The Washington times., 1908-09-21
Repairs Aunt Isabella'S Coal
port Plate, But Sends
Bill Too Soon.
NIECE BREAKS 1T
AT WRONG TIME
Gets FiXer 10 Promise TO Do Il
Right, So Aunty Will Not
Find Out.

The other day, in a moment when my
unluclly star was in the ascendant and
all my lucky ones had set, L broke my
Aunt IsabeIla's best Coalport plate.
There may be Something which Aunt
Isabella cares more for than that plate
When she married she may have
thought that she loved her husband bet
ter, but certainly her mature affections
are FIRMLY set on that bit Of china, and
that's the reason that when broke It
into four pieces and a few chips-I felt
that the hour Of reckoning had, indeed,
come for me.
Anne found me sitting among the
fragments mourning my unlucky fate.
''Au is over with me! I had rather
broken an arm" said I, picking up
chips.
Now, Anne is practical and energetic
and all things which young women
should be. When made my lacrymose
remark. therefore, her brown eyes
snapped and she gazed at me with
scOrn.
You are a terribly helpless person"
said she "Why don't you take it TO
mender OF old china?"
gazcd at her with admiration.
-N--7N -pA my nbAAH ocLAA Il L h--A
not know there was such a thing. Do
you mean to tell me seriously that there
IS some one who makes a living repair
ing other peoples mistakes?'
Anne Is Simply.
Certainly shifted Anne. and with
The promptness which characterizes all
her actions led the way to the sign Of
the Member Of Broken Dishes"
We found the member busily engaged
putting together a vase, the condition
Of which showed plainly that some one
had Numbered. 1t was reduced almost
10 its components parts, and the potter
was putting the pieces together as il
they belonged TO a Chinese puzzle which
he was amusing himself in solving.
i produced the fragments OF the Coal
port plate and uncovered them rever-
entity Here, said 1, proffering them.
The member took them out of nv hand
cdieleSSIy and looked them over as IL
they We're just common clay and moth
can you mend it?'' I asked, tremu-
Sure. said the member Of china. and
went back 10 his vase.
old I ventured.
I've mended many a one,7 replied
The genius of the place.
Just as Good as New.
And viii anyone be able to tell it has
been mended after you are through with
it, I persisted.
Never" returned the man.
VIII il be strong2"
Strong as ever
Come on; that's ALL said Anne
But l was thoroughly interested now,
Here was a business about which
knew nothing, a representative Of which
was about TO save me from disinherit-
ance. and / felt inclined to pursue the
subject.
ITS as fascinating as a puzzle and
You Doth know how fascinating puzzIas
are 10 work out replied the man. eve
ing fragment which did not look as
II II mad ever belonged TO any article
IN heaven above OF the earth beneath
or the water under the earth. Directly
as # by inspiration, he turned It around
ana put II In one corner Of n Jagged
hole. and sure enough, that was ev
actly where il belonged.
1t reminds me Of the only time
ever tried TO make shirtwaist from a
paper pattern ] sighed, and turned 10
go. Then I pTudently remembered how
delicate was my errand, and went hack
10 tell the china member where to send
me plate and how. so that Aunt Isa-
bella would not intercept # en- route
10 the china closet. OF course had 10
go to her house; but he agreed 10
send II on the afternoon when her
~ AuEC ClLb meets
As Good as Ever.
And he did as he had promised, so
that on Wednesday afternoon I had the
great pleasure Of seeing the CoaIport
plate, as good as ever. restored to its
place among my ancient relatives
treasures
It was the very next day that Aunt
Isabella opening her mail at the break
fast table, paused long over one com
mumcation. Suddenly she looked at me
blood should
To mending one COalport plate"
she read. slowly, and then, "Leonore,"
she said. sternly. I draw a curtain over
the scene which followed It is not
nete that family quarrels should be
made public. but I'm very, very sure
that lawyer will ne sent for shortly,
and my name blotted forever from my
relatives last will and testament.
LEONORE CALVERT.