The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-07-10

ing glimpse she caught OF the dining
room table was most satisfactory. All
the wedding silver was displayed to
the greatest advantage, and the ferns
made pretty center piece. Mothor,
in her black satin and point lace, was
a credit to any daughter. The children
were up In the nursery. said mother.
Whipple looked forward to showing
on his house to Sterling. who was un-
married.
Nothing like it." he was often
heard to remark. "A man can live 90
much better and have so many more
comforts In home of his own than
when knocking around in hotels by
himself" and he invariably added, 1T
doesn't cost so much"
Whipple. like many others, desired
to make good appearance and enjoy
every comfort, while begrudging the
money 1t took to pay for it.
The comforts that he talked of were
due to Lily's ingenuity, thrift and self
sacrifice, and not to his liberality, as
he so fondly imagined.
Sit mere, Mr.. Sterling" said Lily,
when dinner was announced.
As Sterling seated himself he felt
the chair sway under him. Some
thing was evidently wrong with its
underpinning. BY slyly experimenting.
he discovered that the chair was liable
to collapse with any sudden move
ment. so he sat stiff and erect, scarce
ly daring to reach for his napkin.
The napkin had a hole IN it, through
which he put his hand and regarded It
contemplatively. Whipple had one in
as bad condition. II not worse; SO had
mother and Lily. They quickly
dropped them from sight and began
to talk with embarrassed haste, all
except mother; she was as serene a.
day in June.
Mary brought on the soup. Whipple
passed the crackers, and discovered
tina. the cracker jar concealed a large
patch on the tablecloth.
The cut-glass carafe stood over q
hole, and Whipple dared not move the
butter dish for fear of what he might
expose.
Mary removed the soup plates and
brought in the covered vegetable
dishes.
Il tell you, Sterling. nothing like
home cooking" said Whipple in his
boastful voice. pleasantly anticipating
the piece de resistance for which Mary
had gone to the kitchen.
The corners of mothers mouth
twitched, and Sterling remarked po-
litefy that ~he supposed not"
Mary came in bearing platter upon
which rolled, like so many marbles,
six hard balls of chopped meat, the
soup meat in disguise.
What's this we have7" inquired
Whipple blankly
Meat balls" replied mother in her
sweetest and suavest tones.
Sterling pinched himself under the
table to keep back the f1endish desire
he had to yell when Whipple. after
pursuing one Of the little hard balls
around and around the platter with a
spoon. finally captured it on the side
and tried to mash it. 1t few from
under the spoon like quicksilver. and
another exciting chase ensued before
he finally got it on Sterlings plate.
In the covered dishes were boiled
turnips, onions and potatoes.
The conversation during the meal
was forced. except by mother. It was
hard to be gay on turnips, but mother
dubbed over with good humor, and
Whipple's silent prayer was that tho
meat ball would choke her to death.
Every time Sterling thought of the
comforts of home he had a 1T of
coughing that made his chair sway to
and fro till the chills crept up and
down his spine.
Pass the coffee. Mary" said Lily,
with a sigh of relief that the end was
in sight. A hectic flush had risen on
Whipp,e's cheek bones. AS he raised
the after-dinner cup to his lips, looking
fearfully about, as IL wondering II
there was anything moro that could
happen, the cup dropped on the han
die. Lily gave cry and whipple exc
cuted war-dance as the scalding cof-
fee burned him. Sterling started vio-
lently as he heard the crash. His
chair collapsed and he fell in a heap,
striking his head against the side
board with force that made him see
stars.
Mother rushed around to see II he
had hurt his spine." while Lily wiped
coffee from the wrathful Whipple's
waistcoat.
Why. that must have been the cup
that noticed had the handle glued
on" said mother innocently. and
Whipple glared at her with dark suspi-
cion.
That night, while Sterling was
vending his way to his hotel. ponder
ing upon the "whichness Of the what
ness" of some people, and of Whipple
in particular. that person was search