The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-09
CHAPTER VII.

At that announcement, made in a
very clear yet pleasant voice, Mrs.
Magnum started out OF her nap, which
She had been enjoying in the depths
OF her velvet chair. rubbed her eyes,
and looked up at a young lady who
stood on the hearth-rug, few PAGES
from her.
''Eh? What did you say, Miss Mar
jorie?" she asked. sharply.
'Tea is ready" replied Miss Mar
jorie, taking her seat at the head Of
the table as she spoke.
"Humph," muttered Mrs. Magnum,
cycling her with a sour look of dissat-
isfaction. WELL you may pour me
out cup. But where is Mr.. Magnun,
and Julius. and dear Kate? 1t is really
extraordinary, that when l am so pune
tual myself, everyone belonging to me
should be perfectly unable to under
stand the value of time, or come to
their meals at the proper hours. l
am sure, when I was girl, my NAM
ma would have"
What her mamma would have done
in a similar state OF things Miss Mar
jorie never knew, for at that moment
the door opened and corpulent, red
faced, good-humored looking man en-
tered. closely followed by stupid
looking boy OF -. The young lady
subsidized into a graceful attitude upon
the sofa; the boy established himself
at Miss Marjorie's elbow, and began
an indiscriminate assault upon the eat
ables; but Mr.. Magnum datifully sup
piled his wife with cup OF tea and
h1S~ Aa-
ginning his own meal, which he took
at the small table which always stood
beside her easy chair.
We'll. my dear" he said, cheerfully.
chow has the world used you to-day
LAS usual" was the whining reply.
The neuralgia any better?'
No, my dear
And the headache"
LAS bad as ever"
Dear. dear" said Mr.. Magnum,
sympathizingly.
Mrs. Magnum sighed and leaned her
head upon her hand.
She was the invalid of the family.
From early morn TO dewy eve she
sat in her velvet chair; and during
nine months of the year, before fire
hot enough to roast an OK. The at
mosphere of the parior was so sitting
as to make a stranger feel faint after
breathing it for five minutes at
time; but Mr.. Magnum and his son
and daughter inhaled it contentedly
enough. Miss Marjorie, indeed, was
constantly troubled with giddiness and
determination Of blood to the head;
but she was only a companion, and no
one paid much attention to her all
ments, unless they were OF an obsti-
nately intrusive kind. So, through the
sharp winter the double windows of
the parlor were closed and padded, and
list was nailed around the doors, and
sand bags laid at every crack and crew
ice, lest a breath of cold air should by
any chance steal through: and the in
valid. basking before the piledup
CRATE, dozed and ate, and drank, through
the short days and long evenings, till
the light and heat Of summer forced
her to live little less like a sala-
mander and little more like an ordi-
nary human being.
MIR. Magnum was a retired ironmon-
ger, who had made money enough out
of his pots and kettles to leave them
forever in his fifty-fifth year. 1t had
! been his fathers business before him,
and he had started therein at the age
of q with the snug sum of one thou
sand pounds as pocket money, to say
nothing Of a trade connection extend
ing half over the Black County. Yet,
in speaking of the earlier part of his
| life he was accustomed to al1ude to
| himself pathetically as a poor Or
| phan." and to hint mysteriousfy at ter
| rible hardships undergone by him
| leaving you to infer that those hard
| ships had been surmounted by him
! alone, without the slightest aid The
| story had somewhat ludicrous eff
! feet when you Eazed at the face of the
narrator. and heard the putting signs
| with which his obesity compelled him
ever to interlard it. Certainly no one
looked less like a poor orphan" than
! he.
Tea was at length over. Mrs. Mag
mum nestled herself into the easiest
corner of her easy chair. julius went
out; the fair Kitty began to crochet
| and Mr.. Magnum read the daily paper
| iaboriously aloud If any one listen.
ed to political speeches and stock lists
it was not Miss Marjorie. She sat il
| a far corner of the room, ostensibly
! engaged in correcting French exer-
else of Miss kftty's, but really tlink-
ing of time and a person far, fal
away.
At last Mr. Magnum put down his
paper and turned to his wife, with the
air of one who has a secret of import
ance to reveal.
MY dear, who do you think I me-