The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1895-02-22
Selret ;Storu.

By HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

1t was Rainy Monday morning
onl Of those proverbial ''blue Mon
days" when everything went wrong.
and even inanlmate things seemed us
it they were posse Ssed by an evil spirit
to set their dumb bulk sistently
against the current of human effort
The hired man had oversight him
self.
Can nobody expect lel!er to get
up eff there ain Il ray O daylight in
his room,' grumbled Ozias Breakwa-
ter. L tell yeou these ere dark Octo
Der mornin's du bea. everything''
The red ca.f had GOT into the winter
wheat; the old turkey was dragging
her late brood through acres of tall,
dripping weeds and drenched buckle
berry bushes: the pin of the garden
gate had somehow got loose, and it
was swinging on one hinge: while the
speckled rooster and his flock of hens
scratched and clawed exultantly in the
vegetable beds and among Mrs. Par
ley seeding verbenas and slips of ger
anium.
The children were clamoring for
their breakfast.
We'll be late for school, mother, As
sure as the world" said Jenny, the
eldest.
"Mother, cant find my slate pen
ell, and school ma am says she won't
give OIL. no more till the end O the
month, squeaked little Joe.
81 hain't no idea what | done with
the key to the barn. SAID Ozlas, peer
ing first in one corner, then i'll another.
cain t breakfast most ready, moth
err" questioned little Kate, tearfully
cycling the clock, which, with it's por-
celain face half covered with asparagus
spri.S, appeared to be winklng bale
fully at her.
And, to place the final capstone on
all this temple of tribulation, there
came soft tap at the door, and Miss
Mix, the perambulatlng dress-maker
of the eighborhood, made her appear
ance with a flat basket on her arm, and
PAIR of silver spectacles bowed over
her nose.
Il hope l don't Inconvenience We,
Mrs. Farley" she began, in ingra'ia-
tory fashion, "poppin' in this away
but Mrs. Squire Migrants got niece
come unexpectedly from the West, and
can't hev me this week as | calkilated
on: so I've come here instid.'
Mrs. Farley stood aghast.
OF all gossips and wsmongers
Miss Mix was the most lnveterate, and
to be caught thus of Il Monday morn
ing, with the floor unswept, the break
fast half cooked. the children in their
very worst stages of righteousness and
| deml-tOlie tes-she well knew thar
this was Il death-blow to her 1eputa
ton lis model houS keeper.
1t was true that circumstances We're
against her: but what did Miss Mix
know about circumstances.
Can | help We with the break
fast" said Miss Mix. with ready Off
clousness.
Mrs Farley shank from the SEEM
ing amiability of the offer She had
no desire that this spy should discover
he secrets Of cracked china, puttied
bowls, handleless clippers, aud such
| other makeshiits the country house
keeper consistently hidcS WITHIN her
breast.
I'm obleeged I ye," said Mrs Par
ev, but -
At this moment just us she was lift
ing the stone pipkin of oatmeal Off the
stove, the little cherrywood rocking
chair, with somewhat Of that almost
human malevOlence which pieces of
furniture will sometimes deliberately
assume, caught her dress in one of its
rockers, and rip-rip-ri-i-ip it Wen,
inhicting jagged and hopeless rent
down the skirt
"Ro:her that old chair" said Mrs
Farley, sharply. i've bore with it
long enough; ! won bear no longer
Its all sprung out o shape and warp
ed to pieces, and it was onl Y Yesterday
Jane caught her apron III one Of its
splinters and tore 1t most off her |
shouldn't a stood it as long as | hey
if 1t hadn't belonged to Parlev's mo h
ar, and he set store by it.
"Old Widder Farley was a dreadful