Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1922-08-23
FAtTAER'sDEN
BY VIVIAN BURBANK
0.sssss..ss.A. II
9, 1922. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.

~~SOASAS
] wanted the kind with the hunting
scenes, and ma picked out the one
with the moss roses.
who ever heard of papering a den
with roses?' shifted pa.
Il have,' said ma.
Yes, grunted father doubtfully, "but
you never saw one"
I'm not over crazy about having
den, anyway"
Maybe you're not" Pa threw his
paper down on the table, disguised
like. If your Aunt Mary hadn't
camped with us for two years, we'd
had a den, then, and I'd had one room
In the house that l could sit in in
peace! Can't smoke in the kitchen,
might suffOcate the canary. Can't light
up In the dining room, or the parlor
mustn't spoil the curtains, or turn the
silver! I'll tell you right now. Title,
that I'm doggone sick and tired of
trotting down three flights of stairs
every time want to smoke! Sit there
on an old butter tub and--well, I'm
sick OF it-and I'm going to have
den!"
"There'll be no curtainsl"
mo, you bet there won't! Canaries,
either!"
But. George, we won't have any
guest chamber"
THANK the heaven for that"
drawled father. There won't be any
place for the company to park, and
we'll be SO much in!"
"Say pa, can't we have the hunting
paperf"
mo. I've picked out the paper with
the country scenes, brindle cows and
all that. hunted all over town for
peaceful and restful paper"
Scenes. did you say?" asked ma, in
nocently. Country grave yards?"
That's it," snapped pa, take the
JOY out of 1t Seeing that I'm paying
the rent on this place, Mrs. WinslOw,
guess l can have something to say
about the wall paper. can't II"
Far be 1t from me to stop you from
having your say. But l must say l
don't admire your taste. Aunt Mary
just hates cows!"
NO? BY jove, that's so, tool"
When the paper came we took 1t
into Aunt Mary's room, or what's going
to be the den.
Pa told her he could do lots better
IL she'd leave the room.
Lock that door," pa said to me, but
there was no key, so he put wooden
horse against the door and made me
sit on 1t.
Say, pa, someone's tapping on the
window" All I could see was hand,
first, then Mr.. Jones head. They live
underneath us, and Mr. Jones must
have sneaked up the back stairs and
onto the piazza, without anybody see
ing him.
Got the paste?' whispered Mr..
Jones. climbing through the window.
"Yup," said pa. And Mr. Jones put
on pair OF white overalls.
mighty good of you. Jones. Tell
the truth, didn't dare tackle the
blooming thing alone!'
Mr.. Jones told pa that he was glad
to help. They laid the paper on our
kitchen table and Mr.. Jones cut off
one edge, cut them in strips-that is.
the paper in strips, and told pa to
paste 'em and he'd hang 'em. Gee!
1t didn't take long before one whole
side was almost covered He stayed
on the ladder and pa handed him the
strips.
Pa was FASTING to beat the flying
horses when heard ma coming down
the hall. told pa, and he hurried to
give long strip to Mr.. Jones. and
somehow he got tangled up and slipped
on the pasty side. He grabbed the lad
der and Mr.. Jones said cuss word,
but that didn't stop him. and next
minute down came Mr.. Jones, ladder,
brushes and everything, on top of pa.
Mercy" yelled ma. banging the
door. "What on earth are you
doing?"
Don't you get OFF that thing" whis-
pered pa at me, trying to get out from
under Mr.. Jones and pull the paper OF
MS neck. YOU
George, open that door,"
I stuck until ma banged chair
against the door and knocked me and
the old horse over.
Ma burst into the room. She paid
no attention to pa, but pulled the pa
per off Mr.. Jonesy face, and when she
saw who 1t was she lit in to him, just
as ii he was pa.
what does this mean, Mr.. JOnes?"
"Mean?" snapped Mr.. Jones, red as
a beet and hunting for his necktie.
Means like as not I've broken my col
lar, bone |"
He helped ma and me get pa up, but
pa sat down again.
Next time. George, don't ring me
in on anything you're afraid to tackle
yourself. Another thing: wouldn't
stick this confounded looking stuff on
a wall for any man living; not by a
jugful. think too much Of my repu-
tation.