The Red Cloud chief., 1892-08-26

oWD ing house. At
&M ~SY- least, ! have
s- n nS,c r. 0 Sna
out when Mrs. Snivcly began TO keep
q boarding house. Though she had a |
house full OF dodgers who paid well, |
she was always poor and did all of the |
work. cooking, sweeping and the rest of
it. ] have heard gucsscs concerning q
departed Mr.. Snively. who did not
carry his debts with him, but that's
neither here nor there.
The night before Mrs. Grant had told
her that she proposed TO spend the next
day with her daughter in u neighboring
village, and would Mrs. Snivcly have
an early breakfast, SO that she might
catch the train? Crhe train left at
nine, but Mrs. Grant was ~nervous).
Strangely enough, old Mr.. Grumpy had
informed her that he also would be
absent on the morrow, being invited
to dine with a friend, and would she
feed his parrot in his absence, precisely
at noon?
Then at breakfast, early breakfast,
young Mr.. Lovclacc had said in II very
iiSSiett'ihH way WIN IINlliP ColDI. lIlil
ne had an engagement, oh.-cr-that
he would not be there at dinner, would
he elsewhere. hat is, in fact. Fur
thermorc. Mr.. and Mrs. Gowcll and
their three children were observed
making preparation for departure
about ten O'clock, and when Mrs. Sptvc-
ly vcnturtd to ask them their plans
she learned that they proposed TO drop
in On the minister's family at dinner.
And wouldn't they be surprised.
That left no one in the house but old
Miss lie CroiX, and she was confined TO
her room with rheumatism, so that
Mrs. Snivcly washed up the breakfast
dishes with n strange feeling of leisure.
Thus she soliloquizad:
Lets see. What's to-day? Day be-
fore yesterday ! made bread. Or was
it yesterday? Yesterday. SO to-day's
Saturday and to-norrow's Sunday.
Let's see. Last March u year ago., it's
fourteen lasting months since I've
been inside u church. CThe hard
working little woman's memory was
I not good, but thi, was undoubtedly
truc.) How good it would be to- hear
the bcnediction again, Now unto
him who is able to keep and 10 see
them take up the collection, so pleas
ant like. And let's see. How does
Coronation start?" and the cracked
voice quavcrcd through the grand old
tune, as the d~ish-wiper polished the
chinawarc.
'lll go 10 church tomorrow, Provi-
dcncc permitting and nothing hinder
ing. Now. for the first time in four
teen months, / have u chance to get II
days work ahead. We can have u cod
fish dinner tomorrow, How can ] man
age now? Chicken can warm up in a
minute. And pic, too" Here Mrs.
Snively's meditations entered IA sacred
realm into which | do not dare follow
her.
What busy hours succeeded, prepar-
ing for the expected church-going on
the morrow! She swept and busted
and tidied up the house for Sunday. be-
cause 1.-The folks wouldn't be back till
too late to muas things up again, thanks
be to goodness" People in passing
looked at her very qucerly rs she beat
her rugs ont of doors and washed the
parlor windows. II suppose l am Il
sight I o behold" she confessed, looking
down on an indescribuble housekeeping
uniform.
There were not quite enough potatoes
for Sundays dinner, 80 she went out to
q large garden back of the housc-a
garden in which the thrifty woman did
most of the worlI-and dug n peck OF
her very best. Didn't folks ever see
a woman handle II hoe bcfore?' she in
dignantly %so!iloquized, observing how
peop.e in the street stared at her and
turned around to look back Mt her,
laughing rudcly. Mrs. Snively felt
lonely and iil-used as she tugged the
basket back to the house and began Il
prepare the Sunday potatoes
She took up her dinner on u neat tray
to rheumatic old Miss lie Croix, VIII
must have felt particularly cross just
then. for she snapped out: who's beei
makings,ll that racket about the house
this morning."
1.-THE folks were all away, n Nv
taken the opportunity TO get a littl'
ahead in my work." faltered fortf
meek Mrs. Snivcly. I'm sorry ! dis
turbcd YOU"
nun lou Il Dcttcr Inuhc youi "poi
ogics TO the Lord" grunted Miss L'
Croix, taking up the prayer book whicf
Law beside her reclining chair, and IL
which she always read before eating.
Mrs. Snively thought that a queer re
mark from Miss Le CroiS, but bowed
herself c~onfusedly out of the room, car
ryiny Miss Lc Croix's vase to fill 1t witt
fresh flowers. When this was done
and Mr.. Grumpy's parrot fed, Now
said Mrs. Snivcly, III do my market
ing for Sunday, and then cook what
can all ready for tomorrow"
So she put on her marketing garb,
uniform only less wonderful thar he
housekeeping attire, and with an I'M
mense basket on her arm, sailed forth
1t was a beautiful summer day, an
strangely quiet. "liow pleasant it is
chirped Mrs. SnIvely Ia herself, "an'
how every one smiles at me. This is
CHEEKY world after all, if ! am a for