Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-29
FAMILY ON-CO-OPERATION.
A Story Of the Creamery and the
Farmers Family.
Concluded.


the use of the right catch" there they
rested. She fished out the floating
cover and slipped it into place. Then
she removed another pan and dipped
out what cream she wanted. 1t looked
thin and watery, but stopping to groan
over it could not mend matters. To
her dismay she observed red splashes
on the cans, and the water was also
before noticed, through the saturated
tinted with the blood that had trickled,
bandage.
Tt was just at this moment that Mrs.
CantWell, hearing a team, turned a
nervous, hasty glance outside, and
whom should she see but the tardy
cream gatherer, whom she supposed
had come AM gone long ago at the
usual time.
ooh, murder, murderr' she muttered,
and she quickly seized the crank and
let down the cans as noislessIy as pos
sible. But a lump of ice that had
been foored by it's partner in the
dance was now coolIy resting under
the framework of the elevator, and
obstfnately disputed the right of way
So she had to leave the cans half COW
cred, and the lids of the creamer grin
ming at an angle of as degrees She
noticed as she fastened out the glass
streWn, blOOd-spattered and otherwise
exceedingly untidy floor and the
strainer where she had knocked it I'M
Intentionally, in a little, wet, untidy
heap in the sink
Mrs. Cantwell's thoughts flew fast.
Her first instinct had been to get out
of sight-but as she heard that man
rafting away out in the cream room,
rushing up the elevator, setting the
cans out on the bench, ETC., she
thought how mean it was of her to re-
treat; and she said to herself, Gym
thia Cantwell, it's a big pill but you
must take it. Just as soon as you get
your plaguey hand fixed you've got to
go out there and tell him about it
every word"
But she was spared the trouble The
peXt minute he was gone, and when
she went out to survey the scene of
her trials, there sat the full cans on
the bench-the cream rejected
"Oh, destructionr' she muttered,
CHANGING at the cream record fastened
on the wall. Ninety spaces-15
pounds of butter yesterday, and none
today. So much money and our rep
utation lost, just for a little freak, and
all that vile, watery cream on our
hands,,
| won't attempt to relate MalcOlm's
CONSERVATION at the state of affairs
when he came up to dinner. He had
scarcely had time to comprehend it
md to excialm "Petticoat cooperation,
III warrant" when the stage drove
UP, and down lighted the city cousin,
followed by a trunk whose proportions
were scarcely inferior to that of NAL
collins girl" to whom Eta was intro
duced with great ceremony, after
things had been Strengthened round
there a little
Until two years ago Eta had always
lived on a farm, and she felt much in
terest in the new creamer, and the
pan for disposing of cream. She was
on hand at night when Malcolm, find
ing that the rejected cream had be-
come clear, drew off the milk without
a word that anything unusual had oc-
Cured, and set the cream in a can by
itself to await developments. Then
he lifted out the mornings milk, as
usual, to make room in the creamer
for the nights addition, and set that
cream in another can.
There were gay jokes in abundance
between the young people, and Nal
colin explained to his cousin all the
why's and wherefores-the filling of
the creamer with fresh water, the set
ting of the cans, the raising Of the ele-
vator, etc. And he detailed the veto
on "petticoat cooperation" so comical
~ that Eta declared that she meant
to ignore the veto and join the assOci
alton at once.
Rudolph, who had just come in with
a pail of milk, stood beside the cream
er straining it.
I'll wager that can milk a COW as
quickly as you can, Cousin Rudolph
us" exclaimed Eta.
"Oho! city girl! look al those lily
white hands! Oh, my! A Samson
among the Philistinesr' and Malcolm
laughed derisively.
Pooh! Mr.. Self-conceit! l challenge
you to a trial, too. Just remember, if
you please, that I'm 16-years-old
country girl, and only two-years-old
city girl-a mere baby-I left her at
home"
"Humph! likely! that big Saratoga
looks like it,
Il want just ten minutes, Sir Boast
ers. That will be plenty of time to
pick you up and carry you off, and set
~ou down again. | want a COW that
will fill the pail herself. Well each
fill pail, and we'll see what We'll see.
Now, do you both accept the chal-
lenge?"
yes, your majesty"
20, you begin to feel some respect for
your city cousin, do you? Well. Wen
see how you feel in five minutes from
now"
"O-o-o-h! groan to contemplate"
said Malcolm.
The three seized pals and scampered
off like so many colts Malcolm direct
= Eta to COW that would ell the
pail herself"
'What-that little thing?" she asked
Il could almost put her in all over"