The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-06-30

husband attended to it for our family,
but could have done it myself just
as we'll. It is simple"
1T is all right in your own home.
but In a place like our boarding house,
where everybody can read what the
others have written, 1t is like pro.
claiming your affairs from the house.
tops. Everybody was anxious to see
what the others confessed. The land
lady put the blanks on the table in the
library. with a pen and ink beside
them. was determined to wait I'M
til every one else had finished, take
one of the papers to my room, fill 1t
out and hand 1t to the enumerator my
self. But had yet to realize my land
lady's powers of strategy.
Il was very much surprised at some
OF the things read on that sheet of
paper. Mrs. Larkin's husband is her
third, If you please, and Mr.. Jones is
divorced man. though he has passed
himself of for bachelor. Dear old
Mrs. Blake, who doesn't care who
knows her family history or her age.
had used the wrong line all the way
down, so 1t read that she had been
married 40 times instead of 40 years.
Mr.. Empson had filled out his own
space. but his wife had insisted upon
doing her own, and that was the fun.
NEST of all" Miss Horkins laughed
merrily.
What was there so amusing about
it,"
In comparing her statement of her
age with that her husband had given
as the number of years they had been
married. found her wedding day
must have been somewhere around
her fifth birthday"
But how about the landlady's STRAIT.
egy?"
Il am coming to that. had Just
finished writing out my own state
ment when there was a tap at my door
There was the landlady, who said as
mild as milk: Pardon me. Miss Hor.
kins, but must have that list when
you are through with it. had for.
gotten all about Nora, and as the
poor girl can't write l must do It for
her,
"That does seem as If she had
planned it."
my dear, it was clever"
"Of course, you handed over the
record?"
mot I! I said: IF you send Nora
to me will write 1t for her, as have
my pen and ink all ready
81 could not think of giving you SO
much trouble she returned.
1T is not trouble at all, my dear
Mrs. Blenks,' insisted. You are such
a busy woman should enjoy helping
you, even In SO small a matter
"'You are so kind, she insisted, but
l have nothing to do at the moment
and I will take the paper, If you
please
I was growing desperate, but for.
tunately Nora came upstairs Just then
she Is the second girl, you know
and called her. Here, Nora said
I want to do some writing for you.
I think Mrs. Blenks would have wait.
ed and taken the paper with her after
all, II some one had not asked for her
downstairs. and she left the room con.
siderably nonplused, for 1 think she
realized that the paper would not get
out OF my clutches until 1t reached the
hands of the government official"
Did you succeed in your en-.
deavors?"
."I did. rarely fail in what un.
dertake. A few minutes after she left
the room Mrs. Blenks called out:
Miss Rorkins. the enumerator is here.
Send the paper down by Nora as soon
as possible
1T was no small task to get through
with Nora, can tell you. She seemed
to think she was asked to sign away
her rights to something-goodness
knows what-and as she said she
could read print had to give her the
record to- look over for herself. She
Is very high-tempered, and her ire was
reused by what she read: OF all the
impident questions!' she exclaimed,
,Askln' II I'm Chinese or mulatto,
and If can spake English! Sure,
what else wud spahe? And all this
from President Taft. for here's his
letther on the outside! And him crazy
to know the age of livery man, woman
and child in the whole country! Mr..
Bryan ntver would have done such a
thing!'
Il explained to the girl the best /
could, and had just written down the
last yes when Mrs. Blenks came up
again with. Really, It is too bad tc
keep that man waiting. must take
the paper down.
It Is a shame said l, gently, blu,
you see NoR hasn't been here. long
enough to understand our ways. And
my dear Mrs Blenks. will not al
low you to go downstairs for so small
. thing. So skimming past her, ran
downstairs and gave the record to the