The Colfax chronicle., 1890-10-25

to the door, Teddy and detailed Jim
for active duty in the hospital depart
| ment, and promised to have mothers
room made ready the first thing. In
the meantime, she was made comforta-
BILE in Jim's room, and Martha under
took to superintend the loading of the
vans. while Teddy and scampered OF
to the new house to see to receiving the
| furniture.
twas clean as new pin; that was one
little ray of comfort, and we hung up our
hats, and put on the biggest of aprons
and Lady Washington caps, and were
ready for action.
Even Iii my misery I noticed how
| unusually pretty Teddy looked. Her
hair IS the purest gold color and makes
hundreds of little rings round her face,
and she has color like wild rose on
each cheek. But on that day, the OK
citement, the hurry and the indignation
combined had made her blue eyes blaze,
her cheeks. brilliant as carnations, and
every little curl bristled defiance of the
Townsends and our wrongs. But more
was to comet
Up drove the first van with one man.
Both Teddy and were at the door, and
exclaimed:
"Where's the other manY
''Sure. marin, he was stint for by his
old woman. One of the childer's scalded
hisself, and it's half over Dolliver I've
been thrying to foind somebody to take
tho job, and niver a one is there doin'
nothing at all. at ALL"
Here was dilemma.
"Well," said Teddy, "those things
have got to be taken into the house.
You and I can carry some OF the light
ones''
Neither Teddy nor / knew that we
had an audience. Not until long after
ward were we aware of the wicked trick
that was at that instant devised. From
round the corner of the house appeared
two men in flannel shirts, minus COL
lars, neckties or hats; with hair in wild
confusion and extremely dirty hands
and faces. In the richest of brogues
one of them respectfully addressed
Teddy and requested work.
4 I>reaIly wonder now that we didn't
embrace them. But we engaged their
services at once, and how they worked!
They did considerable amount of
laughing whenever they were alone.
and they required the most minute di-
rections for every thing they under
took, but they put down carpets and put
up pictures and carried in furniture and
unpacked glass and china, in fact
worked with might and main, leaving
to the driver Of the van only the task Of
going to and fro with the goods, which
he managed to load with Martha's as
sistance
At noon we unpacked a substantial
help. showed no signs of going home.
we spread out meal on the kitchen
table and sent them in to it. never
in my life heard men. laugh SO much
over sandwiches. hard boiled eggs and
coffee
In all this time, you may be sure Ted
dy and were berating those horrid
Townsends at every turn. We called
them all sorts of names expressive of
meanness and selfishness, hoped their
own house would burn down and let them
know how pleasant it was to be turned
out of home they loved. We were
sure they were sour, grumpy old bach
elors and we hoped they would never
marry unless it was to some old witch
who would worry all the year round.
All this we said in confidence to each
other. never needing those quiet. mod
est young men who were so meekly
obeying all our orders.
The house was really in very nice or
der, and mothers room as home-like as
We could make it. when at last the car
riage drove up with our dear invalid, Jim
and Martha Mother was very pale and
propped up by pillows, and l was worry
ing over the necessity of her walking
Upstairs, when out walked our two
hired men. without any orders what
ever. raised her tenderly and gently.
pillows and all, in their arms, and car
| yted hey upstaiss As carefully a her ewna