The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-04-25
"Ask him. cried Mrs. Culver.

Still, we might try it, persisted Bob
The plan was obviously impracticable,
but after discussing it for half an houl
they did try it. As they approached there
was squeaking, tearing, scratching noise
within, accompanied by heavy breathing
and occasional sharp CALCULATIONS. Mis-:
Sterling laid hand on the arm of each Of
her companions and bade them stand still
''He is working on it now, she said.
at sounds ike something on pulleys.
Where on earth did he carry all his tOol
and appliances? 1t didn' t look as if he
had room for them in the bundle or that
shoe box"
Shoe box?" Bob cried, as the noise
suddenly eliminated in terrific crash,
..All that racket could never be confined
in a shoe box
Miss Sterling wavered for an instant a,
the climax of sound struck her ear, then
she gave prodigious leap toward the
door.
"It's the folding bed, she said. Il
forgot to show him how to let it down and
he has pulled it over on him Oh, dear,
if he has killed himself Janet will never
forgive me. Charley, are you dead?'
Charley was not dead nor even hurt,
but he was pretty badly scarced, and al
though the bed was soon set up and put
to rights he signifed by very emphatic
shaking of his head that he declined to
trust himself to its treaeherous embraces,
They made him bed on a couch in an
adjoining room, and Charley, to repay
their kindness. explained his recent
achievements in English
Mess Sterla, Ice water?' he asked.
''Ice water?' Miss Sterling calculated
Good gracious, no, not at this time OF
night. We'd better all be saying our
prayers after this narrow escape, instead
of swilling ice water -
Owing to the accident to the bed they
found out nothing about his inventions
that night Neither did they find out
anything about it through the succeeding
days and nights What they did find out
was that Charley was the wilingest,
awkwardest, stupidest boy that ever came
TO New York from Meadville or any place
else to make his fortune, and that he was
intensely religious His constant com.
panion was a small sized Swedish prayer
book, which be carried in his hand in mo.
neuts Of leisure, and in his hip pocket
when the duties of butler and general
kitchen ruustabout claimed his attention.
Charley was not apt in the calling tc
which Providence. assisted by Miss Ster-
ling. had automatically assigned him.
There were only three things that he could
do we'll and that he seemed to ike to do,
and they were to peel potatoes, to fry eggs
and 10 prepare ice water. Nobody evel
knew hos many times day Charley iilled
the blue china pitcher with ice and fresh
water from the hydrant, only to pour Il
ali out As soon as it melted, and repeat tbs
process In his opinion, ice water was the
staff Of life, and no matter what anybody
asked him to bring, ice water was what b,
brought They knew how many potatoe.
he peeled and how many eggs he fried
because Maria kept her eye on the grocer,
bills and the delivery wagon, but has
those commodities been supplied as freel,
as Ice and water. it is probable that hi
performances in that line would have beer
equally incompatible.
For FIVE evenings in succession Mis-
Sterling invited Mrs. Calver and Bob tC
dine with her, so Charley could get prae
tice in waiting at table OF all his dutiea
il was in that that he shone most respleni
emily a. to complexion aud least efulgentll
A. 10 action. One cause of his uncommon
awkwardntss was his enforced guietude
When peeling potatoes or frying eggs, b
could let off his excess Of emotion trans
lated into Swedish and sung by hin
through the medium of n Gospel hymn il
a rather weak but not unmusieal voice
While serving AT dinner this ebulitiOn o
feeling was held in conventional restraint
its only audible manifestation being a
labored breathing. which, at crucial mo
ments. took on such diaphragmstic forc'
that Charley seemed strangely like youns
steam engine out on a trial trip.
Somehow, Charley, never seemed to ge
on intimate terms with the dishes he car
ried. He always held them off at arm
length. as if afraid they were about tt
explode, and the smaller the dish the
more destructive he evidently expected
the explosion to be.
Reckoning on that inverse ratio, a small
coffee cup was veritable Mont Pelee, apC
he brought in a demi -tasse on a tray bis
enough to hold whole roast lamb.
But Charley was honest and devoted
and he tried hard TO learn. Miss Sterling
soon grew really fond of him. She wa,
trying, one day, to teach him, by mean:
of pantomime, something about the cart
of silver. Suddenly it occurred to hin
that she was very patient and gave herself
much trouble for his sake, and he laid hi
hand on her arm in impulsive gratitude.
Mica Mees Sterla, he said "'Af
tank va
That was the best he could do, but il
was enough, and for several minutes Miss
Sterling could not tell the secured silvel
from the tarnished.
At the end of week Miss Sterling haC
so far relented toward her niece that sh,
decided to write to her again. She haC