Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1904-02-05

Reed came in from work, at sup
per time, he was invited to in
spect it. Mrs. Reed opened the
parIor door, and allowed him to
behold its beauties across the
threshold.
Don't step on i'll" she cried, as
he showed disposition to enter
the room.
"Ain't it made to walk onY
asked the poor man.
We'll, yes" answered Mrs.
Reed, but not to be used the way
we used the old rag carpet. |
don't want it to get s'iled-or
faded she added, pulling down
the shade.
Then / s'pose we amt to use
the room" said Mr.. Reed. That's
what you mean, is it?"
why, of course Wen use the
roOm," responded Mrs. Reed, not
feeling quite at ease by her hus-
bands look and tone, but not so
common as we did when the old
rag carpet was down."
"AlI right" said Mr.. Reed, "I'll
get We a lock an key, first time |
go up to the store, an you can lock
up yer carpet. don't need the
lock myself wouldn't think o
settin' my foot on your carpet,
but other folks might. an it'll be
we'll to guard ag'inst it. Oh" he
added, sarcastically, ''mebbe a
sign of No Admittance' on the
door 'ud answer est as we'll"
Il do think you're real provOk
in" said Mrs. Reed. You can't
blame me for not wantin' it s'iled.
the first thing, after the way Eve
saved for it,
"Oh, that's all right" said Mr..
Reed. 81 wouldn't want it walked
on, | s'pOse, if was you. It's like
Il picter-to be looked at. ! hope
you'll enjoy it," and with that he
went away, and poor Mrs. Reed
sat down and cried.
He says such mean things,
when he feels like it. she told her
self. II didn't mean il was too
good to be used, an he knows it,
but | don't want it to be used
ev'ry day. How long 'ud it be, if
we set in the parlOr for common,
an had the shades up, afOre it'd
fade. Men don't have much sense
about some things"
The young folks" of the Ree0
family resented her anxiety about
che new carpet quite as much as
Mr.. Reed did, and they gave her to
understand that she need have
no fears of their ever sOiling it.
The parlOr became a deserted
room.
"I'd just as soon go and set in
the cemetery" said Phoebe to
Ruth, one day, in their mothers
hearing. off we only had a pic
ture to hang up there, sacred to
the memory of somebody, it'd be
quite appropriate. l hate the
sight of the carpetp
$50 do Iw said Ruth. "The idea
of shutting up the pleasantest
part of the house for the
sake Of that old carpet! 1t
doesn't fit in we'll with a
single thing in the room. 1t ought
to have new furniture to go with
it, and new paper and curtains. 1t
makes me think, every time | look
into the room, of a woman with a
1ancy nat and a cheap dress on.
The new carpet and the old furni.
ture don't harmonic. Bnt we
didn't think anything about the
furniture before the carpet came.
1t looked all right, because it was
comfortable, and we enjoyed it
because it wasn't too good for
everyday use. ! hope mother en-.
joys her carpet, but / know no one
else in the family does.7
1t wasn't long before Mrs. Reed
came to hate the sight of her car
pet. She had to acknowledge to
herself the business CT the fam
ily's criticism, but she could not
bring herself TO throw open the
doors of the parlor and ask them
to use the room, as of old. Re.
gard for the Garnet and resent.