New Britain herald., 1917-10-27
How "thc Family Settled the Moving
Problem.

eff might venture to make a sug-
gestion,' began Cousin Agatha.
My -in-law, Dicly and I
looked at her. Dicky lazily, his moth
er with irritation, while for some
reason or other I had a. hopeful feel
ing that perhaps the suggestion of
which she spoke might help to solve
the moving problem that confronted
us, or rather confronted me, for
Dicky with a shrUg of his shoulders
had cast all the burden of it aside,
evidently suprenely Indifferent as to
the ultimate bearer of it SO long as
he didn't have to shoulder it.
I heartily dislked Cousin Agatha
and the feeling hadn't been lessened
by the crushed martyr-lil1e air she
had worn ever since the day of her
unexpected arrival, when her cruel
treatment of Katie had angered me
to the point of asking her to leave
the house. l had almost immediate
ly repented my harshness, because she
was old and penniless, and had sent
word to her to consider the interview
as not having occurred. My mother
in-law, unexpectedly taking my part,
apology, saying that her cousin would
impose upon me forever afterWard if
I did.
We had met in the evening of that
memorable day as if nothing unto
ward had occurred. but from that
moment on, Cousin Agatha eXagger-
ated her martyr-like, pose when she
was in my presence. She appeared
to be afraid almost to draw her
breath, but I caught her frequently
watching me from behind her dis
cretly lowered lids, and I had much
the feeling I imagine plump mouse
might have in the presence Of a par
tlcularN crafty and skillful Tabby.
Cousin Agatha "Suggests.,
I knew Cousin Agatha had not for
gotten the affront I had put upon her,
knew also that she never would for
get it, and that if she ever had the
chance she would delight in playing
some catty little trick upon me-
wasn't afraid of her in the least; she
was not dangerous woman, nor one
capable of any great evil. But she
was little, and mean, and sordid, and
l wished, oh, SO earnestly, that the
time of her sojourn with us could be
That did not prevent me, however,
from holding myself in readiness to
listen with respect to any suggestion
she might make concerning our NOV
ing problem. Years at the head of
an institution had given her an in
genuity in dealing with domestic
problems which I could not but ad-
mire. While Dicky had thoughtfully
taken both his mother and her cousin
out of my way, by entertaining them
in the city for much of the time since
their arrival, yet they had been pres
emit when Katie and I were struggling
With the problem of packing up, and
'emblance Of domestic order in the
At the same time preserving the
house we were leaving. And Cousin
Agatha's alphabetically dropped sug-
,estions had more than once helped
is out tremendously.
"If you've ANYTHING to say, Agatha,
or heavens sake say It," my mother
n-law demanded irascibly. Here
is packed up to move to-
morrow, the movers have disappointed
u.s. Richard and Margaret are about
rs much use as those babes in the
wood that got covered with leaves.
and then you ask if you might VEN
ture to make a suggestion
She threw herself back in her chair,
and began to rock violently to and
fro, while Dicky gave me a surrepti-
tious, sympathetic wink at his moth
er's reference to US.
Why 1 thought perhaps that man
Of yours-isn't his name Jim ?-cOuld
get a horse somewhere and move the
things himself"
That's the first sensible thing I've
heard said here this week. my
exclaimed. But he
can't lift some of my things alone.
He'll have to have someone to help
him."
whats the matter with William
Trumbull and his push cart?' Dicky
inquired lazily, with a mischievous
glance at me.
I blushed, for Dicky often leased
me about poor old William Trum bull,
an almost half-witted village charac-
ter, who had constituted himself a
protege of mine ever since had
once. hired him to do some cleaning
up of the garden and lawn before
JIM, Katie's husband became our
man of all work.
The queer old chap whom Dicky
truthfully characterized as Having
in his speech, eyesight,
hearing, gait and brain, otherwise be-
ing a good deal of a man. had one
burning ambition, to be some family's
man of all work. He had evidently
picked me out as future employer,
for he frequently appeared at the
kitchen door with an enormous push
cart, his sole worldly possession, ask
ing if there wasn't something Mis-
Gramie"-his version of my name
wanted him to do.
Prophetic Words.
Katie was mortally afraid of him.
and 1 think Mother Graham secret
ly considered him a rather danger
Gus character ALTHOUGH her pride