Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-08-09


Blanche. She isn't much addicted to
turbulence as the rest of u.s.
May Stephen buy half dozen cheap paper
pads In the city?
Eyes. and pencils.
LET me take your public library card. please.
I'd rather read Last Days OF Pompei' than
talk ~ this evening"
Maria blue penciled portion of
this paper and showed it to Stephen,
who departed with sudden alacrity.
The minister had already gone to his
study. after giving Blanche this little
note:
kitty is just as hungry as ever"
And the parsonage settled down
anto a quiet which it had not known
since the fuckers moved into it.
With great forethought Maria wrote
out the grocer's list, an order for the
fish man and small sign saying: mo
agents wares wanted here" She had
privately registered vow to make
her silent week as perfect as possible.
l believe she would have even written
a note to Fred, asking him not to call,
| had she not anticipated some amuse-
| ment from watching his surprise.
This was Thursday morning. No
other functionaries called, and Maria
and her mother exchanged congratula-
| tory smiles as she went into the hall to
ring the dinner-be1l.
Incidentally this reform was des-
| tined to bring others in its train.
| Promptitude at meals had never been
| a Tucker virtue, but now the entire
family, with the exception of Stephen,
who worked in an art store in the city,
and Rev. Mr.. Tucker, who considered
| that it did not consort with his minis
terial dignity to leave his sermon save
at the end of a paragraph, had gath
cred at the table before the bell ceased
to ring.
Each persons plate was provided
with slate and pencil, and there were
sundry little slips of paper in dish
labeled Etiquette"
Blanche pulled cut one of these and
passed it to Frank. 1t read: "Will you
have some butter?'' Frank took up
his emptied butter plate, and looked
at it critically. mol" he wrote on
Blanche's slate. Then seizing the lead
pencil which he wore ostentatiously
tied to a string around his neck, he
careted in the word more, so that the
slip read: "Wi1l you have some more
butter?" To this question he answered:
Yes" Blanche looked puzzled. But
Maria, who was presiding genius of the
butter dish, severely ignored his wait
| ing plate, and reached for her tortured
etiquette slip. She crossed out the
more" and wrote an cover" under
meath the line. On the other side of
| the slip she wrote: Never, by look,
word or deed, remind another of how
much he has eaten" This was too
much for Frank, who shook his sides
in mock laughter. He wrote some
IL Al l. =. Il
did not pass it to Maria.
Mr.. Tucker created a diversion by
saying: Il wish, Ellen'-as he came
into the dining-room. His look of dis
comfiture as he saw five fingers placed
upon five pairs of lips was truly COM
ical
During dinner Charley dropped a
glass tumbler, breaking it into a thou
sand pieces. I'm so glad l did it this
week. he wrote to Blanche, :" 'cause
now papa can't say anything to me-"
Maria, who was clearing away the
debris, read this over his shoulder and
took his pencil to draw line through
the Objectionable sentiment.
AS they left the dining-room Frank
showed his slate to Maria, pointing to
the question: Wont you come into
| LuS anu nave SUNG oIhACA9
Maria smiled. Tomorrow" she
| wrote.
At the tea table they had small paper
pads, instead of states, and an extra
spoonholder containing a supply of lit
tie fancy pencils occupied the position
of honor. Very little was written,
however. except by Stephen and his
father, who carried on an abbreviated
| ton in this
~ saw Jones?"
(Nod) He'll plumb Tus,"
"Ys"
90 Bill later
Fowl Slain?"
(Shake) Before p. M
Trade good?"
| "Av."
Go the uninitiated be it explained
that the water pipes had burst the
evening before, that Deacon Jones was
a plumber by trade, that 20 is a higher
mathematical sign designating an in
definite quantity, and that the Tucker
family kept hens.)
Friday was rainy day, and Satur-
day was even worse. People rather
wondered why the minister's daughter
didn't stop at all after the Friday even
ing meeting; but they consoled them
selves by talking all the more to the
minister and his wife, who, truth to
tell, were not ill-pleased to loosen THEN
tongues from their bondage of silence
Maria alone had determined to make
the pledge affect outsiders, and she
walked home with heroic, do-or-die
expression of countenance.
| On Saturday evening Fred Struther:
arrived earlier than usual, directly
after tea, indeed. He did not notice
Maria's silence at first, for he was in
tent upon telling her what had hap
pened to him that morning.
"Mr. W called me into his private
Office and asked me how soon l could
take charge of a branch Office. l saic
that it would depend upon where il
was. He said that he wanted il done
Immediately. that the arrangement:
were all made, and that if l could sal
for Honolulu next Thursday morning
he would pay me salary of two thou
sand dollars a year"
Maria gasped.
Now" went on Fred. 81 know i
seems sudden; but you know, Maria
that though we haven't announced oul
engagement. you told me last Christ
moe that tho only ChriSfnaS Y1raSopf