The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-03-13

9@G have o home with us, Car
rie, Widowed and with ~
I7Oz child but YOU she natur
l9ll IglI ally and rightly wishes Il
c0ine 70 you. And only think how nie,
it viii be for us all to have rere. n,
more lonely hours for you while | an
cooped up IN that gloomy workshop ol
mine upstairs
SO spoke John Royalton as he ros,
from the breakfast table and caught
UP his chubby-faced boy, adding. as he
perched his little two-year-oId on his
shoulder;
And my little curly-head wants a
grandmamma' experienced eye upon
him to cut short his mischeyous
pranss. Don't You, Master Chatter
boxw
And away the little fellow was borne
to the little room which John had
called his workshop" Technically
speaking It was a studio. for Royalton
was a paiuter, and the domestic little
wife was left alone to write a letter in
viting her widowed mother to her
home
How like the dear old times 1t will
seem to haye mother with me-" mur-
injured Mrs. Hoyalton, as she folded
and sealed her letter, "a woman wants
some one 70 talk 10 beside such q dig
nidsd, methodloal person as dear John,
aEd declare / don't see any one else
in alI age except now ana then when
some sopr.visaged old maid or smper-
iNg miss comes to have Fer portrait
painted
The Saturday following the posting
of Mrs. Royaltons letter brought the
expected guest 20 the Royaton cottage.
Mrs. porrins was a very nervous, very
Lively and very eccentric old lady who
made It he2 boast that she was never
idle minute between daylight ana
bedtime.
When she became settled with the
Royaltons she applied herself assidu-
ously to putting things 70 rights
Every drawer, every chest, every cup
board, was ransacked and the contents
Of each arranged in accordance with
the old lady's ideas of order. Even
Johns desk was lnmmaged, and every
letter ana paper pecred into, Just to
find out in what particular niche 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 outlandlsh paint
shop upstairs-John's study-o, | believe
Carrie calls it-but what's had a thor
ough ventilating. and the very first day
Johns away from home III make
new place Of that"
Fortune smiled on Mrs. Perrngs
plans. John and Carrie and little Ed
die were away, and the little old lady
herself for the onslaught.
She donned her poorest dress, tied
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 art
lists room flew vigorously around.
Many articles denounced as worthless
rubbish were hurled through the win
dow into the back yard, while others
that might come in play for some
thing. some day were slowed away
in the garret A portrait, on which the
paint was vet wet was energetlcally
busted with a coarse towel; paints were
mixed incongruously and brushes put
through a securing process till the old
lady's back ached with the exercise,
ana 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, Perrlng made
a dash for an adjoining closet but she
found the door securely locked. For a
moment The worthy lady was in
quandary. How was she 10 stralghten
things III TIE closet? DO It She must
and would, ana very quickly Mrs. Per
ring bethought herself 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 into the
closet She came out shortly. however.
and closed the door after her with
jerk and bang.
John Royalton's motherinlaw had
made q discovery.
Collecting her utensils she left the
studio ana went below In grim and
dignihed silence. She sat quietly knit
ting IN the pleasant sitting room when
John and Carrie returned. The steel
needles flew out and in very spitefully.
Tile cold. gray eyes looked directly
down over the elongated nose. and
were never once raised, not even to
greet little Eddie.
When bedtime came the old lady rose
ia solemn silence aud retired.