The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-09-11
g .;s.........i.. 81

and make q pot Of coffee. ia caieu
lated to take the holiday that's due to
every laborer ! wasn't going TO wash
a dish all day. | was going to read aud
work some embroidery. You don't
know how little chance | get to do
those things. I'm too tired at night
when my work s done"
I'm dreadful sorry. Ann" wavered
Hosea helplessly. II wish | was
dumb sometimes. I'm always asking
folks to dinner. Seems somehow as
| IL they limited in such a way | can't
get out of it. Suppose get Rachel
Brien to come up and do the work"
Never retGrted Ann. "Rachel
Brien's going to the horse trot along
with Tim. Everybody's made plans
| for the day and can carry 'em out ex-
cept me. / almost suspected you'd fix
it so / couldn't have a day of rest,
and so I've got il planned"
| PLANNED what?" asked Hosea.
Mrs. Plympton. over to Riverside,
asked me 10 join the woman's club
she's been getting up. They're going
to organize and fight for womens
rights, and they're going to parade on
| Monday afternoon through the two vii
! lagos in carriages with banners on the
| outside. | said I'd wait little longer
and see if I'd really have to fight for
my rights. really don't want any
outside my home' She paused for
| breath.
a"Well?' calculated Hosea amazedly.
II guess I'll have to join the club
Monday morning" announced Ann con
| clusively.
"And parade with bannersT"
"Of course
what about all these folks coming
on Monaay?"
Ann shrugged her shoulders indiffer-
emily. Here's the victuals. They can
help themselves. shant be here
Without a word Hosea returned TO
the sitting room He wound the clock
with his usual care. locked the walnut
secretary where he was wont to sit
and figure his accounts on Saturday
nights pumped a pail of fresh water.
thrust the cat out of doors and. with
a brief good night to Ann. tramped mp
stairs to bed.
Ann sat with her eyes fixed on the
newspaper. but she did not read. Her
heart was palpitating wildly. and an
unusual color flickered in her cheeks
She hated the very thought of the wo-
mans club, and the parade on Mon
day afternoon made her sick at heart.
What she really wanted was her hus-
bands recognition of her rights as
toiler to an occasional holiday
AIMS anger returned as she remem-
bered the hungry horde of Perkinses.
Frank Perkins always made a point of
limiting that he expected boiled din
ner at Hosea Merwin's.
"Phoebe Perkins can stay home and
cook her own boiled dinner" splut-
tered Ann as she went to bed. too
agitated TO remember a Bible lesson
unlearned for the morrow.
Sunday was dreary day indeed. To
begin with. It rained heavily all the
=
cred threateningly close until sunset.
In the evening Jacob Lane came and
begged the next day off. Gosh
burned If didn't forgit it was a holt
day. he explained "1'll come and git
the chores done up at daylight and
then I'll be off to the firemen's picnic
Seems like | asked Miss Cheddie Be
mis- TO go. and / forgot all about ii till
she reminded me of it,
Go along" grunted Hosea morose-
'ly, turning back into the house.
Seems as If the hull town was pos
sessed over Labor day-horse trots.
picnics. winners rights and what
not! Every day is Labor day for me-
After dusk Hosea left the house and
was gone for an hour. When he re-
turned there was spring to his step
and return of the genial light in his
eyes.
Il shall be up pretty early tomorrow
morning. Ann he said soberly. .'If
you'd like to drive over to Riverside
can take you if you'll be ready about
- y CIOGA.
"I'll be ready" said Ann, conceal
ing her surprise under stiff de-
meanor. u can wait at Cousin Henry's !,
till it's time to go to Mrs. P1ymptons.' .
Very well. Hosea performed his
evening chores and went to bed
When she awoke at o'clock there
was the smell of boiling coffee and
frying ham. It was evident that
Hosea was exerting his knowledge of
cookery and preparing breakfast for
her He had done this often in the
first years of their married life. but
lately he had seemed TO overlook ali
those little attentions that had made
her labor light and sweet even at the
close of wearisome day.
Ann hurried into a fresh lawn dress
and took time to fluff her grayish
brown hair into d becoming halo about
her delicate face. When she went
downstairs there were many evidences
that Hosea had been astir for some
time