The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-01
A sale? Certainly What a relief.

A sale? Certainly What relief!
When the girls signal lights greeted each
other from their windows, each Father Daw-
son started for the telephone.
My dear, said Susannah s father, rest easy.
A sale Is on. They are quite capable of man
aging the Pan American, you know, and they
can this. The servants both men and maid,
must by this time be letter perfect
When his turn came, Hepsibah's father
said much the. same thing
The mothers embraced each other fervently.
The little dears," they said and slept the
sleep of the unworried.
This was Friday: The sale was set for the
next Wednesday. Grandmother common
was now recovering rapidly d
Tuesday night the mothers said to each
other. We're homesck. y
.'Wouldn't surprise be fun?''
Lets go home. should enjoy sale when
we haven't worked to get ready for it,
1--WE won't even telephone for the carriage.
The girls will need all the help they can
have"
This was true A sale without the two
faithful henchv omen called for manual labor
as well as executive ability.
Thus it was that the waning Wednesday
afternoon found the two mothers hurrying on
foot UP the street from the station.
Look at all the people coming down the
street." remarked Susannah's mother. There
must be a circus in town.
Yes, or fire somewhere. They all seem
to be carrying something
They are mostly women and look like the
Plains people,
MOT all. There's MS. Gainess',
Now, Mrs. Gaipes was an intimate friend,
and with smiling faces they stopped to greet
her.To their establishment, she only gave
vicious little flirt to an out-of date orange
,colored workbag hanging from her arm and
walked by with averted face.
her inf.
ance from whom hey--reeeiIed only cold
nod. .---- s-->~it~s
What in the world. Do they think mother
had the smallpox, OF have the Dawsons
failed, or what is the natter" se
oh, look at that woman! i do believe she
has Grandfather DawEon's white; bell hat
know there isn't another in town"
| And that one with the silk waist hanging
out Of water pitcher! There must have
been rummage sale"
The horrible truth flashed upon both at the
same instant.
My old rose waist" gasped Susannah's
mother.
My Grandmother Perham water pitcher"
moaned Hepsibah's mother.
l. There was no question now. Every one
past whom their hurrying steps led them
bore some half-forgotten treasure seen only
at housecleaning time.
They were women of fine sentiment. never
willing to destroy anything about which fond
memories could twine, and their large an
cestra attics Were filled to Overlooking with
what Rosa significantly called ''heaps of
plumber" the accumulatons of several gem
eTations of Dawsons. Pelhams and Gaynors
and the reapings of many Christmas har-
vests.
They rushed on, growing more and more
sick at heart as they met here and there
| among the throng friends who dwe1t within
the circle of Christmas giving When they
| 11ol - Sc 1oi,,
souls rose a bubble of pride that awful
as it was, the girls has displayed their usual
| executive ability.
| Under the linden tree sat Hepsibah, the
cashier, with a goodly pile of money before
her Patroling the grounds and keeping an
eye on each grinning negro in charge Of the
! heaps of goods, which had been carefully as
sorted classified and grouped around the
Etrees, walked Susannah, the general man
ager
| The mothers had been too long under the
| yoke to make scene, but as they walked
| from one ancestral tree to another and read
1.-the gorgeous placards tackled to the trunks
| their emotions were many and deep:
= "Shoemakers' tools used by {. Greatgrand
| father Dawson
Infant wardrobe of the Gayncr branch"
mostly rags. w.. .-.---.
| Observation-Disclosures Pelham's wedding
Dishes most disreputable collection OF
pans and crockery ware
! Great bargains in Christmas presents.
Good as new; some never used"
At this finishing stroke the Mothers Dawson
| fed each to her own house and wept behind
closed blinds. They will never forgive u.s.
: they sobbed. mo wonder Mrs. Gaines didn't
sIeak?" - -.-.-.-..-.
A sudden shower put an end to the sale. A
! little uneasy in their souls. the girls went
| in to report results. When the interviews
were over it was not the Mothers Dawson
who came out with dropping heads. On the
contrary, these emancipated ladies sped down
the lawns and shook hands in solemn COM
! pact under the linden tree.
Said Susannahs mother, Hereafter l am
to be boss of my own ranch
!. Same here" said Hepsibahs mother.
Then a blush OF shame spread over their
faces that in this their hour of in
dependence their speech should betray their
daughters influence.
Il msan that from this time forth shall
control the affairs Of my own household
And mean that the same conclusion has
| been reached by me-
! They have hard job before them