Evening journal., 1892-09-22
SISTER MARTHA.
BY AUGUSTA LARNFD.
Copyright, 1892, by American Press Association

WAS a red spot on eiiher thin check now
as She listened TO sister 1lrihus heavy
step and the recedng craak Of her boots
Mrs. Whitcumb did not 20 up the
stairs 20 the front chamber, but without
ceremony walked INTO Ann Baskets
kitchen TO talk me over, Thought Mis-
Mayhem, and she was angry and tremu.
lous. for her sisterin-law had not allud-
ed TO the state of her health nor asked a
question as 10 how she found herself
She knew Sister Martha had no faith IN
nervous disoases--laughed the whole
pack of them TO scorn No intangible
form Of illness took any hold on SISTER
Martha's sympathies, and Miss Muyhew
could have sobbed as she sat there feel
ing like an unmarked imposter under
the lash of her sistor-in-lGw's harsh
judgment All the lectures Martha
would deliver about exerting herself and
taking exercise and living in the open
air and going to see tho ueighbors came
up before her. and she shuddered In an
ticipation
Mrs. Whi;cumb stepped on 10 Ann's
kitchen now, and opened The door with
more gcntleness aud coigideration than
sho hRd shown 10 her sister-in-lAw. Ann
WIS a person 70 be eouciliated, while
Vinie Mayhem was OF but secondary i'm
portanco in the household Ann was
standing before hor kitchen table
secured TO tho whiteuess OF chalk She
was OF middle height. spare, bony
angular person. with prominent shout
der blades. sflrp elbows, lean brown
arms mud large knotted wrists and
hands. Her hair was iron gray, smooth
ly brushed back from a narrow fore
head, etched with hard straight lines as
If done with the point OF an iron instrR-
ment Her blue print dress aud 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 IL unwilling to let out the
hoard of important secrets that lay just
behind them
Ann ch1ned the supreme merit Of
lninding her own business and u ruling
her own domain with a rod Of iron that
| brooked 10 power behind the throne
the summer kitchen, tho winter kitch-
en-, the cellar woodshed. garden and
orchard. Over the remainder OF the
house she claimed only 10 exercise the
rights Of suzorainty and partial con
troll 1t was barbarian teiritory 10 be
tidicd daily ana swept every week. but
still outside her absolute sway
In one respect It was an aSTantage &c
Ann that ale 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 largo raisins
aad % be bal.ed in little SIN p8tty pan
There was clear fire in the stove, an,
the butter and sugar, -four and egg
were all ranged on the spotless table
From q side window in her palace Queei
Ann had seen Mrs Martha Whitcuml
arrive; had seen Jo Spaulding. the hack
naen, bring IN Mra Whiscuihhe tlVDl
and deposit il in the hall. Ann had no
taken her hands away from tho cake
for she was "a person 70 be sol 10, no
to seek: besides she was not IN the bos
Of humor
Ann divided ell Miss Mayhew's Wis
itors into "satchel folks and "trHnl
folks" The satchel folks she did no
mind 80 much They only staid on
night. or nc longest two. ana when the
were well out OF tho house Ann coul
easily slip the company sheets and pill
low cases off the bed and press ther
over with hot iron. and nobody woul
be the wiser. But trunk folks meant "a
] extra bout Of washing and cooking an
, ! cleaning. and Ann who was a method
, / tcal soul, objected TO them rs a painful
q element OF dislocation in her daily lif,
/ Mrs. Martha was VIGOROUSLY trun
folks. She never staid under a weel
: and Ann had reason TO dread her pres
r ence in the house as a person who wa
8 masterful enough TO dispute sway wit
, her. even on her own domain.
: AIMS back therefore was aggressiy
D I when Sister Martha entered the sunn
e kitchen. But Mrs Martha was niue
moro conciliatory toward the maid tina
{ she ever was toward the mistress, and ,
j times even condescended TO tlattory.
8 well, Ann, said she, bustling in, b
never did see anything stand wear lil
}, this yellow paint on your floor. It lool
clean enough to cut OF, And that STOW
T why. You can just see your face in /
t What kind OF polish do you use?
!, should Just like to get some OF tn;
u kind.
Q Elbows said Ann grimly, who kne
s. soft sawder as well as the next one. 81
y had not as yet condescended TO tuI
T around, and was just now spooning OF
y the rich yellow paste into the patty pan
t measuring the quantity accurately vii
her eye.
? Elbows, indeedw laughed Mrs. Ma
+ tina. "Yes, that's the best kind, as
10 keep a.tellin Jane Steel, trying to dir
+ it into her head 1 should just like
l. have Jane see that stove and them tin
S so bright you can see your face in Their
| guess it would put a notion or tv
d INTO her head Of how work ought to
done"
T AIMS bony back quivered n sign
Mrs Martha's sharp eyes that the j
had begun TO thaw You've been SO
rs fip in vonr relrs / see. Ann she wei