The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-12-22

one OF the eleven would be glad to get
their clothes put in order. We really
have not either time or energy to at
tend to them properly ourselves. And
another thing: there are all our sum-
mer dresses to be laid away;
now know there is a good deal of
dust to be shaken out of them, and I
would rather pay to have it done
than do it myself, andl think ] can
speak for the others, too."
"Thank you, Belle. And would you
mind speaking to the others for me?"
Certainly not; will be only too
glad to help you any, if you really in.
tend to try it,
eyes, I am in earnest, and why not?
| can do the work, and want the mon
ey."
word done"
"What will Frank say?"
II do not think he will care. He is
not man with foolish notions; and
as want the money RS surprise for
him, I shall not tell him anything
about.it. am confident, though, he
would not disapprove if he knew"
"All right, then; tomorrow I will
send over a small trunk full of stuff,
and before you get through with it, I
know you will be sorry you ever let
such q scheme enter your head" mer-
rily announced Belle, as she arose to
depart.
Every well; and when you see the
length of my bill you may wish you
had never heard of it,
With such merry chat the two friends
separated, Madge so joyous over her
prospect that her husband, coming in
shortly after, exclaimed
*'You seem in splendid spirits, even
better than usual; Belle West must be
capital company: sorry I had to be
away"
Mrs. Wade did not enlighten him as
to the cause of her splendid spirits,'
but made some reply corroborating
his good opinion OF Belle.
For the next two or three months
Mrs. Wade had her hands full. Her
work was so satisfactory and her
charges so reasonable that the girls
were glad to get their work done with
so little bother to themselves.
After the summer clothes were at
tended to, the winter garments put
away in poor order in the spring need
ed double the amount OF work when
taken out in the fall.
Madge kept her house as scrupulous-
ly neat as before without any extra
trouble, as she devoted one room ex-
clusively to the girls work. It was a.
room that was destined some day to
be a "spare BEDROOM" when they
got rich enough to furnish it; and as
Madge's work pored in and her funds
increased, she thought she saw way
to effect the furnishing, and her eyes
grew brighter as she thought of more
than one surprise for Frank.
The last three weeks before Christ
mas Madge did. not take any work.
She had worked extra hard before
that for few weeks so as to have a.
little time to herself. for by this time
the work she had taken up had grown
into regular business.
After buying the large easy-chair
destined tor Franks present, she had
enough money left to encourage her
to attack the spare bedroom, 8
The woodwork was all nice, so she
bought a carpet first, With lovely
shades of golden brown and autumn
leaves in it. Not being gifted to the
extent Of making a bedroom suite
out of dry-goods boxes, as she had
read somewhere OF a woman doing,
and heartily disliking that sort of
thing, anyway, she bought a suite,
plain but neat.
OF blankets she had plenty; comforts
she made of cotton batting and
cheese'cloth, knotting them with red.
The bed-spread was a darned net one
laid over crimson sateen,-a, piece of
work she had done in her school
teaching days. Her bureau scarf was
linen, ornamented with drawn work,
through which crimson ribbon was
run. Splasher and stand-scarf
matched bureau-scarf. The toilet
dishes were white, ornamented with
a broad pink banda present to her
when she was married. A few nice
books, a bracket in one corner of the
room, on which was a pretty orna-
ment, crimson Canton flannel cur
tains, and large afghan crochetted
in small squares of various-colored
yarns, completed the furnishing of
bedroom both cosy-looking and COM
Portable
That evening after tea she said
rather abruptly to her husband:
''Frank, how would you like to have
your sister come and make us visit
this Christmas?"
"Capitally, but can't be DONE"
"Why?"
"No room," was the laconic reply.
"Oh!" That ooh" expressed a
good deal. "Come with me min
ute"
Frank rose obediently and followed
his wife to the spare room, but words
cannot describe his amazement when
he looked therein.
DECENTRALIZATION did all this hap
penn" he stammered.
Lately. Come, sit down in this
rocking-chair and I will tell you all
about it while you take in the sur
rounding beauty"
Aud then followed an account of
what the reader already knows. At
first Mr.. Wade hardly knew what to