St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-07-18
{ HIS QUIET EVENING.
Hard Task to Get Little Nap Where
There II . House Fall OF
Relatives.

relatives.
The family was quite aghast when
Mr.. Kennedy announced that he was
gong to bed Immediately after DIM
ner. Mrs. Kennedy at once put him
through severe cross-examination to
learn if he were i'll, and the younger
! members of the family listened with
great interest. Mr.. Kennedy declared
Is that he was not ill, but only very tired
and felt that IA hours Of sleep would
make new man of him.
''We will all be just as quiet as mice"
his wife said.
He went to his bedroom and for half
an hour afterward the family kept an
almost breathless silence in their de-
sire to aid his rest. Gradually, how
ever, the tension relaxed and they be-
gan again to move about and talk.
Mr.. Kennedy had just sunk into his
first sleep when he heard the voice OF
Fannie in the next room. She seemed
to be conversing with her mouth full
OF hairpins, but even then her voice
carried remarkably well 81 wonder
if that lovely Barry Fletcher win
dance with me tonight. believe I'll
hold one dance for him. Bess'-this
last in a tone of agony-"I can't find
my white slippers anywhere!"
Bess, from a room across the hall,
reminded her sister that poor papa
was sleeping, and so they lowered their
voices to a rasping whisper that
seemed to tear the nerves of their VIC
tim. He was just about to rise and
demonstrate with them when two
doors slammed and they were of to
their dancing party.
He was falling again into that
blessed state between waking and
sleeping when the houseman went
into the cellar and apparently divert
ed himself by shifting several tons of
coal and then shaking down the fire
until the house quivered.
Mr.. Kennedy was DOING off again
when Ellis came into the room on
tiptoe, brea thing hard. Papa, are you
awake? p he asked. His father gave
confrmatory groan and he went on.
'sMr Gray is downstairs and he wants
to know If you've forgotten that the
ward meeting ID tonight and that he's
going to speak about those things you
suggested"
Mr.. Kennedy had forgotten both
these things. but he contented himself
by sending a message to the effect
that he was ton tired to 60 out any
where that evening. Ellis left the
room with elaborate caution and Mr..
Kennedy tried to compose himself
again.
All sorts Of things seemed to be go-
ing on below stairs. Gertrude played
the piano; the baby shrieked an one
| in great agony; his wife held a long,
| animated CONVERSE ton over the tele-
phone; the door bell rang several
times, and Mr.. Kennedy's curiosity
was at continual war with his fatigue.
| At last, however, his fatigue was VIC
torious and he was sleeping lightly
| when he was disturbed by the sound
OF footsteps which stopped at his door.
He lay quiet. The door knob was
| turned slowly and Mrs. Kennedy gifd-
| ed in, carrying candle in her hand like
another Lady Macbeth. She stopped
| at the bedside. Her husband breathed
deep, but could not keep his eyelids
from futtering.
1 Mrs. Kennedy observed this. II just
slipped in to see II you were really
asleep, she said. "Now, isn't there
/ something / could do for you that
| would make you rest better--couldnt
4 T rub vour head with cologne or make