The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-10-27
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

/
Lefty sat up very straight in her
seat.
| ben Melville" she warned impress
lively, Of you ever dare send such a
message I'll never speak to you again +"
II won't" he promised teasingly,
unless you need punishment"
Thereafter impending quarrels were
checked when Ben irrelevantly inquir-
ed If there was a telegraph blank
handy. The threatened trouble always
ended in laugh.
/ The first six months of California life
seemed like a dream, so different was
everything from what 1t had been In
the east A flower garden that bloom
ed the year round was new to the little
New England girl, and Wah Ling, once
his oriental makeup was mastered, was
Hike gift OF the gods. After quick
succession of raw immigrants of all ma
honalities the Chinaman was a revela-
ton
Silent footed, competent and scrupu-
lously neat, Wah Ling was great re-
lief to the little housekeeper, and Mel
vile declared his home to be a para
disc with thirty dollar a month angel
In charge.
Then the blow fell. Lefty met her
husband at the door of their little
home with an expression on her face
that filed him with alarm.
whats wrong, little womanT he
asked anxiously. 'Is Is bad, dear?"
ut couldn't be worse" she sobbed as
he gathered her into his arms. "Mrs
Mook's coming"
wire her not to-" he said sharply.
II know that she's your stepmother,
darling, but that doesn't entitle her
to come out here and make life miser-
able. / should not think that she
would want to- You don't even call
her mother"
"She doesn't mind little thing like
that" sobbed Lefty. "She writes that
the doctor says that her lungs are
weak and that six months In the mild
California air is just what she needs.
She's coming to stay with us because
dad can't afford to send her out here
and pay her board too"
'Wire her not to come" repeated
Ben sternly. But Lefty shook her
head.
1--WE can't" she walled. "She start
ed the day after she mailed this, and
she'll be here tomorrow"
"Then we'll have to make the best
Of It," said Ben, with the peculiar
tightening of the lips that marked his
displeasure Perhaps we may find
some way Of housing her elsewhere.
Let's have dinner. The situation will
look better after we have had some
thing to eat"
But even Wab Ling's perfect cook
ing did not bring the customary sense
of contentment, though he had done
his best, because he had seen that his
mistress was worried
He moved about the dining room In
his spotless white costume like some
accomplished ghost and took dislike
to the new guest before he had seen
her because she had made the mistress
cry.
But his dislike became personal
when he entered the dining room the
following afternoon Mrs. Nook had
arrived only a half hour before, and
she had not been apprised of the en-
ployment Of a Chinese "boy."
1.-THE persons in his night clothes~
she cried, eying Wah Ling's snowy
garments with disfavor. my dear
Lefty, your father wears those things
to sleep in"
s'It is the native costume" explain
ed Lefty. ut Is very cool and com
Portable"
tits indecent" commented Mrs.
Nook, and Wah Ling scowled.
A melancholy trio sat on the piazza
that evening in the soft dusk, heavy
with the scent of flowers. Mrs. Nook
found fault with everything and an
nounced that on the morrow she
would readjust the household affairs.
Lefty sought to make reply. but
warning pressure on her arm caused
her to remain silent, and not until
Mrs. Nook announced herself ready
for bed was the riddle explained.
Immediately after breakfast Mrs.
Nook announced that the process Of
reform would start In the kitchen.
Mrs. Melville drew back.
"You mustn't go In there" she cried.
''Tell Wah Ling what you want done,
and he will do 1t perfectly, but the
Chinese boys will not stand for any
supervision"
"That's all nonsense" declared Mrs.
Nook militantly. HE can ride rough
shod over you, but he'll find he has
some one else to deal with now"
With majestic mien she strobe into
the immaculate kitchen. Wah Ling
looked up inquiringly from the chick
en- he was disjointlng with Ratchet.
Mrs. Nook gave cry of disapproval.
"You mustn't do it that way" she
commanded
"Was mallaY' asked Wah.
"Get knife" commanded Mrs.
Nook. 'aThat is the proper way"
"Velly good way" commented Wah
serenely as he severed a wing from
the body.
do as tell you, you impertinent
heathenw cried the exasperated Mrs.
Nook. II am going to take charge of
this kitchen, and things must be done
as a Christian does them. Mrs. Mel
vile has been too easy with you. You
will find that I am not so easily i'm
posed upon. Get knife and cut the
chicken with that"
Wah dropped the chicken, and with
a docility that brought smile of tri-
umph to Mrs. Mook's face he trotted
over to the cupboard and procured a
knife with an eighteen inch blade
"You get out here" he commanded
as he brandished knife and Ratchet.
"You velIy bad. You buttin."
With a whoop he started for her,
and Mrs. Nook fed to the front porch,
where Lefty waited developments.
"Get a policeman! Call for help!'
she painted. sThat Chinaman has
gone crazy"
ITS Just his way" said Lefty placid
". "An Cinnamon are like that. They
make splendid servants, but they will
not stand interference in their work.
| You can tell them what you want done
and how you wish 1t done, and you
can count on its being done, but when
you Interfere Wah nearly scared me
to death the only time he chased Inc
out of the kitchen. he had a knife
and the fire shovel"
HE must be dismissed" said Mrs.
Nook firmly