The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-05-06

.sHow in the world does Katie make .
fire without kindling?" he muttercd.
Finally he lighted lamp and went in
to the woodshed "I'll split some
kindling in jiffy," he said. So say.
ing, he chopped up n board and met
with no further mishap than to injure
himself with flying splinter.
AS he passed through the back yard
with the kindling he glanced toward
the east. ~ wonder where is the god
of day2" he remarked Then he start
ed thSf in the kitchen stove and put
the kettle on. 1t was SO dark that he
was obliged to keep the gas lighted.
ats funny the sun doesn't come up"
he commented as he drew his SILVER
ing form nearer the fire and watched
the tea-kettle, which was now emit
tingsteam and whispering the while
one of it's soft lullabies. Between the
puffs, the kettle murmured: Wouldn't
you like to go to sleep-whoo, whoa
nice early morning nap-puff, puff-the
sweetest sleep of all the night?-whoo.
WHO'D" While this rhythmic measure
was going on and he had nearly yield
ed to the influence, q bell rang out the
hour. ''Onc-two-three-" Then there
was silence. The other bells followed
and they all struck three times. We're
the bells mad? Three o'clock? Impos-
sible! Had not the alarm clock gone
of and had not the clock been set for
six o'clock? Then why should all the
bells strike three? We're they wrong?
Or, was it possible that the alarm
clock had gone off at two o'clock? 1t
was more reasonable to suppose that
the fault was with the alarm clock. He
had heard that they sometimes explod-
ed before their time. With many silent
blessings on the clock he silently stole
upstairs and crept into bed. Mean
while the kettle downstairs went right
on murmuring: "Whoo-whoo-he's go
ing to take his morning nap-puff-
puff" At the same time his wife whis-
pered: SIS breakfast ready yet, lovc?"
mo-" was the gruff response. Then
she sank into dreams and he followed
suit, his slumbers being broken by ex-
ploding alarm clocks and the flying
splinters of kindling wood Suddenly
there was loud pounding He started
up Just as another clock had gone off
in his dreams
.What is that?" he exclaimed.
sIts the milkman. think, DEAR"
said his wife.
At the same time, in confederation
of her statement, a. sonorous voice
arose from below:
"Mi-llSr'
"Why doesn't he come in the middle
Of the night?" growled the husband as
he arose and threw q blanket around
him.
my dear, you are not going down
like that? You will catch your death
of cold"
81 don't care" he answered. despcr-
ately. As he opened the back door the
wind blew in upon him and the snow
covered his bare feet He looked like
bleachcd Indian chief as he stood
there wrapped in his blanket He
coughed in funereal manner rs he
was roughly greeted by tho wintry
blasts. The milkman, who was COW
cred with snow and had icicles on his
beard, regarded him in amazement
"Mornin, he said. q
"Nevcr mind about exchanging any
civilities, my FRIEND" returned tho
other with chattering teeth. Just
pour out your milk"
Cant"
"Why not?"
sits frozen. But I'll leave a cylin
drical chunk of ice in the jar, and you
can thaw it out" With that he clat-
tered his pals and disappeared whist
ling blithcly as though life had no
cares. The husband returned to the
kitchen with the cylindrical chunk OF
frozen milk, intending to melt it near
the fire. But to his CONSERVATION he
found that the fire had gone out The
kettle was putting away despairingly,
singing very softly: ''Whoo-whoo-
you've got to build the fire again
WHO'D WHO'D = puff-puff-" and then.
| after cxulting a moment the steam
suddenly ceased coming from the
spout While setting and lighting the
fire once more, he soliloquized upon the
migratory propensity of servants and
told himself that the next girl they en-
ployed would have to sign a contract to
remain at least month. BY this time
he was getting quite warm with in.
dignation, and, although the atmos-
phcre was SO chilly indoors, he would
| soon have been comfortable. He knel,
on the floor before the stove and began
blowing at the fire, his temper not be
ing improved by his Intellectual at
tempts to fan the flame into promising
proportions The flame wavered, flut
tered, looked as though it might be-
come promising conflagration. and
then-went out He wrapped his man
tie more closely around his form and
was about to give audible vent to hi.
feelings when he heard light voice
behind him:
"You had better go to bed, love, ani
allow me to make the fire."