South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-31
WHY MADGE DECIDED THAT
SHE MUST SETTLE MOTHER
GRAHAafS HOUSEKEEPING
INTERFERENCE

AS Katie, her eyes blazing with
wrath. rushed 10 the kitchen door.
I leaving behind her on the floor the
wreckage OF her cake bowl and mix
ture, / stepped quickly 20 the other
side OF the door, and when she had
passed beyond the reach OF my
mother-in-law's vision 1 took her by
the shoulders. firmly but gently.
Go 20 your room this minute,
/ Katie" I commanded, and wait
there until / come. viii straight
en- this out"
"Oh, Missis Graham" she gasped.
dear lIiA5is Graham, 1 can no
stand dot old"
"Hushr' / said sternly. Il am
I asking you this. not anyone else.
VIII you 80 to your room quietly?"
Her face was full OF rebellion. I
could see that all her very real af-
| lection for me was trembling in the
balance. being weighed against her
aversion TO my mOther-in-law. Then
she suddenly took a deep breath and
wiped her eyes.
Il do anything for you. Missis
Graham" she said, but not one ting
for dot old camel"
She was shrewd enough TO hurry
away with her first words, so that
her disrespectful reference to Moth
or Graham floated back from the
staircase so family that / coul0
| scarcely hear it. and could not
waste time reproving her. I drove
a smile from my face at the girls
impertinence, suppressed a sigh at
the task Of settling matters with my
mother-in-law, and went back into
the kitchen.
Dicky's mother stood in the mid
die of the room as if petrified. her
gaze fixed on the widening yellow
puddle of cake batter which spread
from the spot where Katie had
hurled the kitchen things in her
burst of Bersek rage.
When she caught sight Of me.
however. she lost her stOniness Of
demeanor Her eyes flashed with
anger, her words were metallic.
81 hGpe YOU will see now the re-
suit OF your misguided Indulgence
or your maid, she said. Just look
at what she has done. If you can
not compel her TO clean it up before
she leaves the house / will do so, a.
] suppose / am responsible for this
disgusting outburst OF hers
From her manner 1 knew that !
was i'm for a battle If / expected 10
keep Katie in the house. In the vain
hope that diplomacy would do, i
spoke as soothingly as 1 could.
u am sure she will clear up ev-
erything after she has had her cry
out" / returned. But even if she
doesn't. YOU know I would not think
of allowing YOU 10 do il. Won't YOU
20 10 your room and take a nap?
This must have upset you 1 Will
straighten Katie out after a while.
And L can promise you that the
house Will be cleaned TO your liking
an the preparations made, il you
VIII just leave things 10 me.
Ally mother-in-law surveyed me
haughuly as II she thought ! had
taken leave of my senses
What Madgc said.
Let me understand Alright she
said at last. DO YOU mean 10 keep
that girl in your employ after her
disgraceful exhibition just now? /
FORBID YOU TO do it,"
braced myself for the explosion
J. foresaw.
Mother Graham" / said firmly
but decisively. you must understand
that there can be no such word as
forbid from YOU TO me regarding the
routine of my home What has hap
pened this morning has only
strengthened q resolve I made some
time since. / am perfectly willing
90 WELD 10 your wishes In a great
many things. For instance, concern
ing Dicky's birthday celebration,
viii try to have everything exactly
as YOU wish IT, But / must request
that unless 1t be for some personal
service YOU give TO more orders
either 10 Katie or 10 any other maid
/ may have in my employ. If there
IS anything you wish her TO dc. tell
me and I viii see that il IS attend
ed TO-
fully expected that my mother
in-law would fly into one of her
? RACES. wire 10 her daughter cancel
ling the invitation she had sent. and
depart from our roof-tree. But L
have observed before that DiCkys
mother knows just how far 10 go in
her tautrums. she rarely lets them
interfere with any cherished plan Of
hers.
What Katie Feared.
Evidently she had set her heart
on this proposed visit of her daugh-
ters family. I think she also had "a
very lively appreciation Of the labor
that visit would entail for us were
Kaue's sIlilful. helpful hands not in
cur service.
So. like many a greater general.
she tried 20 cover her retreat with
flank attack
Il only pray AIarsaret" she said
. piously. that you may never be
made 10 feel that YOU are an UNI
welcome intruder IN your sons
house-if you ever have son-as