Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-19

about q salad"
The two went into the den, where
the man got his beloved evening pa
per, and the little wife pricked at a
piece of sewing. She essayed more
talk, but he hardly heard her, so she
desisted.
The next morning she sat and
watched her three-year baby amuse
the two-year baby on the floor and
turncl from time to time to her win
dow whence. she saw her neighbor
busy with silver an china and cut
glass. A florists boy left flowers and
delfcatessen wagon made deliveries.
A smart negro cateress arrived on the
scene, and from the open window
much talk arose. It was a clear splen-
did day, for the heavy spring rains
mad suddenly ceased, and April was a
marvel Of birdsong and greenery. Cook
Katie, in the shining kitchen, was
grooming an Irish song.
Joanna, looking and listening. felt
her hurt grow little. She might
have been asked, she thought, If she
! had" been in the neighborhood there
but two months. And she felt herself
| quite the kind of woman she saw at
the Rancey's.
An hour or two passed and before
! moon she had worked herself into
quite an unhappy and resentful mood.
She resolved to bide her time and re-
taliate. Once in her own house, the
lovely one she and Ward had for years
been planning when they should final
lily have established themselves perma-
nently In business city, and she
would not. even know" these people!
She glanced again from the window
Then she heard crash in the Rancey
house, p scream, and then some scold-
! ing and expostulation. In moment
the smart negress. her hat on, swung
wrathfully out of the kitchen, still
talking.
"No, II amt gwine stay, an be
scolded! Wouldn't a-dropped dat
salad nohow eff hadn't been nervous
long a-bein' ''bossed," an I'm glad l
done bruk de old dish! I'm gwine
home!' And despite expostulations,
she departed.
Mrs. Rancey stood a moment, irres-
olutely at the door, and then the tears
rolled down her cheeks. She looked
1Mp and saw Joanna.
| ooh, what shall do?" she walled.
Here | have ten womed due for
luncheon in an hour, and everything
at critical point, and that creature
dropped the salad and broke the best
dish own! These independent hire
lings-Td enjoy whipping her!" ,Joa''
ma smothered instantly little feelil,t
of satisfaction, and with her usuH
generosity rose to the occasion Sllt
let her gaze for moment rest on the
man fixing the roof of her troubled
neighbor, and then called to her:
Let me lend you my Katie and my
salad dish, and the material to make
another salad have tomatoes and
d-and-if---"
Troubles indeed, come not singly
Another crash and a scream inter-
rupted the glad acceptance Mrs. RAN
cey opened her mouth to make. She
rushed inside, and Joanna ran down
stairs and followed, painting.
The man on the roof had loosened
a lot of plaster, which had fallen and
taken the skylight in bits upon the
pretty table set beneath. Everything
was smashed and damaged beyond
repair.
Mrs Corson put her arm about her
weeping neighbor.
"My dear, don't waste moment
crying now! You can let everything
stand as it is here in the dining
room"
"But how can l tell all those
women what's happened? 1t was my
turn and wanted everything per-
fect!"
1T isn't too late-most Of your
food is untouched in the kitchen. I'll
send you my cook and she can help
yours bring everything to my house.
You see, we've lived there but few
weeks and everything is as fresh as If
we had just prepared for guests You
can have my dining room and every
over there. We can send in hurry
call for more flowers, and everything
will be in perfect shape in spite of
the accident. Won't you? You will
be perfectly welcome" Mrs. Rancey
wiped away her tears on the tea-towel
she had inadvertently snatched up.
She stared at her pretty, quiet we'll
bred neighbor.
DO you actually mean 1t? l don't
think could be as forgiving as that"
"Forgiving? What has there been
to forgive? don't see how any real
neighbor could do less. I'll be glad
to have you-I can take the babies
and come over here and let you have
the house."
"The idea. Well, I'll have to con-
fess! l feel cheap. and horrid. 1
knew / ought to ask you to this
luncheon, but l deliberately kept you
out because was jealous. have al
ways rather led in this neighborhood,
and saw that you were SO sweet and
clever, and such a perfect housekeeper
that you might supplant me. was
a cat! If you want me to COME
will on condition that you come as
guest of honor. Will you?" Joanna
laughed.
mot quite that-but I will dress and
be one of you, il you like? with
pleasure and never mind the past.
We had better get to work this min
l1te Katie" she called "cOme over