The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-09-28
Closing the
q -
.)ulnnaer A>CttaCe


Any one would think" remarked
he woman who had Just got back to
own. that after a person Of ordinary
intelligence had gone through the az
ony Of closing up summer cottage
every year for years and years she
would he capable of doing it with her
hands tied behind her back and blind
ers on her eyes, but it isn't so. There
is-something about the last few days
II staying in any place that is dis
.racting, but the country is the worst
Of all. After getting every last thing
done YOU always need full day TO
10 the other things you hadn't thought
bout
I aivays allow for that. Henry
ever can see why. If he Calculates
nat we can leave Thursday, always
xnlain TO him that We viii leave Fri
by
with everything done! he roafs
me in protest Why do you think
e want to stick around here with
nothing to do and everything hacked
and the fireplace cleaned oct so we
can't have a fire and the rooms full
Of porch furniture? It's ridiculous!'
I'VE viii leave Friday Henry |
ell lin soothingly
Then everybody works ike mad,
Thursday morning Henry always
ONES in dragging OF his work gloves
and sits down with a thHmp
Well. be says. I've finished up out
.ide I've covered the flower beds with
mulch Of leaves and bnrlapped tie
aoueysuckle vines and spgaed UP the
garden. I've put away the hose and
aid a board over the chlmney-
Go right UP and take it off
tell him, severely. How do You sup
rose we're going TO cook lunch ana
timer and breakfast and lunch again
With the chimney stopped up
Henry has forgotten all about the
act that we still have to eat, SO he
5aeepishly Chambers up on the reof
and throws the board down. 1t gets
split up for kindling by the cook an
our later. ana there never is another
hat viii exactly fit. 50 the next sea.
son we find ehiRmarks and mice and
other Wild creatures socially room
ng in the cottage when we get there.
Ind are irritably disturbed at being
turned out
I don't see, Henry =pHrsues after
4f51 chi
why We can't take the evening train
onight Your trunks are all packed
All hut the curtains and soft pill
lows and the candlestick and most Of
ny Clothes | remind him, BY the
way have you wrapped those dishes
for packing in the barrels?
THAT keeps him occupied for some
time. Then, too. he finds punch bowl
that we borrowed from the Pefkinsons
and forgot to return, so he has to walk
two miles with that Then he has tc
attend to the man who comes to Sc
out shrubs and then l tell him about
two pieces in the roof that leak and he
has to get asphalt and mess around
and fix them. Usually he still grum-
bles at supper time about the foolish
ness of our remaining over till mex
day, but I'm so busy fixing the canned
fruit to ship back to town, folding
away curtains and putting away
lamps that don't mind him
in the morning | ask Henry brisk
ly if he has remembered to take of
the window screens and take down the
porch screens, bring in the spade and
the rake and nail up the broken place
in the fence. That makes him jump
hastily and cry out BY George! If |
hadn't nearly forgot that
"Then when he tries 10 turn off the
water and drain the pipes he breaks
a valve or something and he has TO
make a special trip to the village for
help while the cook and ! Pile rugs
and bricks on the leaky places and get
soaked and catch awful cqlds
Usually, just as we are locking up
the house | remember that haven't
emitted the tank of theTkitehen stove.
and that reminds Henry that he hes
completely neglected TO empty the hot
water boiler He comes dragging in a
watering can. two flower pets and a
carpet beater which have been left
outside
However. we finally lock the last
door and start Hall way 10 the launch
I ask him if he put cut the next door
neighbor's cat which had wandered
in that morning. Henry is peeyish by
now and demands TO know if think
he has nothing to do hut play nurse
maid to a cat, so We drop the suit
cases and 60 back and unlock the
place. raise all Tie window curtains
and search for the animal Sometimes
we find her and sometimes We don't
and if we don't am haunted all vim
ter by the fear that she has died lin
gering DEATH
Every little while all the way back
to the city ! jump as remember
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