The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-19
MARRIED LIFE,
The Exciting Incident of the Ice
Chest and of Delia's Obstinacy.

eS. ma am SQiienly.
Then why didn't you do it,"
No answer.
"Why didn't you clean it, Della ?"
didn't have time"
"But you did have time, YOU have
had very little to do yesterday. Now
Della this ice chest must be cleaned
today Take all these things off the
shelves and wash it thoroughly. Put
plenty of ammonia in the water. And
what's this ?" taking out a small
covered dishi "Parsnips! Why 1
told you to throw those out day be-
fore yesterday"
Delia's only answer was to slam
the iron down on its rest with un-
necessary force, while she ierked the
shirt waist around on the board to
iron the sleeve.
"And here's some fish balls! How
many times have I told you never to
put fish of any kind in here? Every
must clean this as soon as you finish
that waist. You can do the rest of
the ironing afterward. But / want
this cleaned now. When you're
throug/, leave it open to air out be-
fore you put the things back"
Della Out of Sorts
OF SGN0Tdi Leila I1dQ neg
lected her work and had been unus-
something to do with her young
man" He had not called on her for
the last two Wednesday evenings as
had been his custom. Plainly there
had been a quarrel. Della was con-
stantly watching for the postman,
but no letter in the painstaking Hit
crate writing had been received.
Helen was always sympathetic with
any unhappy love affair. She had
tried 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 really serious clash
with Della, and was not quite sure
what the outcome would be. When
half an hour later she again went
one of WinifredEs dresses and the ice
chest was untouched.
Della, told you to clean the ice
chest as sann as you finished that
shirt-waist.
Il amt goin' to let these clothes
dry out-they're all sprinkled and
right to iron now. And | amt goin'
to sprinkle them over again. There's
enough work to do in this place with
out doing it twice."
''But Della, l said l wanted this
ice chest cleaned out now!'
"I'm ironing now. I'll clean it
when l 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.
81 can get plenty of places with
more money and less work than I'm
getting here"
And Della stalked out of the kitch-
en-, down the hall to her room, leav-
ing the unfinished work on the iron
ing board 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 1t was only
the last few days she had been like
this.
Then Helen began to wonder if she
had been a little unreasonable in in
sisting on the ice chest being cleaned
just then. But it was not. only the
ice chest-she had put up with so
much neglected work and sullen de-
fiiance, this, week Yet more and more
she shrank from the thought of
Warren would be furious! There was
nothing he hated more than to
change servants. And tomorrow the
Stevens were coming to dinner.
What could she do? She heartily |
wished she had never mentioned the
ice chest. Oh, why lad she persisted
in it so? Yet how could she make
any overtures now?
She went through the hall, passing
Delia's room But the door was
closed and there was a sound of a !
trunk being dragged over the floor. !
Helen went on into the sitting room |
and gazed out of the window. The
thought of losing Della overwhelmed |
ner more and more.
Just then the bell rang.
Only one letter. Miss Della |
read the address,
painstakingly pencilled in the big,
Helen went back and raped on |
Delia's door.
"a letter for you," handing it in. |
The Letter Arrives.
Della took it without a word and
again closed the door. But in that /
glimpse into the room |
Helen had seen the open trunk and |
the clothes on the floor beside it /
-eady to be packed.
Well, she was going-there was |