and she told me she was doing
the best she could, and couldn't do better if
all the world depended upon it,"
But, James, the poor girl is nearly frantic
with toothache this morning"
Il can't help that; she has no business to
answer me impudently. II wasn't the words
SO much-it was the manner"
Poor Lucyi And you have discharged
her,"
THAT'S you all over" said Mr. Cavendish,
angrily. II believe you'd take anybody else's
part against me- Yes, Of course discharged
Der. | told her to have her things outside Of
the house in two hours or I'd fling them out
of the window"
But, James, what am l to doa" said Mrs.
Cavendish, who had by this time captured
Ethel, the second child, and was buttoning
aer boots with nervous rapidity. with one
of my SICK headaches coming on, and Willie
and Pen down with the measles and not a
soul to lift hand for me!n
That's pretty question to ask" said Mr.
Cavendish, standing with his hands in his
pockets. lone would think You women were
made of sugar or salt nowadays My mo-
Their had ten children-ten-and did every
stroke of work fer 'em herself year in and
year out; and here you make such rumpus
because you happen TO be left without SER
want for twenty-four hours-because, of
course, shall expect to stop at Virgins and
send you up Swede or a Norwegian this
Afternoon"
Poor Mrs. Cavendish burst into tears.
James," said she, Lucy was the best
girl l have ever had You should not have
sent her out of the house in this way. How
would you like it if | went down to your
wholesale boot and shoe place and discharged
your clerks!"
II should say you did perfectly right" re-
5urned Cavendish, ''f they answered you
impertinently. Now don't sniveli Ii there
is anything l hate it is a scene. I'll go down
stairs and boil the coffee myself-any one
can make coffee-and you hurry down with
the children soon as you can. There's
plenty of bread and butter and cold boiled
that"
Mr.. Cavendish had ''camped out" a good
deal during his bachelor days, and succeeded
N preparing remarkably good pot of coffee.
The bread and butter and cold ham were not
bad of their kind, but the children cried aloud
for milk The Cavendishes kept COW, and
the milk had not yet been brought in.
And that was what kept Lucyi" involun-
tarily cried Mrs. Cavendish.
CONDENSED milk is good enough for any
body asserted Mr.. CavendiSh.
But Bob and Ethel declined to drink it on
any terms.
"Starve 'em to it," said the father, drink
ing his hot coffee in prodigious gulps
Healthy children have no business to be
dainty"
And he caught up his hat and ulster and
made a bee line for the train.
Mrs. Cavendish looked piteousy around at
the disordered table, the ash cholied fire. the
general deSolation of the room. Her head
ache was gradually working itself up to the
supreme moment of desperation. The chill
dren above stairs were crying for breakfast.
Bob was sailing his shoe in the cedar pail of
water; Ethel was feeding the kitten from the
can of condensed milk.
Ma, piped up Boo, there's a tramp at
the kitchen winderl
But it was no tramp. 1t was Miles, the
stableman.
"Oh, Miles, am so gladi' said Mrs Caven-
dish. You have brought US the nilk!n
Il haven't that, mum, said Miles. The
cows lost an it amt meself is going to track
her through the swamps an boys If the
master wants his COW took care OF, he's got
to pay me dollar week more wages"
Got TO, Milesi'
"Yism!" boldly retorted the man. 81
amt to be put upon no longer Doctor Mill
ers mani
Very we'll said Mrs Cavendish, "you
may gol'
"Ma'am" echoed the astounded servant
You are discharged" said Mrs. Caven
dish firmly-''at onc9t"
Miles skunk away aud disappeared
Mrs CaVenulSn went up TO ner room, and
after minlstering as we'll as she could to the
wants of the poor little victim of measles,
she threw herself on the bed, with a wet
towel bound around her head and despair in
her heart.
There's one comfort" said Mrs Caven-
dish, gloomily smiling, IF he discharged /
Lucy, have sent away MiieSl"
Mr. Cavendish had an unusually busy day
in the city As he was hurrying toward the
depot in the afternoon he remembered that
his mission 10 MIR. Virgins famous ''intelLi-
gence bureau WAS vet unfulhlled.
"Confound tn said Mr.. Cavendish 10 him.
self However, tomorrow viii Go just as
veil Ny mother did without any help at
all"
At the station no buggy was in waiting.
Il wonder what that lazy villain Miles is
aboutr said Mr. Cavendish, a dark frowu
gathering upon his brow. HE may think
hes got { snug place Of it, but I'll teach him
I'm not TO be triGed with
When he reached Althea lodge, everything /
was dlsorgauized Ethel WAS pulling the
feathers oug OF the peaoock's tai, Bob was /
galloping around the barn yard on the back /
Of Pou2ce, tie pony
We h--'-- srrh f,'r. ~" he cri>d I