The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1911-04-06
:. e-,...,.....,.,.s.s-s-s "s'.s~."."s"..-ss.s-s
GETTING
STARTED

| luSI DOSSlDle ulluulC, Win lllillOllS Vi
things to do at the end, hating him.
self and the people he was to visit
and the whole world generally. This
lent pathos to the attitude my sister
took just before she went to visit her
'in-laws.'
"She dashed in here early one morn
ing with the announcement that she
was going on her long-deferred trip to
see her husbands people and please
would / go shopping with her, as she
| had list as long as her arm For
once quoth she, "a Barrett is going on
a trip and have "a whole, perfect,
| peaceful hours before train time. with
absolutely nothing to do! l simply
will not have Mysteries, as is the gen
! eral rule in the Barrett household!
Pm going to get everything done in
| time
Marion, I told her, I love your
| optimistic disposition. This youthful
! trust of yours is indeed beautiful-it
| is sad to contemplate the gatherings
it is doomed to receive, but, Of course,
I'll go shopping with you and assist in
keeping up your delusion that you are
going to get things done,
"'Oh, you make me tired! Marion
| told me succinctly and sWeetly. Thus
l saw that she actually believed what
she had said.
well she was to leave on Thurs
| day. Monday we remembered a white
| serge skirt that | had promised to
make for her She heroically protest
ed that it was too late and she didn't
need it, but she had bought the serge
and two pairs of silk stockings and
pumps to go with it, so | knew her
heart would be broken II she didn't
have it.
Tuesday morning l started it
and when | phoned Marion to come
over and be fitted she answered with
a perfect wall of despair. 1t seemed
she had forgotten that her stays were
downtown being fixed and by no pos
sibility would be back before Thurs
day morning. They made her two
inches smaller than any others, so |
knew better than to suggest that she
be fitted anyhow.
Never mind l told her. I can
easily finish the skirt ThuTsday-your
train doesn't leave till evening
Thursday | worked like mad and
late in the afternoon finished the skirt.
When | pressed it / found that one
gore absolutely wouldn't press right,
| and there was nothing to do but rip
off the band and rip down the seam.
! was over at Marion's when | made
the discovery, and, positively, she
turned pale green at the news.
Now, don't you worry l told her
soothingly, with a confidence which |
was far from feeling. Just keep COOL
Its always this way! she moaned.
ri be a nervous wreck by the time
| get away from heren
you'll have nothing ahead Of me
in that respect l assured her, and
then | started in to rip.
We'll, by dinner time l had it fixed
and after hurried meal | handed it
over to Marion to be damp-ragged and
pressed, while Harry and l looked
over the evening paper and pretended
that life was calm and beautiful. Sud
denly from the kitchen came a muf-
fled scream and we Jumped to our feet
pale and shaking.
"'Oh, that cat! Marion cried in Wit
riolic tones. She tried to climb up
the skirt as it hung from the ironing
board, and her claw has pulled a
thread aw-w-fully.
"'Never mind | repeated mechan'
ically Wen just pull 1t back! Go
on with your pressing and I'll look
over your suitcase and see that you've
not forgotten your tooth brush, as
usual, and your handkerchiefs!'
IN five minutes there came cry
from Marion the like of which l never
before had heard issue from a human
throat. | suppose because never be-
fore had | been present at great
tragedy. When Harry and l stag
gered into the kitchen Marion glared
at us wildly. On the very last breadth
Ut lu6 very last SpOI w bS ~ 'PSNN
near the hem she had set her iron
down an instant while she stuck In a
hairpin. and there had grown magical
ly the most intense and beautiful
brown scorch.
AT such tense moments one can't
always recall what took place, but
Harry tells me that | smiled in the
most heavenly way and grabbed the
skirt, crying in n weak voice how
very, very fortunate it was she had
chosen exactly that spot to scorch.
oven just rip off the braid, he re-
lates l gibbered airily, and rip out
this section, and put in another piece'
"This l proceeded to do, while Harry
put ice water on Marion's head and
walked her up and down, as they do
people who have poisoned themselves.
well. | got it done and Marion at
tackled it again with the iron, her hat
and coat on and Harry standing in the
door, suit case in one hand and watch
in the other, telling Ter she had just
five minutes In which to do a ten
minute walk to the car
Il give you my word that when Ma.
rion finally vanished, having gone
down the stairs as If shot out OF a
gun. hat crooked, furs flying, pale. dis
heveled and hysterical, J never was so
utterly glad to SEQ the last Of any
human being rs | was of my dearly
beloved sister
cts the last time III ever try to
hA %. lu