Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-06-25


eyes shone as she said:
There's no sense in your actin So
Jared Sparks Tn goin' to have that
parlor papered-"
You DO, and I'll never set foot on 1t
as long as live and breathe the breath
OF life
"Fiddlesticks. j
81 never will. Marthy."
"What NONSENSE"
Il neCer will
| He rose from the table as he spoke.
took his hat from a nail in the small
| entry near the kitchen door and went
! out to the barn. his every movement
| seeming to accentuate. his resolve.
| Mrs. Drewe did not refer to the mat
ter again: but week from that day,
when Mr. Drewe returned home after
a day spent in the city five miles dis
| taut, he met John Hays. the village pa
| per-hanger. coming from the house
with an empty paste-bucket and a roll
| or two of pa per under his arm.
Stepping into the little front entry,
| he glanced toward the parlor at the
right. The door was open, and he sa "
| his wife standing in the center of the
room, looking with pleased eyes at tn e
four walls around her covered with gor-
geous gilt paper of the most pronounced
pattern.
She assumed an air of ignorance OF
any previous discussion of the subject,
and asked, cheerily:
Well. Jared, how do you like it?
| Isn't it lovely? think it's just beauti-
full
You remember what I said. Marthy
Drewe?'
'.Well?"
I'm goin' to stick to it,
Now. Jared, l.
| "rll-never-set-fOo - in - that
| room-long-as-I- live-and-breat
-and-keep-my- Never"
He pronounced each word slowly and
| with marked emphasis. Then he turned
and went out to the barn.
He'll get over it" Mrs. Drewe said.
hopefully. to herself: but IN her secret
soul she feared he would not
He made no reference to the matter
at the supper-table. He even talked
cheerfully and pleasantly of the events
OF his visit to the city.
The Brussels carpet the plush sofa,
the lace curtains and the marble-top
table OF Martha Drewe's visions and
dreams became splendid realities dur
ing the next week She called her hus-
band to note the general effect when
everything was in place. He came to
the open door and looked in.
Come in an set down in this new
patent rocker and see how easy it
rocks" she said.
No, thank ye," he said, CURLY. Il
| never expect to set in it
She tried to laugh lightly as she said:
"Pshaw, Jared. Don't be SO silly
He turned and walked away in
silence.
The minister and his wife came out
from the village to call the next day.
| Mrs Drewe ushered them into the gor-
| geous p2rlor, her heart swelling with
pride. Jared came to the door with an
old wooden chair from the kitchen,
pumped it down fat and hard on the
on-cloth Of the entry floor. and sat
there during the entire call
You never even come in to shake
hands with en-" Martha said. after
ward.
Il know it.
What do you s'pose they'll think?"
Dunno what"
If that's the way you're goin' to
act ev'ry time anybody calls here, I'd
thank you to keep out o sight al
together"
Il reckon l want to see folks as much
as you do"
I've a notion to go and have ev'ry
room in the house papered," she said,
holly.
Then I'll take up my abode IN the
tavern" he replied. calmly.
The Drewes always was stubborn
set but l yum didn't s'pose Jared could
be so pig-headed," she said when he
had left the room
She had many callers during the
mex: few weeks The fame of her
gorgeous parlor brought all her friends
and acquaintance to behold its splen-
doris.
Jared sat at the door on the old
wooden chair during nearly all OF these
calls He was careful not to lot even
the toe OF his boot enter the despised
room
The sharp eyes of some OF Mrs.
Drewe's callers soon noticed Jared's pc
culiar conduct: their keen noses scented
domestic discord.
What's the matter of Jared?" asked
Sarae May. Mrs. Drew's sister, d few
weeks after the papering and furnish
ing of the parlor.
Nothing that 1 know Of" replied
Martha. What makes you aSk?"
Didn't he want you to buy your par
lor things?'
.'Es didn't care. Whatever pu. that
idee into your head, Saly?"
They say he won't set in one of the
parlor cheers. nor even step into the
room"
Who says 500"
''Oh. its common talk I've been
asked about it more'n once"
Mrs Drew went home greatly dis
tressed and Inundated She was a
sensitive little woman, notwithstand-
ing her grit" and she could not endure
the thought OF havin her domestic af-
fairs made a subject of common gossip
She was rigidly truthful, too. and was
forced to admit to her sister that she
and her husband had had a disagree
ment She felt hotly rebellious toward
Jared as she entered the pretty little
new house in which she had expected
to be so happy Jared was lying on
the lounge in his shirt sleeves and
stockinged feet, reading the weekly
paper.
|