Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-03-15
His Magic
HOaSekeeber
BY BELLE MANLATES
Copyright. 1915, bp K. G. Whitehead
By BELLE lIANIATES

old home Ia tie heart OF the woods
near the bank of the river that ran
swift aud deep in boundary to his farm
he took up his abode. He kept his
hearth in hermit fashion, but he was
not as proficient In housekeeping duties
as In the filling OF his soil. and 1t was
now the season OF planting time.
Stories most distressing to the kindly
country folk were told Of his making
a clean sweep occasionally through his
house. the accumulations landing on
the back door step or vanishing through
cracks Of the floor: also of weekly
washing of dishes and pork and pO-
tato diet
They Hospitality opened their doors
and their services to the sole survivor
OF the Lester household. but he had a
way Of drawing about himself the
magic circle which no one ventured to
! cross.
He was too busy through the day
and too tired at night TO feel lonely
! There was a supreme reason why John
/ preferred his solitary life.
One night when he came home from
the fields he paused on his threshold
and stared in amazement at the trans
| formation wrought His camping out
| place had become coy little home.
Everything from the sanded floor to
the tinware on the pine table. was as
spotlessly clean and white as soap and
A no
were dainty muslin curtains. The
table. spread with a snowy white cloth,
was set for his supper. A loaf OF home
made bread and a flower stamped pat
of golden butter added their touch OF
domesticity.
In a haze of wonder John mechan-
ically filed the kettle. lighted the fire
and prepared his evening meal. Then
he went into the adjoining room. This,
too. had been touched with a magic
wand and arranged in as orderly a
fashion as a hospital Wharf.-The win
dows curtained in muslin. the bed COW
cred with a spread and little silk
lined workbasket adorned the table.
When he sat down to supper he was
scarcely conscious of what lie ate. In
Kaleidoscope procession there passed
through his recollection his mothers
friends and neighbors; but. though the
house cleaning and the bread and but
ter might suggest the buxom matrons
of his acquaintance, 1t was some way
borne In upon his slow working brain
thai the otneT things ssz2 U
work of a maiden. Even II the white
curtains could be possibly charged up
TO one of the simple farm wives, there
was still that workbasket lined I'm del
icate blue TO refute the theory. No!
The workbasket would have convinced
any jury, as 1t did John. that young
woman-one with dormant shade OF
coquetry-had entered his home that
day.
The white curtains and the blue lined
basket would adjust themselves TO but
one person, and that one lie feared 1t
could not have been. Buried in his
memory was the love of one woman.
who had said him nay.
He reused himself from his specula- |
lions.
Whoever it is" he thought grimly. |
will soon be disclosed. The folks |
about here are not the kind that hide
their light under a bushel."
He looked obviously at the supper |
table. II seemed TO him that lie was
under obligations TO restore things to
the order I'm which lac had found them.
Clumsily he washed the dishes and set
the room TO rights. half angry with
himself for doing so.
They'll be leaving me a kitchen
apron and a dish towel next" lie
thought sheepishly.
In the vapOry veil OF smoke that
fiOated upward from his evening pipe
lie saw vision of hearth and home
presided over by goddess, young and
fair But his pipe went out, aud he
awoke from hls dreams.
The early dawn. with the sounds OF
found John sturdy and practi-
cal again: yet as lac Went mp and down
through the burrows all the gray. sun
less day his thoughts eagerly turned TO
bis home going and what the evening
would bring forth.
lie felt his heartbeats as lie lifted the
latch. The same order prevailed: the
cloth laid for supper and In the center
Df the little round table was a glass
filled with flowers. not the sweet smell
ng garden flowers nor the stiif blooms
lf house plants so popular in country
homes. but handful Of flowers OF the
wood.
The week went by. each day spent in
lard. euger labor his thoughts and
ropes concentrated on the evening
Iour Always lac found his little home
well kept. the table set with some deli
'acy, and everywhere was the lnvisi.
Die, invincible touch Of a woman's
iand
He might easily have come home un.
by day or fingered in some
concealed place TO watch for his magic
lOusekecper. but his chlvalry withheld
lin from seeking 10 discover the iden- {
ity OF the one who wished to do her ,
rood deeds iu secret
Suddenly bright idea occurred 10
Ohm. The next morning after break (