The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-07-22
SOMERSET Pa WEDNESDAY, JULY % 1891


dining room, Harold climbed up into
chair, and leaning on the kitchen table,
tipped until the pan Of dish water slip
ped off and spilled over the floor. BY
the time Carl had reached the kitchen
Grace had crept into the pool of water
and her clothes were saturated.
Carl's calmness was seriously disturbed
and closing the kitchen door, punished
Harold severely. Grace did not relish
this treatment of her brother and the
bowling of the two children fairly made
Carl's teeth chatter. He soon had dry
clothes on Grace, and tucking the sob
bing children into their crib he went
about his work
an have little peace" he thought
awhile they're asleep" and he became
conscious of still small voice within
him which weakly asserted that after all
Kate had good many things to CO intend
with of which he had known nothing.
Kate's husband was on his knees
cleaning the dish water from the floor
when there was knock on the kitchen
door and Mrs. Chantler, near neighbor,
walked in.
Excuse me for coming right in, Mr..
Harland, she said, 81 didn't know but l
might be needed here. I saw you run
ming around the yard this morning with
your sleeves rolled up and an apron on,
and l came to the conclusion that your
wife was sick, and l see l am right.
Poor thing, she works herself most to
death. suppose, of course, she's in the
bedroom. I'll go in and see if l can do
anything for her. If you have any
trouble in getting that grease spot out of
the floor, Mr.. Harland, just try concen-
trated lye, then put sawdust on it and
let it lie few days. That'll absorb it
you know. l guess III go right in and
see Kate. ] don't believe she'll care if |
don't announce myself"
Mrs. Chantler stepped into the dining
room and shut the door behind her.
Carl, with the floor cloth in one hand
and pail in the other, looked after her
with an expression in his eyes that was
really dangerous. ''I'Il bet my life that
she'll wake the children with that tongue
of hers, he muttered. "She didn't know
but she might be needed here, hey? If
was a woman I would see that she did
not leave the house with any doubt in
her mind on that point. She has no
business to run in here whenever she
pleases."
Mrs. Chantler remained with Kate two
hours, and with her ceaseless chattering
contributed TO the pain that racked the
poor woman's head. When she departed
she cautioned Carl against letting the
children make too much noise in the
house, and suggested that for a day or
two it would be much better for Kate if
none of the neighbors were allowed to
see her.
Ii was three o'clock in the afternoon
when Carl had finished the work, and
had just seated himself for the purpose
Of resuming his paper when the child
rem awoke. Gritting his teeth almost
savagely, Carl threw down the paper and
gave his attention the children.
There's one thing that Kate does he
thought, "that will not do, for I don't
think it's right-and that is to sit around
the house and hold the children, when
they might just as well be taught to
amuse themselves"
Placing Grace on the floor and instruct
ing Harold 10 play with her, Carl took
up his paper. The children gradually
found their way into the sitting-room.
Carl was deeply interested in an account
of the discovery of rich silver deposit
in Colorado, when a crash from the sit
ting-room brought him to his feet. With
bound he was at the door, and the
shattered remains of costly vase that
he had given Kate on the day of their
marriage, lying ou the floor met his eye.
Grace had caught the covering of the
table upon which it stood and pulled it
off. shivering with fright at the disaster,
Harold had concealed himself behind
the sofa, while the baby, unable to con-
ceive the extent of the damage that she
had done, sat in the midst of the debris
and looked smilingly upon the white
face of her father.
Carl shook with passion. The shivered
vase on the floor called to mind the day,
years before, when he had led Kate to
the altar and made her his companion.
On that day he had promised TO love
and protect her and to give her his sym
pathy in the time of trouble. Had he
done this? Had he done his duty?
This was the question that arose in his
heart, and turning away from the sight of
the vase he went to the bedside of his
wife and frankly told her how his eyes
had been opened to his shortcomings /;
how selfshness had devoured him, and
how blind he had grown to his duties
and her wants. "Kate," he said, "for-
give me for all my i'll treatment to you.
l have been in the hands of an evil
spirit. This day the seal has dropped
from my eyes, and heneefOrth shall en-
deavor to be to you all that l have prom
ised.r And he was.
Work.
There has been so much justly said