Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-29
A BROKEN COMPACT.


could see tho front gate.
"What is iu?' asked Mrs. Logan. She
was stirring small kettle of something
on the stove and did not want to leave it
to burn.
81 just want you to look and see what's
coming in at our front gate"
Mrs. Logan took corner of her apron
for holder and lifted the bottle and its
bubbling contents on to 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 bingham apron tied
over her frowzly head, and her chocolate
colored calico dress skirt was pinned up
about her waist, revealing black quilted
pettiooat and n pair of blue stockinged
feet thrust into pair of gorgeous carpet
slippers SO much too large for her that her
walk shuf11ed to keep the slippers on.
''Its Jane Wadlin," said Mrs, Logan.
81 know it, replied Janet. "But will
you tell me what she has in that basket?"
"Sure enough, :" said Mrs Logan vague
ly as she peered over the tops of her spec
tacles
Mrs Wadlin carried with apparent
effort an enormous clothesbasket piled
high with something covered over with a
soiIed red 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 cool
Monday morning in late September.
"There's no telling what freak has
struck Jane Wadlin now," said Mrs. Lo-
gan.
But she and Janet soon knew the nature
of the freak that had struck their caller
that morning, for in a moment or two the
basket thunpod 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 corner
of her soiled calico apron.
"My," she gasped, "if l amt about
tuckered ont! Why! Amt you washing
today, Marthy Logans"
"We have very light washing this
week, and l haven't been in any hurry
about beginning it, replied Mrs Logan
GA jar or two of my canned raspberries
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. GIVE got an
awful big wash this week, and while l
was gathering it up happy thought
struck me. Can't you guess what it wass"
"No, don't know as l oan."
"Well, it flashed across me, Why can't
gather up my dirty duds and go over
and wash with Marthy Logan and make a
sort of a frolic of itP' When / lived over
in Peakville, friend of mine named Mag
Graves and me washed together every Mon
day 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 a'real neigh
borly way of doing, and we'd awful good
times and it just flashed across me this
morning, why can't mo and Martby Lo-
gan 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' perceptions were not keen enough
, to show her that she had make a mistake
II do love to be neighborly, she said
as she got up and dragged the red and
white tablecloth from the basket of soiled
clothing "I'll just sep'rate my 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 woman Of a very mild and
gentle spirit. Her friends often said that
"Martha Logan wouldn't hurt the feel
ings Of a fly" She did not want to hurt
the feelings Of Janet Wadlin, and yet she
felt that she could not enter into the ar
rangement Mrs. Wadlin had made regard
ing the washing.
Janet was also of this opinion, and yet
both mother and daughter felt that Mrs
Wadlin was woman who was not to be
offended with impunity. She was 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 all out by 10 O'Clock"
Janet glanced at her mother Mrs. Lo-
gan struggled desperately, but vainly, to
invent some way of preventing what she
regarded as little less than a calamity.
Finally she said weakly; Eyes, Janet.
Go down and get the tubs. J"
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.
ancesl AS II we didr.'t have work enough
Of our own without doing any Of Mrs,
Wadlinsl 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 II 1t isn't!'
Janet repeated this resolve many times
during the day, and Mrs. Logan made
similar resolution. Mrs. Wadlin was no.
toriously slack and unsystematic in her
methods Of work, and at intervals Of about
two hours she would suggest that they
"eat bite and "visit little. !"
It was nearly the middle Of the after
noon before the last Of the "oolored
things' were Haunting from the line in
the Logan back yard.
"And such aslooking array Of things as
they are What will the neighbors thinkP"
said Janet az she stood at the window Of
her room, tired and CROSS, and looked at the
rows Of pink and purple calico aprons and
frocks belonging TO the little Wadlins, and