The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-23
REVENGE IS SWEET.

"Pa," said Mahala Mumford, "the wis
terra vine has grown so that we'll have to
have trellis built for it,"
"Ahp' said Mr. Mumford. "Well, l sup
pose you know as much about the garden
as do. Order one"
eyes, pa" said Mahala.
She wanted very much to ask her father
who put up vine trellises, and what she
ought to pay for one, but she saw that he
was absorbed in a leader of his favorite
paper and would resent further Interrupt
ton. So she comforted herself with the
thought that Mr.. MacSnack the local
florist, would tell her where to 90 if he
could not take the order, and took up her
crocheting until such time as her father,
who dawdled over his breakfast and his
paper for several hours each day, arose and
asked her why she had not told him what
time it was, and rushed depotward with
the hope of catching train that was al
ready half way to New York.
This event having occurred Mahala gave
an order to the cook, dressed herself for a
walk and shortly found herself at the
florists gate.
"a trellishr repeated Mr.. MacSnack,
hICA SAtO IlelOA plOtJOiALNiSNl I'LL AuCSClOH.
cay, | could get the trelEsh done, but it's
not just my line. I'd charge We a commits
sion on another mans work, and for an
auld coostoner, that's not quite fair Ye'd
best go across the lane and ask the Wildly
Cumberland to send her Jamesy to do your
trellish. You'll find her washing and him
in bed likely. He's a good carpenter is
Jamesy. If once he gets at it he'll do your
trellish fine. He's too good lookin, is
Jamesy. If he had been i'll favored the
mother would have whacked the lazybone
out of him long ago. Beauty isna deseera-
bic for a man. LaUd be praisedl my boys
are ma troubled WI it. They're as like me
as two peas in pod. Over there-the yell
low house, miss"
Mahala thanked him, and betook herself
to Mrs. Cumberland's little dwelling, and.
really, though Mr.. MacSnack had no such
intention, his description had interested
her, and she was much more anxious to
see Mrs. Cumberland's Jamesy than if he
had been spoken Of as plain and industri-
GUS.
"a trellisp' cried Mrs Cumberland, TAX
ing her pink arms out OF the tub and wip-
ing them on her blue checked apron. eyes,
indeed, Jamesy can make it, and very kind
of Mr.. MacSnack to recommend him. You
see Jamesy is backward in coming for
ward and speaking for himself, and he is
that good looking it does seem a shame he
should have to work. The arrowstockrazy
on his fathers side comes out in my Jamesy.
Poor dear Mr.. Cumberland expected for
tune that he never got, and he couldn't put
his hand to a stroke Of work if he starved
till his Efe's end. Jamesy will do it if it
comes to him, though. I'll send him"
81 couldn't see him to talk it over, sup
poser" said Mahala timidly
well, you see he was up late" said Mrs.
Cumberland, land he hasn't riz yet. But
I'll send him over in an hours time;" and
as she spoke head was poked out of an
upper window and speedily withdrawn,
and Mahala knew that she had seen the
object OF her search, and that he really was
if not useful, very ornamental
An hour or so after this Mr.. Cumberland
sauntered into the Mumford garden,
dressed rather as though he had been in
vited to make a social call than to put up
vine trellis.
He bowed graciously to Mahala, and In
spected the vine and house wall leisurely
He remarked that it wanted to be done
u
there would be no use beginning until to-
morrow. Then he entered into general
conversation. Miss Mahala, as conscious
of her social position as are the daughters
Of most rural maGnates, would scarcely
have permitted this in the son of the laun-
dress if he had been a plain young man in
ordinary working costume, but being of
beauty with a rosebud in his buttonhole
was quite different thing.
She was surprised to see her father ap-
preaching the house just as Mr.. Cumber-
land took his leave, and to recognize the
fact that she had spent the afternoon wan
deripg about the grounds with a man who
had come there merely to make a trellis
for the wisteria, and to comprehend also
that she felt pleased and fattered Really.
he had paid her compliments and looked
into her eyes. and all that sort of thing.
When her father said testify, pray who
was that" and she answered, Only the
person about the treliis, pa" she felt quite
hypocritical.
The next day the trellis was begun. but
by no means finished. Many consultations
were necessary. Mahala spent most OF the
time in the garden, with parasol over her
head, looking upward while the young car
penter took graceful positions upon the
ladder and beamed down upon her.
II took six days to finish the treliis. AT
the end of that time Mahala Mumford had
quite forgotten the social distinctions that
prevailed in her native town, or if she re-
membered the shock il would be 70 ''soci-
ETY." when II was known that the daugh-
ter Of our old and respected citizen,
Phineas Numford " had e.oped with the
Widow Cumbsrland's Jamesy, cared moth
ing al all about il. for the eve was chosen
and the hour fixed on which she was 10
leave the home OF her father aud marry
the young carpenter.
You know You can write next day and
beg him 10 forgive you," said Mrs Cum
berlsnd's Jamesy. They always do, you
know
Mahals hoped lie was right. Her father
had never been afecuonate in his manner,
and seldom spoke to her except 10 ind
some fault. But after all he was her only
near relative, and she had always had carte
blanche rs 10 personal expenses and her
own wsy in most things,
As she walked down into the village the
afternoon before her fitting, she found her