The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1910-03-31
THE RETURN
VISIT


makes = pleasant change"
Mrs. Warburton coughed-one of
those noncommittal coughs that may
mean almost anything.
"Yes." she said. "they are relatives
Of my husband from down in the coun-
try. where we stayed part Of last sum-
mer. They came up to do some fall
shopping and. of course. camped down
on us"
"Of course" chirruped Mrs. Wilson.
cts case of turn about. Now you
have chance to repay them for your
delightful stay on the farm. l think
It's 80 nice to have big house and"
"You just try having big house
some time and see how you like It,"
suggested Mrs. Warburton. grimly.
"Not that these aren't the incest
people in the world" she said, hastily,
recalling Mrs. Wilson's prediction
for retailing gossip, "but 1t was rather
unexpected. II the truth must be told.
When l invited them last summer in
general sort Of way certainly new.
er expected five Of them to come piling
In on ME after telephoning from down.
town."
"Five?" said Mrs. Wilson, elevatins
here eyebrows.
Five" repeated Mrs. Warburton.
"My husbands brother and his wife
and the three girls. What do you
think Of that? And me Just breaking
in an immigrant maid that never saw
q gas range until last week!
"You can talk all you like" went on
Mrs. Warburton, "about paying up for
visiting on the farm by entertaining
your country relatives in town. but
let me tell you they get the best Of it."
"Why. don't see" began Mrs.
Wilson.
"Of course you don't" retorted Mrs.
Warburton. decisively. because you've
never been through it. When James
and I were in the country in June
with little Bobbie these people never
had to do hands turn for us. At
least they didn't seem to feel called
upon to do anything to entertain us
and We were satisfied to be let alone
to wander around in the woods or sit
In the shade while they went on with
their work as though we weren't on
earth. The only time they put them
selves out was when they got up a
picnic and IL would have been q lot
better II they had never thought Of 1t.
We went trailing of to some creek
in wagon without springs and sat
down to cold lunch in the damp
woods. eating stuff overrun with ants
and fighting mosquitoes, and little
Bobbie fell into the creek and was
dried out behind blackberry bush"
The ideal" said Mrs. Wilson. peer
ing anxiously up the street for the
missing trolley car.
Eyes, but when they come up here
and pile in on top of us we have to
turn everything upside down to enter
tain Them" went on Mrs. Warburton,
bitterly. "Oh, yes. bless you! Like
most women from the country, the
girls want to go trailing about gaping
In at the windows of the big stores
So I have to pilot them around You
know l detest shopping-1 don't go
downtown once a month. Honestly.
I've been in some Of those stores so
often in the last few days that l be-
lieve the house detectives are keeping
an eye on me, expecting to SEQ me
pick up a waist or pair of shoes"
"Why. you poor thing" said Mrs.
Wilson, alphabetically.
But that isn't the worst" contin-
ued the indignant hostess. ooh, dear,
no! James has to come in for his
share of it. After dragging me all
over town every day until I'm tired
out. they have to haul US both out to
theater nearly every night. Why,
need a rest cure"
"You can hardly blame them,
though" argued Mrs. Wilson. "They
don't have big stores or theaters at
home. you know"
That's not my fault" snapped Mrs.
Warburton. "Why should I be made
to suffer for the shortcomings of the
rural districts? Country people think
that city people live in q whirl Of ex-
element and have nothing on their
minds except racing downtown to
shop in the daytime. tearing homo on
crowded elevated trains to eat q
picked-up dinner and dashing back
downtown again to the theater. de-
clare. as James says. I'm all in!"
why. you poor dear!" exclaimed
Mrs. Wilson. "You must be really
tagged QUIT"
well. I am" admitted Mrs. War
burton, "but don't mention Q word to
anybody. because they're James rela.
tives and really they're the incest
people IN the world"
when they are ct home" suggest
"a Nfj. Wilson. netioaing. to tie ne
| ternan. -. - - .: I
Exactly" said Mrs. wsrSuftea.