The Progress., 1892-08-20

| Vine, and thought u squirt of company
might liven you up u bit. And rs for
Ann, I've brought her linsey woolsey
piece for u pctticoat, so guess she won't
| Lite me-"
Miss Mayhem pulled herself together
and looked Mt her sister-in-law with wa
terry eyes. She made no direct response
to this candid speech, nor was any OK
pected from hor. Il s'pose you're hun
/ cry" she said anxiously. "Our dinners
over and Ann has washed tho dishes.
She's maxim n tea cake now. Would
you Ikea dropped egg on toast, MarthyT'
I've had my lunch" said Mrs. Whit
cumb waving away the suggestion.
brought it along with mo from home.
Cold chicken and SANDWICHES and pickles
and cheese. Don't You bother your hoad
about me, Vinic."
Miss Mayhem heaved n sigh of relief
You can 30 right up chamber, Marthy.
You know the spare room. Of course,
and its all ready except airin and fresh
water"
Mrs. Whitcumb took her bag, II shawl
and umbrella. stepped out of the room
and closed tho door behind her Miss
Mayhem was quivcring from this rudo
contact of her delicate being with force,
in the form OF her sister-in-law Every
nerve in her body, as she expressed it,
twas of the hooks, each jumping its
own way" But her sense of hearing
was moro acute than ever. Since she had
been tied to her easy chair in her pleas
ant, old fashioned sitting room. she had
lived mainly through the ears. There
was rcd spot on either thin cheek now,
rs sho listened to sister Martha's heavy
step and the recoding creak of her boots.
Mrs. Whitcumb did not go up the
stairs to the front chamber, but without
ceremony walked into Ann Baskets
kitchen Ito talk me over" thought Miss
Mayhem, and she was angry and tremu-
lous. for her sister-in-law had not allud-
ed to the state of her health nor asked
question rs to how she found herself.
She knew Sister Martha had no faith in
nervous discases-laughed tho whole
pack of them to scorn No intangible
form Of illness took any hold on Sister
Marthas sympathies, and Miss Mayhem
could have sobbed M she sat there feel
ing like an unmasked imposter under
the lash Of her sister-in-law's harsh
judgment. All the lectures Martha
would deliver about exertiny herself and
taking exercise and living in the open
mir and going to see the neighbors came
up before her, and she shuddered in an
ticipation.
Mrs. Whitcumb stepped on to AIMS
kitchen now, and opened the door with
more gentleness and consideration than
she had shown to her sister-in-law. Ann
was person to be conciliated. while
Vinie Mayhem was of but secondary i'm
portance in the household. Ann was
standing before her kitchen table |
secured to the whiteness of chalk. She |
was of middle height, spare, bony, |
angular person, with prominent shout |
der blades. sharp elbows, lean brown
arms and largo knotted wrists and |
hands. Her hair was iron gray, smooth |
ly brushed back from narrow fore |
head, etched with hard straight lines as
IL done with the point Of IN iron instru-
ment Her blue print dress and white
apron were spotlessly clean. and the |
thick white cotton stockings showed |
above her low shoes. Ann Basket had |
little eyes, like gray pebbles, wide apart,
and her thin lips were generally puck
cred close as if unwilling to let ont the
hoard of important secrets that lay just
behind them.
Ann claimed the supreme merit of
minding her own business and of ruling
her own domain with rod of iron that
brooked no power behind tho throne
the summer kitchen, the winter kitch-
en-, the cellar, woodshed. garden and
orchard. Over the remainder of the
house she claimed only to exercise the
rights of suzerainty and partial con-
troll. 1t was barbarian territory TO be
tidied daily and swept very week. but
still OK vide her abso;ut sway. ..
n o,s5 respect it was an advantage to
Ann that she served an invalid mis-
tress; there was no ''snooping" around
in her kitchen and asking of vain and
irrelevant questions. Ann was making
cup cake, studded with large raisins,