The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-06-10

the door. As he did so, he noticed a nun
Der of small punctures in the upper corner.
CHA she opens it with knife !; l wonder
ed how she managed it,
Armed with backing and brush, he set
about polishing the range, and succeeded
finely, all going we'll until he stepped back
to admire his work aud stepped into the
saucer of backing, upsetting it upon Polly g
clean floor.
''The deuce !" he calculated, "if Pm
not having run Of luck ! Would not Polly
| like to see me now?'
He hurried to the case of drawers, where
he knew clean cloths were kept, but this
drawer also stuck, yet with one tremen-
dous pull he succeeded in opening it and
caught up the first thing he found, which
afterward proved to he one of the best
towels-he had opened the wrong drawer.
After hopping up the most of the stain
he lighted the fire, set on the tea-kettle
and went to the pantry to forage.
"Cold corned beef, bread and butter and
doughnuts. I'll make some hasty pudding
and coffee, and that'n do. Polly needn't
think for moment that I'm going to
starve."
He hunted about for the meal and coffee,
which were soon forthcoming, but as he
crossed the room yellow stream sifted in
his wake.
Gratis ~ he exclaimed with great truth,
He put the gnawed bag upon the table and
returned to the closet, set all the bags and
packages upon the floor and peered about
for mouse hole.
Sure enough, there it was in one corner,
stuffed with chewed rags and paper. Gust
like woman wonder if there's any more
of the blamed things"
When he had made satisfactory investi-
cation of the pantry, the fire had gone out
and had to be rekindled, and in going after
more wood he became aware of the paucty
of the woodpile.
The hasty pudding "sputtered" and
burnt the back of his hand it tasted raw,
| too, and the coffee somehow did not seem
much like Polly's, so he did not enjoy his
bachelor breakfast as much as he had antic-
ipated After clearing away the table, he
looked tixedly at the inky stain before the
owe
He attacked it with great energy and
succeeded in removing the last vestige of
the polish, but in drying the spot he ran a
splinter under his thumb, splinter which
seemed 10th to leave its hiding place.
Don't wonder Polly kicks, he growled,
as he jabbed away at the refractory silver.
When he succeeded in removing the last
installment, he clasped his hand about his
knees and sat thinking hard.
After a few moments he took a small
account book from his pocket and still
sitting upon the floor he proceeded to make
numerous entries, which ran like this:
81. Two baskets of pansies to set out.
''2. Straighten the front post.
49, Lay a new porch floor.
"a. Plane off this miserable one and oil
it,
'5. Plaster up five mouse holes.
SO. Put a new washer in the faucet to
stop dripping.
81. Mend the screens, buy new wire for
| two.
"s. Plane off dozen or more doors and
drawers.
$50 Chop some wood. "
"There, that'll keep me busy all day,
and if l get through in time I'll 90 and ask
Polly's pardon and promise to do better. !"
He now went over the house, pencil in
hand, rafting doors, opening windows,
peering in closets, etc, jotting down items
and materials required until he had planned
enough work to last week.
He worked with zeal, mending every
thing inside the house, even to oiling the
machine and repairing two old clocks that
had not been running for years.
The cellar and wood shed were over
hauled, swept and whitewashed The
chicken coop and back fence were also
whitewashed and a goodly pile of kindlings
split.
He weeded the garden polly never
grumbled at this, for she liked out, of-door
work and trimmed up tn shrubbery and
pear trees, and on the fourth day an enor-
nous bonfire gave eviden' of his finishing
touch At five o'clock he changed his
clothes and took the electric car to the next
town, where his father-in-law resided. He
spied his wife upon the porch. "PoIy,
dear" he said, give got everything mend
ed beautifully. You're coming back, aren't
YOU" Polly was silent.
"Why, what is the matter with your
arm?" seeing that it was tightly bandaged
and carried in a sling. With angry eyes
and measured voice she replied
That was the last straw you remember
| asked you to fix that window cord in the
winter one was broken the other gave
way that night left you, the sash fell upon
my wrist and spraned it, and, and"
here her voice broke and great tears rolled
down her cheek, and Tom holding her
close and hiding his shame-stricken face