The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-08-05

II was very straight and scaHty IN the
| skirts, and displayed more Of a bOly
| foot and ankle. clothed In q calfskin
shoe and gray cotton stocking than
seemed strictly necdfu or Ornamental.
Her long, straight neck was guiltess
Of q collar or ribbon, and her thin,
gray hair was braided in a little pug"
at the back OF her head, and coniiEed
there by peculiarly strong minded
looking comb. with very high back.
In face and features she resembled
her son, who was generally considered
very handsome man. Properly
dressed and mere pleasantly hammered
the old lady might also have been
called handsome. But the hard. grudg-
ing, domineering temper which she
was just now displaying would have
altered for the worse the lovely face Of
Venus herself.
"Iea has been waiting this half hour;
so don't stay upstairs long to prink,"
was Der sulky warning. as Jenny
asked TO be shown 10 her own room for
slight toilet before sitting down TO
the table.
When Jenny came downstairs. she
found that Arthur had washed his
face and hands at the bench by the
back door ana was using a square Of
yellow soap, ana Il brown crash towel
he, who at home in Philadelphia,
could scarcely find toilet niccties
enough TO suit him!
IL Ia. ha
he said, his cheeks rosy from the cold
spring water and the nutmeg crater Of
"A cloth. "And here Is the dear old
table set before the kitchen window
with the blue dishes, just as il used
10 be, and some Of mothers old-fas
ioned biscuits. Now, Jenny. you will
have such n treat! You must ask
mother to show you how to make them
before we go. What's this? A straw.
berry shOrtcakc, and the berries only
just in! Well done, mother! There
isn't such another cook in all America,
as I've often told my wife"
Mrs Emerson listened 10 his praises
most complaccntly. and even pressed
the laudcd dahties upon her unlovcd
daughter. r.in.law.
Jenny gladly did and said all she
could 10 distract her mothcr-in-law'
attention from Arthur. who had sud
denly ceased talking, and yet was not
eating very heartily.
The wicked little puss was dying
with laughter inwardly all the while.
at the sight of Arthur's dismayed and
disgustcd face.
When she saw him hastily cram q
biscuit ana thick square of shortcakc
into his pocket while his mother was
busy with the tcakcttlc at the stove.
she nearly strangled herself with
pretended cough.
Mrs. Emerson vainly urged her son
TO partakc of the biscuit ana shortcake
a second time.
Il made them with my own hands,
after the recipe you were SO fond of
when you were a boy" she kept say
ing.
And at last Arthur with wist.
fully imploring glance at his wife. as
If begging her not 10 contradict him,
declared that the daintics had the old
delicious taste. but that he. being n
little out of health and under the strict
orders Of his physician as to diet. dared
not exceed the quantity already taken.
"If | follow his directions faithfully,
| shall soon be pretty well, and you
viii see how | shall walk into your
good things mother, when we call here
again on our way home
There was an ominous pause. Jenny
heard the clock tick and her own heart
beat and dared not look up from her
plate.
"On your way back from whcrc?"
the old lady asked, at last. You are
here now, and l suppose you are going
TO stay, ain't you?"
only till tomorrow" said Arthur.
desperately. 1--WE have stopped here
before going TO the scashore"
THE ScaShorc! Your father and |
got along well enough without going
TO the scashorc. Arthur. But that ac-
counts for that monstrous trunk"
snarlcd Mrs. Emerson, fixing n balcful
glance on Jenny. who could not resent
IL. in her JOY at her promised deliver
anCc. "Abner said his back was about
broken with lifting IT, | think it's a
shame, myself. TO lug such things
around the country, just to rilc every
body up that has 10 take the charge OF
them. But I'm an old woman. and
don't follow the fashions. 50 suppose
my opinion amt worth listcniug TO 10y
those that do follow them, and can af.
ford to"
The old lady had now got firm hold
of such a first-class grievance that Ar
thur gave his wife look which she
understood.
Presently she left the room with a
slight apology. and wandered about In
the large garden alone till the moon
was high above her head.
Turning toward the house, she saw
her husband and his mother sitting
In earnest conversation ut the parlor
window. Everyone else was in bed.
Unwilling to disturb them, she
passed 10y and went To her own room.
There. after a brief interval. she fell
| into very sound and placid slumbcr.
from which she did not wake when. ~
midnight. the mother and son came M
the stairs together.
The breakfast was an Improvement
in some respects upon the supper table,
so that poor Arthur coull a. last sat
isfy his hunger. which was becoming
keen.