The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-10-21
A AcK SLIDER

quiet
At first. when his wife had begun to
leave the baby In his study when she
went out on her afternoon rounds. he
felt proud of her devotion TO church
work, but now he was ready for rebel
lion.
He had fine theme in his mind for
= next Sundays sermon. but the child
seemed determined to remain awake.
He sang "Beulah Land in slumherous
Z drones and twice had the child in It's
cradle, but twice 1t caught him in the
act and shrieked at his treachery in
trying to get rid Of it,
At last he pumped it on rug in the
center OF the floor and strobe TO the
window. No sign OF his wife. Let the
child bawl! II would bawl anyway.
Mary, the servant, was ironing in the
basement Ii wouldn't do to call her
from that important work Her work
was so much more important than his
Away over the houSetops he could
see the steeple of his church How 9th
er clergymen envied him. But II they
only knew,
If-they only knew spending his
week doing the work of nursegirl:
drawing his sermons from his inner
consciousness: not allowed-no not al,
lowed-to prepare sermons as others
did. The carpenter going daily to his
work IS regarded as q man by his wife.
but because he didn't pound an anvil
or saw and plane boards his wife re-
garCled him as sort OF ordained nurse
girl. sanctihed domestic servant. He
was In her sight an assistant house
helper. aud sweeping and keeping tn,
house tidy was the main thing. His
profession was nothing his sermons
nothing. his career nothing!
Impatiently he grabbed a newspaper
nat lay folded with nice precision on
table and threw il on the door. That
save him an idea, He would fiare up
and be the man or the house
Seiztng the baby. he squeezed it firm
y In his arms, and By sheer concentra.
ton OF forces sang and rocked it &c
sleep. He pumped the child roughly
In the cradle. twisted a coverlet over
II and was somewhat astonlshed to see
that 1t peacefully sIumbered on.
That's a good start" he muttered.
Then he took the rug from the study (
door and tossed it into the hallway. He
hated that rug. 1t was the emblem OF /
his seryitude as nurse
In drawer he found the key OF his /
study and putting this In his pocket re /
solved that hereafter he would lock I
himself In with his books and manu- !
scripts three hours a day He would .
run his own house even il he had &c .
run everybody else out Of It.
Then he got out his hat two or three
Of his hats. and brushed them furiously
In the drawing room Mrs Hooks new.
er allowed him to brush anything else
where than in the kitchen He would
show her-better still. he would refuse
t9brush anything anywhere. not ever
his waistcoat.
There" he said. throwing the whisb
on the floor, III she wants It hung or
the wall she can hang It on the wall
Hereafter shah decline to see a whlsb
holder or a slipper holder or any other
o. the-the handouts that I've submit
ted to-
In rummaging for clean handker
CHEF he found something.
y was a cigar
Her brother Ned left this here" he
said. turning it about IN his fingers.
Why not? Decidedly. vhv pot7"
he replied to some Inward suggestion
He drew handful OF matches ron a
neat holder on the wall. deliberately
nung them in disorder on a stand and
lit the cigar.
Now, then, let her come home and
have ii out, he said. putting wickedIy
at the cigar, a treat he had not en-
toyed for three years. lie put his heels
upon the little round table, with it,
dainty hand painted covering. and
waited. His wrongs troOped complain.
ingly before his view and he was Allied
with indignant surprise that be had
submitted as long as b. had.
Then he heard laughing voices M the
door. From the window he saw Mrs
Hooks and a specialized lady. power
ful In raising mission funds. chatting
there
After all" he said rrhectively. u
suppose this Is hardly the proper
thing" and he held the cigar stub up
between thumb and finger. THERE'S
no use putting myself In the wrong at
the outset"
He stepped out to the CRATE in the
hall and with the tongs punched the
cigar deep into the hot Goals. Taking
a corner u hts handkerchief In each
hand. he whipped the mir to dlspeI the
Wreaths Of smoke. They lodged this
way and that guilty Ia quest II hid.
ing and then took the disguise 81 air.
Looking from The window, he saw
MS wife stiil taking with the spec
tacled lady. The matches be mustn't
leave them tossed about Tor they hint
ed Of that yillaingus cigar. Luckily
wpFJen are laxative at parting and 40
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