Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-04-04

were mentioned In turn the twenty
minutes for this, the thirty minutes
for that, and her husband drew q
long breath at the end of the evolu-
ton Of lovely creature immaculate
from top to toe.
1t seems to me-" observed she.
demurely. ''as IL cleanliness were
getting ahead OF godliness nowadays.
Well. 1t must be delightful to 60
through such thorough process,
and yet four hours seems q long time
to devote to dressing every morning"
"Four hoursI" 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 lot"
Many u mickle makes muckle,
papa, dear. rejoined Mary, earnest
ly. do you think there is ever
morning in the whole years round
when ! could take four hours for the
adjoining of my own 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 a dimple APP
peared in her cheek which made her
look quite young again.
Tomorrow" he repeated. me-
chanically.
Yes; ut the office, you know.
Anything especially"
"Why, no. have O dozen bills
to collect for Mr.. Snow; that's all.
Why?"
Because l want to try little ex-
pertinent. It's not ut all original.
In fact. it's as old as the hills.
Promise me you will do it,
IF it is within reason" stipula-
ted Mr.. Fenton. His wife had not
changed so much. after all. IL she
had outgrown her neatness, the old
vivacity was still in her.
"Oh, yes. This is what l wantyo
to do. Change places with me for
one day. Let me 60 and collect the
bills for Mr.. Snow. Warrant that l
will get every cent that is due him,
and you stay at home as housekeeper,
cook, nurse and general factotum. !"
What perfect nonsense !" growled
the gentleman, taking up the paper
again. 81 should think you school
girl OF 16. You know that's impos-
sible."
But it was not impossible. and Mrs.
Fenton proved it, II not to her
spouse's satisfaction, at least to his
conviction. She had recourse to
all her forsaken arts OF cooking
and wheedling, and at last, quite
worn out with arguing and shutting
he had to give in, and agreed to make
fool OF himself on the morrow. The
victor went up to bed triumphant,
pausing in the nursery to leave the
big mending basket and to lean low
ingly for moment over the bed
where her twin boys lay sleeping
sturdy lads of 8. In the next room
she drew aside little Mabeps tum-
bled curls and left kiss on the rosy
cheek, and at length, with deep
sigh, she found herself standing be-
fore her dressing table, taking down
the coils OF her hair. Many a silver
thread had stolen into the bright
brown ripples, but they still fell to
her waist as abundant as ever, and
against the girlish background her
face seemed to lose some Of it's lines
OF care. Was it true that she had
been growing careless OF her own APP
pearance? Like fash there ran
across her mind those words about
Mrs. Van Dusen, and staring earnest
ly at the glass she felt thrill OF
simple pride in it's assurance that,
with such clothes as adorned that
lady, they would be more on par in
good looks than a casual observer
would imagine. Then she thought of
her husband and the experiment that
was to be tried and, laughing softly
to herself. she turned out the gas and
got into bed, hearing that unfortu-
nate man in the cellar below, NUT
tering like the ghost Of Hamlet's
father as he put the coal on the fur
mace fire.
The memory OF the following day
is even now hideous nightmare to
James Fenton. Never had the office
where he kept books for a peppery
and unreasonable coal merchant in
volved him in so many trying situa-
tions. His wife, true to the arrange
ment, had presented herself ut break
fast arrayed in her walking dress,
and offered to make suggestions
about curling Mabel's hair, tying on
her pinafore and mending a mitten
brought to her just as the one maid
rang the bell for breakfast Han
nah was in the secret, for she had
already been to ask his advice about
the mullins with giggle, and Tom
and Harry had been told by mamma
that her father would lay out their
clean clothes and give them any help
they needed in. the toilet line. By
the time he sat down at the table he
was desperate man. His own
toilet had been sketchy in the ex-
treme, and he had literally had not a
minute to think. Mary, in the gay
est OF spirits, took his bundle of bills
and went of, reminding him not to
forget to sort the washing just
brought upstairs, and that this was
the day for sweeping the parlor.
And / hope" said she cruelty at
parting, THAT you will find time to
4 a. - 4. L.. Il.