The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-21
How "the Family" Settled the Moving
Problem.


Problem.
IF might venture to make sug-
gestion," began Cousin Agatha.
My mother in-law, Dicky and I
looked at her, Dicky lazily. his mother
with Irritation, while for some reason
| or other I had hopeful feeling 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 shrug
Of his shoulders had cast all the bur
den OF it aside, evidently supremacy in
different as to the ultimate bearer of
it so long as he didn't have to shout
der it.
I heartily dsliked Cousin Agatha,
and the feeling hadn't been lessened by
the crushed. martyr-like air she had
| worn ever since the day of her unex-
pected arrival, when her cruel treat
ment Of Katie had angered me to the
point of asking her to leave the house
had almost Immediately 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-1aw unex-
me to make any other apology, saying
| that her cousin would impose on me
forever afterward If / did.
We had met in the evening of that
memorable day as If nothing untoward
had occurred, but from that moment
on, Cousin Agatha exaggerated her
martyr-like pose when she was in my
presence. She appeared to be afraid
almost to draw her breath, but l
caught her frequently watching me
from behind her discreetly lowered
lids, and had much the feeling i'm
agine a plump mouse might have in
the presence of a particularly crafty
and skillful Tabby.
knew Cousin Agatha had not for
gotten the affront 1 had put upon her,
knew also that she never would forget
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 I wished, oh,
so earnestly, that the time OF her So
journ with US could be shortened.
That did not prevent me, however,
from holding myself to listen with re-
spect to any suggestion she might
make concerning our moving problem.
Years at the head of an institution had
given her an ingenuity in dealing with
domestic problems which could not
but admire. While Dicky had thought
fully 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
present when Katie and I were strug-
Cling with the problem of packing up,
and at the same time preserving the
semblance of domestic order in the
house we were leaving. And Cousin
Agatha's apologetically dropped sug-
gestions had more tina none helped out
tremendously.
'If you've anything to say, Agatha,
for heavens sake say it," my mother
in-law demanded irascibly. Here ev-
erything is packed up to move tomor-
row, the movers have disappointed us,
Richard and Margaret are about as
much use as those babes in the wood
that got covered with leaves, and then
you ask if you might Venture to make
a suggestion
and began to rock violently to and fro,
while Dickey gave me surreptitions
sympathetic wink at his mothers ref
erence to us.
why thought perhaps that man Of
yours-isnt his name Jim?-could get
a horse somewhere and \ move thei
things himself"
That's the first sensible thing I've
heard said here this week" my moth
er-in-law 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 mischievous
glance at me.
1 flushed, for Dicky often teased me
about poor old William Trumbull, an Il
almost half-witted village character,
who had constituted himself a pro-
tege of mine ever since 1 had once
hired him to do some cleaning up of
the garden and lawn Before Jim, Ka-
ties husband, became our man of all
work
The queer old chap whom Dicky |
truthfully characterized as "havingl
impediments in his speech, eyesight, |
hearing, gait and brain, otherwise be- |
ing a good deal of a man." had one |
burning ambition, to be some famiIy's |
man of all work. He had evidently