Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-01-13
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Getting Acquainted
By JOANNA SINGLE
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Literary Press

salad nohow eff hadn't been pervor.
long a-bein' 'bossed,' an I'm p,ad !,
done bruk de old dish, I'm gw,r.
home!" And despite expostulatiops
she departed.
Mrs. Rancey stood a moment n.
resolutely in the door, and then the
tears rolled down her cheeks She
looked up and saw Joanna.
"Oh, what shall | do?" She wsaou.
Here | have ten women 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
hirelings-fd enjoy whipping her!"
Joanna smothered instantly a little
feeling OF satisfaction, and with her
usual generosity rose to the occasion.
She let her gaze rest a moment on
the man fixing the roof above 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
lobster-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
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 a moment
crying now! You can let everything
stand as 1t is here in the dining
room"
But how can tell all those
women what's happened? 1t was my
turn and l 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 by bew
weeks and everything is as fresh as II
we had just prepared for guests. You
can have my dining room and every.
thing in it. and We can get up salad
over there. We can send in a 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
well-bred neighbor.
do you actually mean It? I don't
think l could be as-forgiving -
that"
"Forgiving? What has there been
to forgive? l don't see how any real
neighbor could do less. I'll be glad
to have you'll can take the babies
and come over here and let you
have the house."
1.-The idea! Well, I'll have to con-
Fest feel cheap and horrid- J
knew l ought to ask you to this
luncheon, but l deliberately kept you
out because l was jealous. l have al
ways rather led things In this neigh
borhood, and saw that you were 90
sweet and clever. and such perfect
housekeeper that you might supplant
me, was-a cat! II you still want
me to come-I will on condition that
you come as guest of honor. W;D
your" Joanna laughed. -,
mot quite that-but l will dress
and be one of you. If you like? with
pleasure-and never mind the past
We had better get to work this min
ute. Katie" she called, come over
here and let Mrs. Rancey tell you
what to do! I'll come take the babies
for awhile" She. turned to her new
friend, who was gladly giving swtit
directions to her own maid. and CON
tinued:
II will 20 and set the table and
you follow as quick as you like. ~
soon as you get over / will dress. ana
we'll be all ready" She took up
little tray of cakes and sweets ana
carried them over to her own
kitchen.
At dinner that night Ward Corson
looked at his wife's flushed and nap
by face.
"Neighbors been decent today
Ell"
A.
"Well-I've been decent to inc
neighbors-it seems to work pon
ways!" She told him all about u
But the recital would I'LL book o.
very respectable size. A woman cas
make quite a text Of q woman.