El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-16
The Exciting Incident Of the
Ice Chest and Of Delia's
0bstinacy.

A S HELEN opened the Ice chest
~ and stopped down to take out
4 a bottle Of milk. a strong Odor
Of stale butter and vegetables greeted
her
Della, didn't I tell you to clean this
ice chest Yesterday
Della ironed on in stolid silence.
Didn't I tell you to clean this yes
terday?" Helen repeated
Yes. ma'am." sullenly.
Then why didn't YOU.
why didn't YOU clean it. Delia?'
Didn't have time"
But you did have time, you had very
little to do yesterday Now Della TINS
| ice chest must be cleaned today Take
all these things off the shelves and
wash 1t out thoroughly. Put plenty OF
ammonia in the water. And what S
this?" taking out small covered dish
''Parsnipsl Why 1 told you to throw
those out day before yesterday
Delia's only answer was TO slam the
iron down on its rest with unnecessary
/ force, while she jerkel the shirt waist
around on the board to iron the sleeve.
and here's some fish ballsl How
I many times have told YOU never 10
put fish OF any kind in here? Every
| thing will smell Of it. Now YOU must
I clean this as soon as you finish that
waist You can do the rest of the iron
/ ing afterward But I want this cleaned
now. When you're through, leave II
open TO air out before you put the
And Helen went on into the sitting
room, where she was mending table
clcth-
Della Out of Sorts.
1 For several DAYS Della had neglected
| her work and had been unusually sui
/ len. Helen felt 1t had something to do
with her young man." He had not
/ called for the last two Wednesday
! evenings. as had been his custom.
! was constantly watching for the post
man, but no letter in the painstaking
] nliterate writing had been received.
Helen was always sympathetic with
| any unhappy love affair. She had tried
I to be patient and TO put up with Delia's
/ neglect and unusual bad temper. But
now she thought things had gone too
far the dirty ice chest could not be
] overlooked And yet she felt vaguely
/ uncomfortable. She had never had o
! really serious clash with Della, and
was not quite sure what the outcome
/ would be-
I When half an hour later she again
/ went into the kitchen. Della was iron
/ ing one Of Winifred's dresses and the
/ ice chest was untouched
/ Della. I told you to clean the ice
] chest as soon as You finished that
/ shirtwaist"
1 II amt EOln' TO let these clolleS dry
/ out-they're ali sprinlCled and right 10
/ iron now And I amt goin' to sprinkle
/ them over again There's enough work
/ TO do in this place without doin' IL
I twice"
But. Della, I said I wanted this ice
| chest cleaned out now"
/ I'm ironin' now. I'll clean It when
/ I get through here"
You'll clean it now, Della, or I'll
| have to get some one in your place that
/ will"
That suits me. ma'am." Della
{ slammed the iron back on the range
/ and deliberately united her apron. It
can get plenty of places with more
/ money and less work than I'm gettin'
] here"
! And Della stalked out Of the kitchen
/ down the hall to her room, leaving the
/ unfinished dress on. the ironing board
I and Helen standing aghast.
/ She had not intended to bring this
] to an issue-not this way. She had no
/ idea that Della would calmly walk out.
/ What should she do? The thought Of
] breaking in another girl filled her with
/ horror In spite Of all her faults Della
was very good honest and dependable.