The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-21
MANDYS DISSIPATION.
 By Edna Kingsley Wallace

Josiah creaked about the kitchen restlessly on his tiptoes he could not bear to wake the echoes of silence He resented the rustic of the newspaper he picked up to begule the time It stupid paper. He would go to bed He wound the eight-day clock "a performance which might be regarded not abso- uely necessary inasn1uch he had wound 1t exactly forty-eght hours before Sunday night. It was all Mandy could do to restrain her impulse to ad- monsh him of this fact. He tried the windows and locked the back door, still tptoeng if there was sleeping child in the house.
 At last he entered the sleeping room and prepared for bed Awkwardly he pulled down the coverlets and Mandy held her breath lest she be discovered With sigh which might have been attributed either to feeling that the day and oblivion near hand tired resignation to the troubles incident the lot of sinful man, Josiah climbed into bed But although he physically comfortable, he tossed restlessy and thought with blank reiteraton, "She oughtn't to hey taken up like that. 1 never thought she'd really go'
 During these dull cogtations of Josiah, poor Mandy aching in every limb and stiff with the chill ot the droughty floor. If only she could turn over Softly and cautiously she raised her considerable bulk when
 "Tarnation Budget" shouted Josiah "get out O there -I want to get wink O sleep and l dunno as can with you a-walkng off with the hull bed. Get out
 Mandy shrank back terrified. Budge, hearing his name emerged from his innocent secuson under the kitchen table, and stealing to the bedside velvet paws thrust his cold nose upon his masters face.
 Get out of here, I say," yelled that much tired gentleman, and the dog slunk away abashed
 Silence. It still as if the world had not yet been made, it seemed to Mandy. The unhappy woman was now beginning suffer actual pain because of her craped 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 another bea, cad get away early in the morning before Josiah awake. Slowly and cautiously she wrigged toward the outer edge ot the bed But the sound of her movement slight as it was aroused Budge to the investigation of its cause, and he came and down by the bed, thunplng hls honest tail by way of encouraging her efforts Mandy desisted and lay still for moment but the mischief was done; Josiah was aroused, and he in his wrath a
 "You blim dogw he muttered fercely, "I'll teach you to fool round in the middle of the night" With this Josiah 1eaped of bed with the bloodthrsty intention of abolishng Budge from the category ot oppressors of the downtrodden One bare foot en- countered Mandys outstretched hand.
 "Suffern' Cesar" he exclaimed, "what was that?
 "Only me- Josiah" said weak voice of capitula- ton.
 Mandy Harris! What in thunderation you doin 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
 "Yes," said Mandy sobbing; T was goin> and you come home SO sudden didn't have time and I'm cold" Her teeth were chatering. 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 around her, Mandy sobbed out the hurt that was n her. When she had grown little quieter, Josiah suddenly vent to something between snort and chucle. We might as we'll set on the bed, guess" he said, his shoul- ders heaving. Mandy began to gggle hystencay, and in less than minute they shouting with laugh ter.
 Seems to be clearing up after the shower" ob- served Josiah, when he could get his breath.
 "S' said Mandy suddenly, "what time is 1t?
 Josiah struck another match, and looked at his watch. "Jest leven o'clock, Mandynine, he answered, slipping naturally into the pet of their courtng days.
 Well, then I'm going to wash them dishes" an- nounced Mandy energetcally "and I reckon n1ebbe I'll hev bite to eat"
 "I'n wpe" said Josiah. And later, he polished coffee cup he observed carelessly, Say, Mandy, where did you say you wanted them kndln's put?"