Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-11-10

'EudOry!' cried Mrs. StCbblnS In her
high nasal voice, and the clatter Of
spoons in the next room stopped sud
denly, after which slight assurance that
she was heard Mrs. Stebbins command
ed, between the energetic splashes of
her churn: Il want you to come right
out here an put up the mems dinner
an take it down to EN-. They amt goin
to take the time to come home, cause
fathers feet is aChin this mornin, an
he wants to git in all the hay afore the
storm. Come along now! Them spoons
goin to keep
There was no answer this time either,
but the door was pushed farther open,
and girl came silently into the kitchen.
Her fingers were black, as if she had
been cleaning very dirty silver, and she
walked over to tho sink poured some
water into a tin basin and began to
wash them with deliberate slowness
which made her mothers thin lips
tighten and the churn fairly hop about
the floor with the vigor of her strokes.
Mrs Stebbins could not tolerate slow
ness. She could not understand how it
was possible for person to be either
slow or silent, and nothing made her so
angry rs the exhibition of either char
ncteristic in her only daughter--a fact
which | am sorry to say Eudora discov-
cred and made use of at very early
age 1t was the only way in which she
could, as she expressed it, get square"
with her overbearing mother and she
had cultivated it till the slight natural
tendencies in those directions had be-
come actual habits.
AS she stood there now, seeming to
wash and dry each separate finger by
itself, she did not look like person
who would be trod upon without find
ing some way to turn.
She was dark, with strong, hand
some face, heavy hrows that met above
very determined nose, II beautiful
chin and bright, brown eyes, but the
most notable thing about her was her
height TALL taken in the ordinary
sense, would aut describe her, for she
stood L feet | in the lowest heeled shoes
she could buy, and the neighbors de
clarcd that though over 20 she was
growing yet--a fact which filled her
parents with pride her brothers with
envy and herself with fierce rebellion.
She detestcd the curious looks that
followed her when she went to town,
the inevitable jokes about the state Of
the atmosphere 'up where she was,
and references to 1.-THE long and the
short of it" or the probable diminutive
height of the man she would marry.
She was thinking of it now, as she
saw how far she had to stoop to reach
the basin, and the little tit Of anger at
tendant ON the thought made her even
moro deliberate than usual, so that at
last Mrs Sttbbins broke forth in spite
of herself.
"Nou We took five minutes for every
finger now, she exclaimed wrathfully.
."lf you wash the palms the same way,
III he able to do the butter and git
down to tn field ahid % you. II it
takes all big things SO long to move,
I'm glad the boys didn't grow uomorer'
Eudcra flushed and threw out the
water with more hurried motion.
That last was the only tauut that ever
had tho least effect upon her Then she
Went into the pantry and began TO cut
loaf Of bread
You better cut it all. " her mother
called, "cause there's four Of thcm TO.
day-pa's got Joe Sampson helpin, too
IAN don't iorgit TO leave the mustard
out % Joe's sandwiches, either Put in
lots Of pickles, and take the apple pie
-Eu-do-ry! DO you hear me- as no
sound but the rattle of dishes came from
tho depths Of the breezy pantry
Yes. ma, said Eudora shortly. and
for few minutes the churu had the
floor entirely TO itself But presently
Mrs Stebblus broke out again. "What' q
you get them spoons out for anyway "
She demanded. IF plated uns amt
good enough for Gus Sanderly, why
ne d better stay away, that's all He
ain { no better'u my boys er Joe Saup-
som. If you only WASH Il So plumb crack
I'd uu height, you Il know there WASH
As much good in the hull length of him
as III little Joe's thumb nail Eu. do.rv.
do you hear me2''
\ Is, ma, said Eudora, and silence
rcigned once more,
In a moment she came out 81 thr
PANTRY carving big tin pail fulI oi