Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-23
BY Edna Kingsley Wallace

Josiah creaked about the kitchen restlessy on MS
tptoes; he could not bear to wake the echoes OF
silence He resented the rustic OF the newspaper "e
picked up beguile the time. 1t was STUPID paper,
He would go to bed. He wound the eight-oay CLOCK
"a performance which might be regarded no' aoso
lutey necessary, nasmuch as he had wo'nd " e*ae'V
forty-cight hours before, Sunday night IL was
all Mandy could do to restrain her impulse 10 ao
monish him of this fact He tried the windows ana
locked the back door, still ptoeing as if there was
sleeping child i'll the house.
At last he entered the sleeping room ano prepared
for bed Awkwardly he pulled down the coVef'ets'
and Mandy held her breath lest she be discovered
With sigh which might have been attributed either
to feeling that TIE day was over and OBLIVION near
hand tired resignation to the troubles incident
the lot of sinful man, Josiah climbed into oed bu!
although he physically comfortable, he tossed
restlessy, and thought with blank reitcrat'on' she
oughtn't to hev taken me up like that l never
thought she'd really 60"
During these dull cogitations OF Josiah poor Mandy
aching in every limb and stiff with the chill OF
the droughty floor. If only she could turn over
Softly and cautiously she raised her considerable
bulk when
"Tarnaton, Budget" shouted Josiah get out o there
Il want to get wink o sleep, and dunno as can
with YOU a-walking off with the hull bed Get out
Mandy shrank back terrified. Bulge. hearing his
name. emerged from his innocent secuson under the
kitchen table, and stealing to the bedside on velvet
paws thrust his cold nose upon his masters face
Get out of here. l say" yelled that much tired
gentleman and the dog skunk away abashed
Silence 1t was as still as if the world had not yet
been made it seemed to Mandy The unhappy woman
was now beginning to suffer actual pain because OF
her cramped position and the cold Of the frosty Octo-
Der night Josiah must be asleep by this time. She
would be more cautious than before but she could not
stand it another minute: she would slip out, creep
softly upstairs to another bel and set away early in
the morning before Josiah was awake slowly ana
cautiously she wrgglcd toward the outer edge OF the
bed But the sound of her movement, slight as II
was, aroused Bulge to the investigation OF its cause
and he came and sat down by the bed humping his
honest tail by way Of encouraging her efforts Mandy
dessted and lay still for moment but the MISCHIEF
was done; Josiah was aroused, and he arose IN Ills
wrath.
you bl;m dog" he muttered iercey, I'll teach
-,ou to fool round in the middle Of the night With
this Josiah eaped out Of bed with the boodmrsty
intention OF abolishng Bulge from the category OF
onoressors of the downtrodden One bare foot en-
countered Mandy's outstretched hand
"Sufferin' Caesar he exclaimed, what was that:
"Only me- josiah said weak voice OF eapi'"la-
ton
Mandy Harris! What in thunderation YOU dom
under the bed!'
He dragged her forth There were matches on
the stand by the bed, and he struck one
Your best clothes" he said mechanically
"Ycs' said Mandy, sobbng; Il was goin and YOU
come home so sudden l didn't have time and I'm so
cold" Her teeth were chatterng Josiah pulled the
counterpane off the bed and sitting down on the floor
by Mandy wrapped it about them both with her
head on his shoulder and his arm around her Mandy
sobbcd out the hurt that in her. When she had
grown little quctcr Josiah suddenly gave vent to
something between snort and chuckle. We might
as we'll set on the bed guess" he said his Shout
dcrs heavng Mandy began to giggle Historically and
in less than minute they were shouting with laugh
ter
Seems to be clearing up after the shower OBJ
served Josiah, when he could get his breath.
"S'' said Mandy suddenly, what time is it!
Josiah struck another match, and looked at his
watch. "Jcst levcn o'clock, Mandymiuc," he answered.
slipping naturally into the pet name OF their counting
days.
"Wcll, then I'm going to wash them Dishes an
nounced Mandy encrgetcally "and reckon mcbbe
III hev bite to eat.
"Ill wipe said JOSIAH And later, as he polished
4 coffee cup. he observed carelessly Say Mandy
where did you say YOU wanted them kindin's putt"