The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-06-30
THIS WAS THE LIMIT
PAPA THREATENED THE TOTAL
DISRUPTION or HOME.
He Insisted on Having the Place ltv-
able or Moving to HoseI'
and He Carried Ills
Point.


.Wipe your feet. papa" reminded
papa's eldest daughter as he stumped
muddy on the front porch. Papa &C
cordinxly shuflled his feet diligently
upon the wire mat; then stepped upon
q strip OF carpet on the porch and BY
comforting himself into weird shapes
wiped the edges of his shoe soles com
paratively clean.
Don't hang your wet coat there!"
called his wife. Don't You know wa
ter will ruin that chair?" Papa ac-
cordingly gathered up his raincoat
and carried it up to the bathroom.
"Oh. mamma" walled the youngest
daughter; look at the mud he's leav-
ing on the stairs! And just washed
them myself" But papa was put
ting on his slippers In the bathroom.
standing on one foot and hopping
about like some damp stork. Then he
changed his clothes and came down
stairs.
did you change your clothes.
dear?" inquired his wife sweetly. eye
ing the chair in which he sat with
speculative eye. Papa growled and
turned over a sheet of his paper. for
he knew all about that inquiry.
Presently he stretched. yawned and
rose. He walked over to the sofa.
heaped with pillows and lay back lux
uriously just as the middle daughter
came in.
why, papa" she shrieked: you're
spelling the sofa pillows. You're ~
ing right on them" Papa sat up.
whats this sofa for?" he demand
ed. His wife had come in by this
time and stood side by side with her
indignant daughter.
Certainly not to treat as you're
treating it." she said. If you want to
take a nap lie on your bed" Papa
arose. His jaw began to grow rigid.
for papa was getting mad. For long
he had put up with this sort of thing
and the limit was reached.
Take those pillows up to your
rooms" he commanded the assembled
daughters; this sofa goes out in the
woodshed. This Is no place for use
less things" Then he dragged 1t
out into the shed. leaving consterna-
ton in his wake.
What do you mean?" stormed his
wife. Papa looked at her and she be-
gan to grow uneasy under his look.
He didn't say anything.
Go up in the bathroom and get my
raincoat and Shoes" he directed. "One
OF your girls, don't care which," The
girls looked at each other.
''Go!" said papa, ''and be quick. ;"
The youngest daughter went. Then
papa sat on a sacred chair and put on
his shoes The slippers. one inside
the other, he handed the oldest daugh-
ter.
Take them to the bathroom" he
commanded. The oldest daughter
stared. Then she started to say some
thing and struggling her shoulders de-
parted holding the slippers as though
they might bite. She couldn't miss any
of this remarkable situation, so she
returned.
I'm going down to the Office" said
papa; you can pack up what you
like, because we're going to store this
truck and go to hotel"
why, papa!" 1t was chorus OF
alarmed voices. But papa was firm.
"One thing is certain" he said:
we're through with this foolishness.
I've had all I'll stand. I'll do this
much-either you'll make this place
homelike, beginning tomorrow morn
ing, or we quit housekeeping. That's
ALL" Then he departed in the rain.
But when he returned his slippers
were in the hall. and his favorite
chair, with the evening papers on 1t.
was stationed under the light and the
family had retired
Then papa put on the slippers. put
them on another chair and began to
read-Galveston News.