Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-04-18
get before that! CHANGING up, Mr.. Fen
ION mn III

L Naturally" he interrupted himself.
every woman can not follow this plan
4 exactly. but the general outline is
good. You'll see."
SO he Travelled down the columns IF di
rections, for the bath with bran bags.
almond meal and Orris root, tho pedi-
curing. the nnnicuring. the elaborate
brushing of hair and teeth, the gym
nas'lcS for the development of the fig
| ule, the careful examination of each
artirle OF clothing to see if single
stilrll be wanting. the hundreds of lit
Tie details which it takes so few min.
i u'eS 10 write down. so many to carry
our. AS he went on, AIary's natural
sense or fun came to her rescue and,
| beginning to appreciate the absurdity
OF the situation, she held her peace,
| adding up as they We're mentioned in
turn the twenty minutes for this, the
thlrtE minutes for that and her hus-
nalld drew Il long breath at the end of
the evolution of a lovely creature i'm
maculate from top to toe.
ut seems to me-" she observed de-
murely, "aS if cleanliness were getting
next to godlness nowadays. Well, it
must be delightful to 20 through such
thorough process, and yet four hours
seems long time to devote to dress
ing every morning."
-Four hours" cried Mr. Fenton,
taken by surprise. "My dear, you
must be mistaken. Why, the half
hour for the bath is the longest item
in the LOTT
Many mickle makes a muckle,
papa, DEAR" rejoined Mary, earnestly.
do you think there is ever a morn
| Ing in the whole years round when
could take four hours for the adorn-
Ing of my person? Where would your
breakfast be, and the children, and
| the orders to the butcher and the
grocer! James what are you going to
/ do tomorrow" she suddenly asked,
and dimple appeared in her check,
which made her look quite young
again.
Tomorrow he repeated mcchani-
cally.
eyes; at the office, you know. Any
thing especial?"
why, no. l have a dozen bills to
collect for Mr.. Snow; that's all.
| Why"
Because I want to try little eN-
pertinent. It's not at all original. In
fact, it's as old as the hills. Promise
! me you will do it,
eff it's within reason" stipulated
| Mr.. Fenton. His wife had not chang,
ed so much, after all. If she had
| outgrown her neatness the old yivac.
| ity was still in her.
ooh, yes. That is what I want you
to do. Change places with me for ono
day. Let me go and collect the bills
for Mr.. Snow. I warrant you that
will get every cent that is due him
and you stay at home as housekeeper
cook, nurse and general factotum."
"What perfect nonsensew growled
the gentleman, taking up his paper
again. IL should think you We're a
schoolgirl of 16. You konw that's
impossible
But it was not impossible, and Mrs
Fenton proved it, if not to her spouse S
satisfaction, at least to his conviction
| She had resource to all her fOrsakeI
arts of coaXing and wheedling, and
| at last, quite worn out with arguing
and shutting, he had to give in and
agreed to make q fool of himself on
the morrow. The victor went up tc
bed triumphant, pausing i'll the nur'
scry to leave the big menling basket
and to lean loveingly for a moment
over the bed where her twin boys lay
sleeping-sturdy lads of 8. In tho
next room she drew aside little Ma
bells tllmbled curls, and left {: kiss on
her rosy cheek, and at length, with a
deep sigh, she found herself standing
before her dressing table taking down
the coils of her hair. Many a silver
thread had stolen into the bright
brown ripples, but they felt to hel
waist as abundant as ever, and against
| the girlish background her face seem
ed to lose some of its lines of care.
Was it true that she had been growing
| careless of her own appearance? Like
a flash there ran across her mind
those words about Mrs. Van Dusen,
and, staring earnestly at the glass
she felt thrill of simple pride in its
assurance that. With such clothes as
adorned that lady, they would be more
on a par in good looks than Il casual
observer would imagine. Then she
thought Of her husband and the on
pertinent that was to be tried and
laughing softly to herself. she turned
out the gas and got into bed, hear
ing that unfortunate man in the cellar
DelOW mulCcfluS ike tlle SloSI VI
Hamlet's father as he put coal Oh the
furnace fire.
The memory of the following day is
| even now a hideous nightmare to
James Fenton. Never had the office
where he kept books for Il peppcry
and unreasonable coal merchant i'll
volved him in so many trying situa-
lions. His wife, true to the arrange
ment, had presented herself at break
fast arrayed in her walking dress, and
offered to make suggestions about curl
ing N1abel's hair, trying on her pima
fore and mending a mittcn brought
to her just as the one maid rang the
bell for breakfast. Hannah was in
the secret for she had already been
to ask his advice about the muItins
with giggle, and Tom and Harry had
been told by mamma that their father
would lay out their clean clothes and
give them any help they needed in the
toilet line. BY the time he sat down to
the table he was Il desperate man.
HIS own toilet had been sketchy in