The Washington herald., 1917-02-12

"She has one OF her sullen spells. She's
always like that when we have company
on Sunday" complained Helen. IT'S no
pleasure to have anyone!"
"Eh?" Warren selected the sporting
section from the sixty-four-page paper.
Every other Sunday she has the
whole afternoon, and she shouldn't ex-
pect to get of early when it's her sun
day In" resentfully.
"Huh7' deep In the account of yes
terdays hockey game.
'T dread to go into the kitchen. She's
so sulky she won't even speak. can't
bear that atmosphere-it upsets me more
than anything"
What's that7 BY George, no score
till the extra period. That must have
been great hockey"
Il do everything to make the work
easier. I've given her more privileges
than any maid we've ever had-and this
Is the way she acts! Dear. do listen" !"
trying to draw away the paper.
Couldn't you speak to herr"
Speak to her? What about?"
Holding tight to the paper, Helen yolu-
bly, repeated her grievance.
What the Sam Hill can say to her7
Hasn't been impertinent, has she?"
''She don't say anything at all-she
hardly answers me. But she goes around
with that sullen look. Oh, you don't
know how It gets on my nerves"
We'll. as long as she turns on the
work, I wouldn't worry II she isn't there
with the glad stuff"
mo. but want her to look pleasant
She knows very we'll when she's like
this II always upsets me-"
Huh, you're several different kinds of
chump,@ reaching over her for the ash
tray.
IT know and to make II worse, I al
ways take an apologetic attitude. even
aaid I'd make the mayonnaise and set the
table. Why should I have to be apollo
getic every time we have guests on Sum
day? It's all because I began wrong. l
should have taken a high hand with her
from the very start"
We'll I wouldn't open up on her with
out some real reason. She's mighty
strong on waffes-even II she doesn't
qualify as a little sunbeam
Disconsolately Helen turned away. She
should have known she would receive
neither sympathy nor help from Warren
yet the longing to talk things over. to
express her resentment. had been COM
peIling.
The increasing scarcity OF good maids
and the fear of losing Jane was an ever
ominous thought. stin, after all. might
II not be better to have a more agreeabIe
girl. even II she was a little less capa-
ble?
But Mrs. Stevens recent experience
doomed warningly. In three weeks she
h.d tried four girls-aIl of them impos-
sible. Now she was having a woman for
the cleaning, and they were going out
for their meals. Undoubtedly there were
worse things than James grouchiness.
1t was Just when Helen went in to set
the table before dressing for dinner.
The salt cellars needed filing Rsluc-
tantly she took them out to the kitchen.
Jar who was packing the bread dress
ing into a plump. spraddling capon, did
not deign to look up.
On chair by the table sat Pussy Pur--
NEW, watching thiS interesting operation
with grave intentness.
In a conscious disconcerting siIencs
Helen took down the salt box and poured
level the silver-based. blue glass cellars.
I'd serve that on the largest platter
Jane. so Mr.. Curtis can carve without
soiling the cloth"
Jane thrust a spoonful OF dressing in
through the neck. Her perverse silence
fairly shrieked.
HE sent a very good chicken didn't
he?" with ingratiatlng sfability. Much
4 better than the last"
James mumbIed answer was indistinct.
lH"Nr venting neI lFTlldDlilly on PUSSY
Purr-mew, Get DOWN" she said
roughly eIbowing her away, her hands
wet with the dressing.
Jumping from the chair, the kitten
looked back in aggrieved surprise
IN set the coffee tray, too, Jane,
so you'll only have to bring 1t in,' Of
fered Helen, with a final attempt at
propitiatiOn.
But the girls only answer was a
vicious thrust of the darning needle as
she sewed up the dressing-flled cavity.
Helen carried out the salt-cellars, hat
ing herself for trying to coax Jane into
a good humor. 1t was so needlessly
humiliating. II she could only do as War
rem advised-ignore her.
With ranking resentment she spread
the best cloth, adjusting it carefully SO
the ironed folds would lie straight across
the table 1t was absurdly foolish to let
such trivial thing upset her. But she
could not reason away the tightening
lump in her throat.
A shivering crash from the pantry!
The good china? A vegetable dish? She
flew through the swinging door.
Jane, on her knees, was picking up