Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-29


But Jane Wadlin was serenely happy.
Now we can have a good long visit to-
gether while our things are drying, and
then we can fetch them in and dampen
'em down, and I'll have Wadlin come
over and get my things after supper. |
think it'd be real nice if we could iron to
gether, but guess we can't, because | al
ways bake, too, on my ironing day. But
I've enjoyed our washing together so
much that l hope we can keep it up right
along You and Janet will fetch your
things and come and wash with me next
Monday, won't you?"
Yes, indeed we will, - said Janet before
Mrs. Logan could give utterance to the ex
cuse she had intended making. When
Mrs. Wadlin had finally gone home Mrs.
Logan said:
"Why, Janet, what did you mean by
telling Mrs. Wadlin that we would come
over and wash with her next Monday? l
simply cannot stand it to have Jane Wad
lin and her washings here.
"Nor IT, replied Janet, "and our wash.
ing at her house will end it all and at the
same time keep us from quarreling with
Mrs. Wadlin. Trust me for that, mother
I've scheme of my own in hand for put
ting an end to this unpleasant arrange
ment.'
Mrs. Logan somewhat reluctantly con-
sented to the carrying out of this scheme
when it was made known to her.
Although don't feel sure that it will
affect Jane Wadlin as you think it will,
she said to Janet.
1t was about O'Clock on the following
Hope, the sons of one of Mrs. Logan's
neighbors. appeared at Mrs Wadlin's with
an enormous clothesbasket piled high with
soiled things of every sort. Each boy car
red FELLOWSHIP full of things in addition
to those in the basket.
"Here's part of Mrs. Logan's wash"
said Jerry as he and Joe deposited their
burdens on the floor of Mrs. Wadlin rath
er oramped kitchen.
"She and Janet said they'd be along
pretty soon with the rest Of 1T, said Joe.
"The rest!' said Mrs. Wadlin in dismay
as she looked at the great basket and the
overaowing pillowslips "Well, for PHYS
sake should think Marthy Logan had
gone to keeping hotel or opened up a
laundry from the size of her wash!"
This conviction was deepened when, a
few minutes later, Janet and Mrs. Logan
appeared by way Of the back streets, car
rying another clothesbasket full of things,
and in addition to this, Janet carried u
market basket containing about q dozen
glass fruit jars.
81 know we've got pretty big wash
ing" she said cheerily, "but therell be
three of lis working together, you know
ad guess We'll worry through it, and we
thought we'd put up a basket of peaches
today, as they a lot of fine ones extra
cheap at Smiths fruit store. He said he'd
send basket up here by 10 O'Clock for u.s.
and we can do them while we visit. +"
eyes, spose we can" said Mrs. Wad-
lin, in voice lacking greatly in the en-
thusiasm she had manifested on the pre-
ceding Monday. "But don't believe I've
half line or clothespins enough for all this
wash"
''Oh, we knew you wouldn't have, " re-
piled Janet cheerily So we brought our
line and dozens of pins They're in the
bottom of this basket.
"But don't think that you can stretch
line enough in my backyard for all these
things"
"No, I dom suppose that we oan," said
Janet, "but we can dry a good many
things here in the house, and there's your
large front porch. We can stretch lots of
line on it, and the rest of the things we
can spread on the grass and hang on the
fence"
Mrs. Wadlin was not woman who
cared particularly "for looks" but the
idea of her front porch being used as
drying ground for clothes was far from
agreeable to her. Her face redeemed, and
she bit her lip when Janet pulled the
sheet away from the contents of one Of the
baskets and said:
"We wash up all of our bedspreads and
blankets and curtains at this time Of the
year, and here's basketful to begin on.
Then my Grandmother Logan is falling
into feeble health, and mother and l in
tend doing all of her washing for her here
after II she don't improve, and we've quite
washing for her today, but don't be-
lieve that can do a thing until I've had
bite to eat Surprising we have little
visit over cup of tea? And it would be
nice if we could have some of those peach
preserves you said you had been making,
Mrs. Wadlin."
"Well, if / don't call that oool!" said
Mrs. Wadlin when she was alone in the
cellar getting dish of her choice and lin
tied supply Of peach preserve "And such
wash as they we lugged in here, to say
nothing of putting up basket of peaches
at the same time!"
At 9, 10 and II o'clock Janet proposed
"a bite to eat, and when the basket of
peaches arrived she said coolly, "Now,
Mrs. Wadlin, If you'll just finish this tub
Of bedclothes I'll begin on the peaches,
and Well get a lot done today.
Janet's naturally orderly instincts
seemed to have forsaken her that day, and
Mrs. Wadlin did not greatly exaggerate
the condition of her kitchen when she said
to herself while hanging out the second
line of clothes:
''You can't move in that kitchen with
out stepping on peach stones or peach par
ings, and you can't get peach stains out Of
anything. And Janet Logan must be as
hungry natured as a goat the way she
wants to eat all the time. It'll be o'clock
before we get this wash out, and then the
place will look like it was a drying ground
for the whole town. II this is what wash
ing with the Logans means, think pre-
fert to wash alone hereafter"
1t was 8 clock when Janet threw her.
self wearily into a big cushioned rocking
chair in her own home and said, with her
hand pressed to her thIobbing brow:
II never was so tired before in all my
mortal life, and my head aches as II 1t
would burst, but Mrs. Wadlin will be
wearier than am by the time she brings
in all of the things on tho lines that were
not dry when we came away. Did you
hear her say, mother, that she was afraid
it wouldn't be quite convenient for her
to wash here next Mondayp"
eyes, certainly did, replied Mrs. Lo-
gan. II doubt II she ever finds 1T CON
venient' to bring her washing here again.
And yet we have preserved the peace. -
Youths Companion.