St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-10-15

| look at the renovated rooms after the
carpets and furniture had been replaced.
"What did your father and mother
say?" queried her aunt.
80, mother did not say anything. !
guess she was glad to have me do it, and
fathers been too busy with his work to
notice that I haven't been around as
usual. But Just wait until next week,
Aunt Ann,"@ she hurricdly went on,
owe found my work. I've got three
good jobs on hand now and promise Of
more. Mrs. Barnes wants her parlor
papcrcd and painted, DR.. Elkins has en-
gagged me to put two coats on his hall
and front piazza, and Mrs. Lears says
her dining room has got to be grained
with lust such knots as yours. They do
show off pretty WE'LL if 1 did do it my
self" she finished with critical look at
her work.
"And there1l be no end of the row
it'll make" her aunt said to the uncle
that night. II do wish Viney'd give it
up, but she has taken the bit in her
teeth so since that day, it's no use for
me to say anything. She actually seems
to be enjoying the prospect ahead W ben
he does find it out. I don't like cncdhr-'
aging children in flying in their parents
faces either"
Now, Ann, you hain't no call to fret
I don't believe in encouragin' such things
as rule, either; but there rs such a
thing as parents making their children
fly in their faces-and there's Bible
'gainst that as much as t'othcr. And,
Ann, Abram is a cantankerous fellow, If
he is your brother. He has a sort O.
forced the girl into it, holdin' her down
to the grindstone as he has. Now, if he
raises storm, why-let him. Thunder
sort O clears up the air they say, and so
don't you fret AS for her enjoyment,
| expect the KNOWN she has some money
of her own in her own pocket is at the
bottom of it. 1t gives US all lots of back
bone to have something of our own"
"Seems to me I hain't seen much of
Whey for matter of two weeks or so"
suddenly remarked Mr.. Meeker, looking
ing over at his daughters vacant chair
as in lull of work he allowed himself to
cat one dinner slowly.
"She's been over to Uncle Jacks help
ing them,o his timid wife simply vouch-
safed in reply.
Il should think she might find enough
to do at home without hunting over
there for work, he shortly returned.
"She found too much that was it."
muttered Hiram, the sixteen year old
son, through mouthful'o pie.
His mother met his eye with quick,
warning glance, but too late to prevent
his finishing indistinctly with:
"Just as | do too"
"Found too much" snapped Mr.. Neck
er, catching the first words. "Wcll, so
much the more reason she should stay at
home and do it. Don't you waste any
more time, Hi. Hurry round to that
dragging That lot must be finished up
to-day. I'm going to the shop with this
ploughshare and you'd better be moving
to work"
"Just as if I never wanted a thing but
work." grumbled Hiram sullenly, as he
left the table. II wanted to buy them
two calves of Armstrong. He'd sell
them to me and let me work it out, and
there's milk and posture enough to raise
q
couldn't see what on earth | wanted of
them. He didn't need EN- he said. Just
as if | didn't want a cent or thing of my
own. Why, I could sell the yoke next
year for enough to get me a lot of things
I want and never will have till | can
make cent of my own. say it's awful
mcanm he Indignantly ended
eli, now hush! Don't you 60 to
rai5in' up too. Goodness knows what
he'll say when he does find out what
Nincy's doing" his mother admoniShcd,
adding in a tone she dutifully rendered
inaudiblc to the boys cars Il do wish
though that we all could have little
more of our own, without having every
cent picced out to us and an exact ac-
count rendered for it
This remark reached Hiram's cars as he
iammcd his Old straw hat on his head
and started unwiilingly for the barn.
II don't believe the Lord ever made
him or anybody else so,% he muttered to
himself outside the door, PAS done
his own making and has got it awfully
twisted, too. Anyhow, I'm going to
have a little something of my own, see
if don't,n and he turned suddenly Oh
his heel without entering the barn.
Mrs. Mecker was clearing up her dishes
when her husband entered an hour later,
ploughshare in hand
"Id like to know what all this means2'
he stormily began.
'What what mcansl' his wife tremu-
lousy asked
"What's Whey up to-" his voice rising
still higher
"She's up to DR.. Elkin's," was the
evasive reply which poor Mrs. Mcekcr
tried instantly to convince herself was a
proper one to his question, nervously
lingering her dishes as she made it.
"Yes; should say she was up to DR..
Elkin's-piazza roof. Do you know,
Mrs Mecker," he never called her Mrs.
Mccker except on extraordinary occa-
sions of wrath, and she shook with OK
citcmcnt and fear, edo you know that I
saw with my own eyes that girl rugged
out in a full bloomer dress, climbing a
ladder with paint pail and brush in her
hands? Now, maam, if you can tell me
what she's up to I'd ike to know after
she has disgraced the whole of us
everybody talking about her taking up a
trade. Why, I'd a mind to march her
straight home ahead of me. l would,
too, if
Crash!
Out Of Mrs. Meeker's trembling hands
the blue sugar-bowl, which she was
wiping, slipped to the floor.
1t may have been the fact of the priced
bowl following SO soon in the wake of
the blue platter that so suddenly trans
formed the shrinking woman, or may be
tiu linz 1,n,1cnl tlln