The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-09-24

colored things from the white ones, and
then we can pitch right in and wash and
visit at the same time"
Mrs. Logan did not know what to do
or say. She was a woman of very mild
and gentle spirit. Her friends often
said that Martha Logan wouldn't hurt
the feelings of fy." She did not want
to hurt the feelings of Jane Wadlin, and
yet she felt that she could not EN- ter into
the arrangement Mrs. Wadlin had made
regarding the washing.
| Janet was also of this opinion, and yet
both mother and daughter felt that Mrs.
Wadlin was a woman who was not to be
offended with impunity. She was a
good friend and bitter enemy.
"Come, Janet" said Jane Wadlin, run
down cellar and get the tubs and we'll
pitch right in. The neighbors will think
we're awful slack if we don't get our
things alfout by ten o'clock"
Janet glanced at her mother. Mrs.
Logan struggled desperately but vainly
to invent some way of preventing what
she regarded as little less than a
calamity.
|
go down and get the tubs"
| .Janet's black eyes flashed and she was
about to speak, but Mrs. Logan shook
her head and Janet kept silent When
she reached the cellar she said angrily,
with an angry stamp of her foot On the
cellar floor:
well. of all the impudent perform
ances! AS if we didn't have work
enough of our own without doing any
of Mrs. Wadlin's! There's eight in her
family and only three in ours, and it's
just scheme on her part to get most
of her washing done by some one else.
But it'll be the last time she'll bring her
washing here, now see if it isn't!"
Janet repeated this resolve many
times during the day, and Mrs. Logan
made Il similar resolution. Mrs. Wadlin
was snotoriously slack and unsystematic
in her methods of work, and at inter-
walls of about two hours she would sug-
gest that they "eat bite" and "visit a
little"
1t was nearly the middle of the after
noon before the last of the "colored
things were Haunting from the line in
the Logan back yard.
"And such a looking array of things
as they are! What will the neighbors
thinlk?" said Janet, as she stood at the
window of her room. tired and cross,
and looked at the rows of pink and
purple calico aprons and frocks belong
of huge blue overalls belonging to Mr..
Wadlin, and the surprising array of
stockings in all sizes and colors belong
ing to different members of the Wadlin
family.
But Jane Wadlin was serenely happy.
"Now we can have a good long visit
together 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 sup
per. think it'd be real nice if we could
iron together, but I guess we can't, be-
cause l always bake, too, on my ironing
day. But I've enjoyed our washing to-
gether so much that 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, be-
fore Mrs. Logan could give utterance to
the excuse 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 ?
I simply cannot stand it to have Jane
Wadlin and here washings here"
"Nor l." replied Janet. land 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 a scheme of my own in
mind for putting an end to this unpleas-
ant arrangement"
Mrs. Logan somewhat reluctantly
consented to the carrying out of this
"scheme' when it was made known to
her.
although I don't feel sure that it
will affect Jane Wadlin as you think it
WILL" she said to Janet.
1t was about eight o'clock on the fol-
lowing Monday morning when Joe and
Jerry Hope, the sons of one of Mrs.
Logan's neighbors, appeared at Mrs,
Wadlin's with an enormous clothes
basket piled high with soiled things
of every sort. Each boy carried pill
low slip 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's
rather cramped kitchen.
"She and Janet said they'd be along
pretty soon with the rest of II" said Joe.
"The rest!" said Mrs. Wadlin in dis
may, as she looked at the great basket
and the overfowing pillow slips. "Well,
for PHYS sake! I should think Marthy
Logan had gone to keeping hotel or
opened up laundry from the size OF
her wash!"
This conviction was deepened when,
few minutes later, Janet and Mrs.
Logan appeared by way of the back
streets carrying another clothes
basket full of things; and in addition
to this, Janet, carried market basket
containing about dozen glass fruit
jars.
II know we've got a pretty big wash
ing" she said, cheerily, "but there'll
be three of us working together, you
know. and guess We'll worry through
it. And we thought we'd put up a
basket of peaches to-day, as they've a
lot of fine ones extra cheap at Smith s
fruit store. He said he'd send basket
up here by ten o'clock for us. and we