The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-23
UNDER THE NAPLES;
Or, the Test of Character.
a Story of Village Life
WALT r NJ HMM AN.
a Story of Village Life
CHAPTER VI.


regular annual house cleaning, and she
entered into it with her usual zeal. She
directed the Others and busted, and wiped,
and painted, and mended and washed,
and ironed and prepared their picked-up
meals with untirinR enthusiasm, remRrka-
bic in one o. her age. Nancy, with grimy
and streaked face and arms and dowdy dress
and hair all askew, took up and put down
carpets, helped move stoves. and washed
and scrubbed. and pulled, and hauled and
luRged heavy things around in great de-
light She talked necessarily 70 the others
when they were by, to herself when alone,
or sung over and over again, in a tone of
voice and drawling manner peculiarly ex-
asperating. some doleful, dismal ballad
that had had its brief day and died n mer-
ited'deathsyears before. The cheeriulness
of the two women showed that they en-
loved the dirt confusion and hubbub, the
exploration into dark corners and hidden
recesses, and the thinking. and talking
and planning that was to finally result in
order and cleanliness. Not so, Stubby.
He whipped carpets till his hands were
blisteTed and HE arms ached. lie knocked
the skin of his knuckles backing the
stoves. and nearly broke his back helping
20 move them. lie got bis eyes and mouth
full OF dust wheeling away the ash pile.
He sprained his knee so badly spad-
ing up his grapdmother's little Hover
bed that il wac almost impossible for
him 10 rake up the front yard; and
then he had a serious time keeping his
eve on the lbabe, who bad been tempora-
MI u ~
she began 10 develop tendency to get
into the most unheard Of and dangerous
places and pOsitions-in fact, STUDY was
boy clear through, and during house
cleaning time he dwelt in q cave OF men,
tai gloom. lie didn't like this topsy-turvy
business, and didn't like the smell OF soap
and fresh paint. and wet floors and new
whitewash. lie didn't like cold dinners,
and he was tired and sore and ached
pretty much all over. In fact he wasn't
feeling sociable. or even eood-humOred.
Nancy Speckles. il you don't stop sing
in that Gypsey Warnin song, by ginger
Iii quit and 60 fishin' :"
For the Ian sakes, Stubby, how cross
you be TODAY Your worser'n a bear with
D sore head ~
well, you We sung that morn a hun
dred times!"
faint no sech thing! There amt but
twenty-seven verses, an / on'v sung il
through wunst an half! Say. know
song ats got ninety-nine verses, an /
know 'em all -"
well, don't you sing EN-
Don't you be altered. l don't sing to
folks as don't like my singin'. Now, Ar
thur. he likes my singn'. He asst mo To
sing Alonzer the Brave an the Fair En-
merjane over TO Mr. Lorainses t'other
Il a
Lorraine himself said it was a 'fecting
Bong. too 'feetin' Tor him, an he went out
10 talk-so there. think Mr.. Loraine's
m awful nice man Goodness. What
sights o cobwebs the be here! Spiders
mus be thicker'n rats roun a girls mill.
o, Jest look out o. the winder Stubby
There goes Mr.. DOwdall with a new plug
hatw And the girl gazed out Of the win
dow at that wonderful circumstance until
Mr.. Dowdall passed from view.
"Stubby, what d you think Miss Dow
dali told the SEWN s'ciety t'other day ?"
Nancy reant Mrs. Dowdall, but the word
"Mrs." was foreign to her dialect. ''She
says as rats knows more'n some people
she could tell on. She's pestered to death
with the pesky things; and she put some
hunks o bread with pizen on, an some
'ithout, dOwen suller. an purity soon the
rats had 'em all carried off; an when she
went down ag'in, 10, an behold yen if
them at had plzen on want all brung
plum back agin"
That's nothing" said Arthur, who had
come In unobserved. Nothing to what l
know of Nancy" and be wnked at
Stubby. I'VE had a big Jars of preserves
in our fruit pantry last winter. and the
cook found out that somebody was carry
ING oil some OF it every night. She knew
rats couldn't get Mt it, and she didn't like
the second girl. and wanted to catch her
at something, so she watched the party
one night and what do YOU think?"
"Why, l could'en' think -
well. long just &c the great, big clock
In the front hall struck twelve, slow an
solemn"
Law sakesr - said Nancy.
Struck II slow and solemn, out come
seven great rate, all marching in row.
The first one stopped at the eide Of the
big jar, the next one got on bis back, and
the third on the second ones back. aud so
on till the last one climbed up to the top,
and the top one taking him by the back
OF the neck in his teeth dipped him over
in the Jar until his tail stuck down into
the preserves, and pulled him out and let
the bottom rat lick his tail. and then he
was dipped in again until they ali had
some and then he took his place at the
bottom and the top one took his place at
feeding them till thoy had all gone around
regular. tel! you, Nancy. rats are
cute"
Honest? honest Injun, Arthur" asked
the amazed girl. for Nancy, though as
faithful "a she knew how to be, was not
clever and bright-still, she was brighter
than her brother Sam.
"Why. Nancy. do you think I would
-" What on airth air you doin' oil
up there, Baby? She'll break her neck OF
tear her frock :" shouted Nancy, who dis
covered that the babe had in some way
climbed TO the top Of one of the posts OF a
discarded. Old-fashioned four-pcst bed.
stead and was irving TO whirl around on
the Dit OF her stomach The post was
eight feet high, and Stubby and Arthur
ran and took her, laughing, down from
her perlous position.
"Aunty. / want Ira and the babe 10
take ride. It's the ast time | can drive
the pony-he's 70 be sold tomorrow" said
Arthur mcurnfUliY.
''Yes. they can 60"
ANT he a nice, good natered boyi An
i s'pose they lost sights an sights o
money" said Nancy.
''Yee, he is; he's jest like his pa" said
Auntv.
TIE widow Budget, who was giving