The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-22
THE SHADOW ON THE CURTAIN.

How Newspaper Traveller Was I'M
pressed with What One Girl Had to Do.
1t was at Port Arthur that accidentally
imbibed deeper respect for what is called
''woman's work" than had previously
been able to acknowledge, though l trust
/ never lacked a proper appreciation of the
labor that goes to the maintenance Of the
homes of the civilized world. But to the
case in point:
1t was raining torrents, and there was
nothing so attractive as to go to my bed
room and relieve myself of my coat and
hat in order to more fully enjoy quiet
pipe. The window still offered an elevated
footrest, and so it came about that faced
the window and the inky black night with
out. One spot illumined the general gloom
"a brightly lighted window opposite mine
One other object forced itself upon my
lazy view-a woman moving to and fro.
| saw her without seeing her, as she
passed and repassed the window At last
her rapid and frequent trips awakened my
interest, and then put an edge upon it,
could not see her sufficiently plain uC
make out her age or figure, or anything
more than that she was a woman-or girl
DGOTGS VI IiLlicS Sic Suldll DuTQGUk
in her hands, but could not see what they
were.
Most of her voyages around and across
the room led her to place beside the win.
dow, where she always paused awhile
Other trips took her to what | thought was
a closet Immediately across the room and
beyond the window. Now and then she
shot past the window in the opposite direo
ton, opened door, the edge of which !
could see when it was open, and disap
peared within an adjoining room. Now
aud then man came and spoke to her and
retired. What the shadow psntomime was
all about l could not make out.
It must have been the rapidity of the
woman's movements that suggested to my
mind life and death state of affairs, for
at first conceived the idea that she was a
nurse, that her husband had cut an artery
in his leg with an ak in the woods, or that
he had burned hirsef and that the man
who came now and then TO speak to hel
was doctor, insisting upon a still greater
speed with the bandages, poultices, lotion.
and herb teas. But as time passed on that
proved nonsense. II twenty men had cut
themselves she would not have had SO
much to do.
stopped trying to explain the situation
and fell to counting the woman's trips to
and fro. When | had counted eighty-twc
crossings of the room / rememb bered that
knew of militia company formed OF
eighty-two men said to myself: What
a dreadful thing it would seem to ans
woman to imagine eighty-two men march
ing across her carpetl She would fancy
the carpet ruined and her home desecrAted
yet this woman has caused as much wea
and tear as if the militiamen had all called
on her at once"
Ninety-four, uinety-fiEe, ninety-six times
she passed behind the window The room
was at least l2 feet long by 10 feet wide /
pulled down the shade and began to an
dress for the night Ninety-six times X
feet Is /, l52 feet traveTsed at the next thina I
TO running gait, but she had crossed thG
room az least 100 times before began e. I
cOunt-at least loo tines Twelve hundred /
feet and l, l52 feet, 352 feet or nearly hall 4
a mile. ! went 20 bed.
! got novel out Of my grip. read 70, /
half an hour I arose and pulled up TIT 4
shade-she was still vagging 70 and fro 4
but very slowly now, as II she was tired
and relieved Of the need 70 hurry. i
| slept until 9 O'Clock IN the morning I
then arose and shaved myself Be- hook .
ing my strop 70 the window catch ma6t 4
1t possible to use iE-znd / saw the windoz
and the woman she wss again crossing 1
and recrossing the room The mystery
was explained. Il was the kitchen Of Ii
tie tavern saw tie stove and the work
table She was the daughter Of the pro,
pcletor, then washing the oishes used IL
the breakfast size had prepared and served
In most such tzyeFns in tkis cozntry shs
would have considered herEsk q lAGT. Eer J.