Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-02

Thus ! rattle on, and that woman sits
there for blessed hour talking to Mamie,
and evidently wondering what it all means,
from my terrible sleeve to Mamie's black
apron.
How / do wish she would go, especially
when bear bump in the room overhead,
followed by a stiff I'D cry from the baby. At
last Mrs. Phulaphl IN does 60, but not before
two young school girls have dropped in to
see the baby, AMI have, with Mrs. Phula-
plum, driven me nearly distracted. l have
one satisfaction, however / declare that
the baby is asleep and hence cannot be seen.
Five o'clockr [ exclaim, as l glance at
the dining room clock, land supper to be
ready at 81"
ring the bell, and Mary, decked out in
her afternoon finely. with strong smell OF
soap lowering about her, appears.
Twill you have supper ready by g o'clockf'
''Is it me, sorrl Faith, no. | niver tend
to no meals on Monday, sorr."
glance at her, but, secure in her position,
sho is not in the least disturbed, only advis-
ing me casually to fix something quick, for
8 O'Clock will be here afore you know it,
SORT"
motion to her to leave me, and Mamie
climbs up on my knee to prepare herself for
a little snooze against my shoulder--a habit
of hers that always pleases me.
For fifteen minutes l sit thinking-think-
ING. My predicam emit is something horrible.
: lucky thought. l call Susie, who comes
into the room with the baby, fast asleep
and as black as either Mamie or Bob.
Mind the children for a little while. |
am going out" say, briefly.
go out, and when return feel better
Mamie guess III wash your face, dear"
AZ an1 H.,
bathroom
"Yesn
Ny foot is on the bottom stair when ring
of the doorbell rosounds throughout the
house simultaneously with the dining room
clock striking 6. Ii is my wifel
Come in, my dear. I'm glad to see you
Indeed anil The children were just GO
ing to be washed Mamies apron is little
dirty, and guess Bob ought to have a clean
shirt waist. This is on my coat sleevel Oh,
that's nothing. Sit down by the fire, dear.
| suppose you are very tired. Let me take
OFF your wrap for you. Yes, III carry your
hat and things upstairs. Mamie is glad you
are home again. She and Bob have been
very good. So has baby. Whatl Well, he
isn't very clean, is hel No, didn't expect
you quite 80 soon, you see. Everything
would have been fixed in another ten min
utesn
am talking very fast, for am so glad to
see the queen again that hardly know what
| do or say.
Where's the SUPERB
This cold question brings NE to myself
Just minute, dear"
60 out into the kitchen, and have a short
talk with Mary, il the course of which /
hand her 81 bill. She soon has a tablecloth
on the table, and makes every preparation
for supper except the bringing on of the
edibles.
Tho queen sits in my usual place. with her
back to the table, calmly looking over the
papers she has brought from the Office.
go into the kitchen and look anxiously
out of the side door, whence a view of the
street can be obtained.
Thank ProvidencoI" calculate fervently,
at last; ''here he isl"
| won't say how | manage to put before
the queen a supper such as would do credit
to any cook in Christendom.
Nor does she ask any questions. She takes
what there is, appears thankful, and con-
verses with me on literature, art, music
anything and everything but housekeeping
And how love her for It'll
But before the children go to bed they get
ouSh q '" eoh 10 oAig Saii AVG tirLA-
Saturday night
Supper is just over, and the queen and l
are about to compare notes.
by the way, my dear, / called In at
Coone's as came home, to get some candies
for the children, anC the bookkeeper Incl
dentally remarked that he hoped | liked the
suppers he had furnished five or six times
during the week. What did he meanF
''Oh, that's all right A little private mat
ter" stammer, and the queen smiles i'll a
way that makes me feel like fool.
well, never mind Let me tell you about
The Office. Here is my statement. | have
drawn it up very refully."
l take the paper and hastily look it over.
why, when did you get Briggss | see he
is down here for a $40 900 policyI"
Yes; made the arrangement with him,
and wrote his policy on Wednesday, after
considerable talk lwrote two other policies,
Us you see, too each for the same amount,
with Swinton and Cane"
"Goodl Why you are q business womani
Halloal l see you have Faule, too There
Is man had almost given up have been
after him for year, but | was afraid |
should never get him, and that, as somebody
says, he would go down to the grave without
penny in his pocket, as far as insurance was
concerned He always said he had no time
to talk insurance"
He had to find time to talk to me- By
the way, have opened up new territory for
you, and have secured the agency for the
Millennium and Equatorial Fire company
They should add thousand or two to your
yearly income shouldn't they dear4"
well should think they woIld," l ex-
claim, rhpturously. why, you are better
insurance man than | am"
The queen tells me OF her business doings
in that quiet, matter o. fact way of hers, and
then comes the question dread.
How have you been getting along al
homer
God bless herl She does not press the ques
ton, but she lets me go back to the office on
Monday morning, while she clears the decks
for general housekeeping
1 asked her on Thursday how she had man
aged to get rid of all The evidences of my
housekeeping-ho she had got the carpets
so clean, replaced the broken china, cleaned
the bird cage, repaired the curtains and put
the household in running order again.
Her answer, with just the faintest quizzical
smile, was:
System, my dearl Systemr'-George {.
jerks in Pittsburg Bulletin.
Ben Butler has done great good in
the Tewkesbury almst ouse, but his work
will mot he comnlete I'll he ordars a oood