Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-09-09
John S Mother iin-IaW,
BY Helena Dixon.

OF course your mother must have
home with us, Carrie. Widowed,
and with no child but you, she nat
urally and rightly wishes to come to
you. And, only think how nice it will
be for us all to have her here. No
/ ore lonely hours for you while I am
cooped up in that gloomy workshop
OF mine upstairs"
So spoke John Royalton as he arose
from the breakfast table and caught
up his chubby-faced boy, adding, as
he rerched the little two-year-old on
his shoulder:
"And my littel curly-head wants a
grandmammas experienced eye upon
him to cut short his mischievous
pranks. Don't you, Master Chatter
box?"
And away the little fellow was
borne to the little room which John
had called his Workshop" Techni-
cally speaking, it was a studio, for
Royalton was a painter, and the do
mestic little wife was left alone to
write letter inviting her widowed
mother to her home.
"How like the dear old times it will
seem to have mother with me" MUIR
INJURED Mrs. Royalton, as she folded
her letter. "a woman wants some
one beside such a dignifed, me-
thodical person as dear John is to
talk tn, and l declare don't see any
one else in an age except now and
maid or simpering miss comes to have
her portrait painted
The Saturday following the posting
of Mrs. Royalton's letter brought the
expected guesk to the Royalton cot
tage. Mrs. Perring was very nerv-
Gus, very lively, and very eccentric
old lady, who made it her boast that
she was never idle a minute between
daylight and bedtime.
When she became settled with the
Royaltons, she applied herself assid-
uously to putting things to rights" "
Every drawer, every chest, every cup
board, was ransacked and the con-
tents of each arranged in accordance
with the old 1ady's ideas of order.
Even Johns desk was rummaged, and
every letter and paper peered into,
Just to find out in what particular
niche each one ought to be put.
In about fortnight Mrs. Perring
had the satisfaction of thinking that
she had got. things about the house
in "good running order"
There's only that outlandish paint
shop upstairs-John's study-o I mind
Carrie calls it-but what's had a
thorough ventilating, and the very
first day Johns away from home I'll
make new place of that
Fortune smiled on Mrs. Perring's
plans. John and Carrie, and little Ed
die were away, and the little old lady
prepared herself for the onslaught.
She donned her poorest dress, tied a
napkin over her head to keep off the
dust, rolled her sleeves above her
scrawny elbows and went to work.
All day long the furniture in the
artists room flew vigorously around.
less rubbish" were hurled through
window into the back yard, while
Others that might come in play for
something, some day." were slowed
away in the garnet. A portrait, on
which the paint was yet wet, was
energetically busted with coarse
Gowel; paints were mixed incongru-
ously and brushes put through a
securing process, till the old lady's
back ached with the exercise, and
her nose became the medium by
which copious streams of perspiration
were conducted from her face.
When everything in the room was
considered done" Mrs. Perring made
q dash for an adjoining closet, but
found the door securely locked. For
q moment the worthy lady was in a
auandry. How was she to straighten
things in the closet? Do it she must
and would. and very quickly Mrs.
Perring bethought her of a bunch of
keys which happily she had brought
with her. The keys were produced.
and in triumph Mrs. Perring unlocked
the door.
Selling her broom, she rushed irto
the closet. She came out shortly,
however, and closed the door after
her with a jerk and bang.
John Royalton's mother-in-law had
made a discovery!
Collecting her utensils, she left the
studio and went below in grim ana
dignifie1 silence. She sat quietly
knitting in the pleasant sitting room
when John and Carrie returned. The
steel needles fed out and in very
spitefully. The cold, gray eyes looked
directly down over tho elongated