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

ILL, fOr pity sake, mOLners
wv come here!" said Janet Logan.
She stood at the kitchen window, from
which she could see the front gate.
What is it?" asked Mrs. Logan. She
was stirring small kettle of some
thing on the stove, and did not want to
leave it to burn.
II just want you to look and see
what's coming in at our front gate"
Mrs. Logan took a corner of her apron
for holder and lifted the kettle and
its bubbling contents, onto the back
part of the stove. Then she joined Janet
at the window. A tall, slender, untidy-
looking woman was entering the gate.
She had blue-and-white soiled ging
ham apron tied over her frowzy head
and her chocolate-colored calico dress
skirt was pinned up about her waist,
revealing black quilted petticoat and
pair of blue-stockinged feet thrust
into pair of gorgeous carpet slippers
SO much too large for her that her walk
shufded to keep the slippers on.
Its Jane Wadlin," said Mrs. Logan.
II know it," replied Janet. 'But will
you tell me what she has in that bas-
ket?"
"Sure enough" said Mrs. Logan,
vaguely. as she peered over the tops of
her spectacles.
Mrs. Wadlin carried with apparent
effort an enormous clothes basket piled
high with something covered over with
a soiled rcd-and-white tablecloth. The
basket, which she held by either handle,
was so heavy that it pulled her head
and shoulders forward, and her face
was red and perspiring, although it
was a cool Monday morning in late Sep
tember.
There's no telling what freak has
struck Jane Wadlin now," said Mrs. Lo-
gan.
But she and Janet soon knew the na-
ture of the freak that had struck their
caller that morning, for in moment or
two the basket thumped up against the
kitchen door, which Mrs. Wadlin opened
without the preliminary politeness of
| knocking.
She dropped the heavy basket to the
floor and sat down on it's contents, pant
ing and wiping her red face with cor
ner of her soiled calico apron.
"My!" she gasped, ''if I amt about
tuckered cut! Whyt Amt you wash
ing to-day, Marthy Logan?"
I'VE have very light washing this
week, and haven't been in any hurry
about beginning it," replied Mrs. Lo-
| gan. "A jar or two of my canned rasp-
berries had begun to work. and /
thought I'd cook 'em over again before
begun to wash. I'd just told Janet
she'd better go down cellar and fetch
up the tubs and bring out what little
wash we have"
Then I'm just in time" said Mrs.
Wadlin, with satisfaction. "Ive got an
awful big wash this week, and while
I was gathering it up happy thought
strucli me. Can't you guess what 1t
WASP"
"No, I don't know as ! can."
"Well. it flashed across me: why
can't gather up my dirty duds and go
over and wash with Marthy Logan and
make sort of a frolic of it" When
lived over in Peakville friend of mine
named Mag Graves and me washed to-
gether every Monday of the world. One
Monday she'd lug her things over to
my house. and the next I'd lug mine
over to hers, and we'd wash and visit
together. 1t was real neighborly way
of doing. and we'd awful good timess
and it just flashed across me this morn
I ing: why can't me and Marthy Logan
do that way" and here am. with my
wash to begin it,"
Mrs. Logan looked aghast, while
Janet's face flushed with annoyance,
but Jane Wadlin's perceptions were not
keen enough to show her that she had
made a mistake.
81 do love to be neighb 7rly," she said,
as she got up and dragged the red and