Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-08-26
A Sentimental
Bath
By VICTOR REDcLIFFE

Nancy Marvin had got out of bed
on the wrong side, her honest, humble,
gOod-natured husband, Seth, insisted
when she began the day with, a volu-
BILE TRADE against the lodge that had
kept him out until after IL the night
previous
Don't scOld me, Nance" advised
Seth in perfect temper. 1t was a spe-
cial meeting to raise funds for fam
lily nearly all sick and likely to be
turned out to starve il the good
brethren hadn't rallied to the rescue"
But Nancy refused to be Modified.
She covertly alluded to charity begin
ming at home, she found fault with
Seth because some of his clothes were
spread about t. room, and finally
made manifest to him the fact that
the Blivens across the street had a
new photograph which they had
brought over and set playing to while
away Nancy's lonely hours
Nancy pettishly alluded to their
own old melOdeOn, worse than out of
repair and no one to play it, and
Seth made a mental note as to a sub
stitute.
Things went wrong at the breakfast
table, where Seth upset the cream jug
and Nancy, nervous and excited,
broke the handle from a treasured
china cup. Matters grew worse when
she gathered up the dishes at the sink
and Seth as usual came up to kiss
her good-by for the day. She had
| bowl of water in her hand as he
swung an arm about her waist.
"GOod-by, Nance dear!'' he cried in
his jolliest tone, but she resented all
familiarity and affectionate demon
stratiOn on this particular occasion.
"Get along, now!" scolded Nance.
"Im in no mood for nonsense" and
then all her fftful temper fiared forth.
With sharp dip she directed the
bowl towards the lowering face
Splash
Seth staggered back, choking, blind
ed, dripping. Nancy paled. She had
gone further than she had expected
and was sorry for it. Half frightened
as she was, however, her lips set OBJ
stinateIy She gave a great gasp as,
without a word, but very serious look
| ing even amid his ludicrous condition
from the involuntary bath, Seth pro-
ceeded calmly to the door, shook
away the tricklng drops and went
outside. Overcome with a sense of
her unutterable violence and assault
against ordinary decOrum, Nancy gave
| nj 10 NJ
upon the floor and sat there rocking
two and fro, her face buried in her
hands, a realization of her act over
towering her. Seth, passing the side
window, glanced in and discerned the
apparent cOntritiOn or pemorse of his
emotional better half. His rugged
features sOftened somewhat.
"She's a good Sort" he soliloquized,
''but 1 mustn't encourage her in kick
ing over the traces this way. 1t
might be dishes or the rolling pin
next Oh, well, she's mostly sunshine,
and will be nice as pie when I come
home tonight. 1 suppose it does sort
of upset her to have the Blivens folks
get things l don't buy her, but I'll hui
NOR this last whim.
Nancy was thoroughly ashamed of
herself for her impetuOus action an
hour after it's commission. Usually
Seth did not come home at noon, but
she hoped that he would that espe-
ciaI day. She spent the morning cook
ing up a variety of tOothsome delica-
cies, and was quite mellowed down by
the time noon came around. She was
upstairs making the beds when a
hullaballOO outside on the part of eX-
cited children coming home from
school sent her swiftly down the
stairs. The lower part of the house
was full of smoke and SCOT and the
thrilling words reached her ears from
outside:
''Fire! Telephone the hose COM
pany!g
There were no flames in the kitch-
en-, but the chimney was belching
forth flames and cinders and the shin.
giles on the roof were smoking. Nan.
cy began excitedly moving her best
parIor furniture to the front porch
Then as the fire engine dashed into
the yard and the hose was unrolled
she started for the kitchen and
reached its open rear door in time tC
receive a broad flushing deluge of wa,
ter that drove her back, soaked from
heat 10 foot.
Hi! play on the chimney and root
that's where the fire u.s." came a
stentOrian command through the brass
trumpet of the fire chief.
"That's it! All outw announced
the pipeman a minute later. Just the1
Seth dashed up.
"WheFe's Nance-ls she safe?" he
painted, and his chilled, half fainting
helpmeet clinging to the towel rack
to recover from the shock of her bath
felt her heart warm at the anxious
loving tones.
you dear!" shouted Seth, claspine
her in his arms, a veritable dripping
rag as to attire, streaked of face, hei
hair plastered down like wet moss