The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1922-05-01

And NrS. Gray sat back In her chai
and rocked violently TO and fro, eyeinl
her hostess with the evident con
| scicusness OF having presented !
poser That fesourceful woman. how
ever. was far from being nonpIussed
she beamed upoL her visitor with
| Joyful smile.
@Iust the thing, my dear Mrs. Gray
You know am to 50 south with May
! for the winter The house win bt
closed and the doctor at the hotel.
had just been wondering what 10 dc
liNith Nancy. for l want her again u
the spring. Now. you can have her
nntil then. and by that time you will
know how you like the idea OF keep
Inc girl. she is perfect treasure,
capable OF carrying the entire work
Ilof the household unly"-and Mrs,
Steele paused long enough to look
donbtfnlly at her. friend--"she lis a
little independent. and won't stand
much Interference
Fifteen minutes later Mrs. Gray de-
parted. well pleased. though withal n
little frightened. she spent the rest
Of the afternoon In trying to decide
between a black alpaca and q green
cashmere dress.
That night Reuben brought home a
large bag Of peanuts and put them
down In triumph on the kitchen table,
There T. he announced In high giee.
I'm gcin' to have bang-np good
time r.
I "Why. Reuben" demonstrated his
wife gently, 'you can't eat them
tf;ngs-you hahn. got no teeth to
chew 'em wlthi"
The mans lower jaw dropped.
"well. I'm a.goin' to try II, anyhow
he insisted. And try It he did: but
4 the way his poor old stomach rebelled
against the half-masiicntcd things eff
fectually prevented repetition of the
feast.
Early on Monday morning Nancy
appeared Mrs. Gray assumed brave
aspect. but she Quaked in. her shoes
as she showed the big strapping girl
1 10 her room. Five minutes later
Nancy came into the kitchen to find
Mrs Gray bending over an obstinate
coal fire in the range-with neither
coal nor range was the little woman in
the least familiar.
There, now" said Nancy briskly.
G'Ill fix that. You just tell me what
you want for dinner. and can find
the things myself" And she attacked
the stove with such cl0tter and din
thar Mrs. Gray retreated in terror.
murmuring, "Iiam and eggs, II you
please" MS she fled through the door.
Once In the parlor. she seated herself
In the middle Of the room and thought
how nice it was not to get dinner; but
she jumped nervously at every sound
from tile kitchen.
On Tuesday she had mastered her
fear sufficiently to 20 into the kitchen
and make cottage cheese. She did
not notice the unfavorable glances
Of her mnId-of-all-w work. Wednesday
morning she spent happily putterlng
over "doing up" some handkerchiefs.
and she wondered why Nancy kept
banging the oven door so often.
Thursday she made a special kind Of
pie that Reuben liked. and remarked
no;ntedly to Nancy that she herself
never washed dishes without wearing
m extra apron: furthermore she al
ways placed the pans the other way
In the sink. Friday she rearranged
the tins on the pantry shelves, that
Nancy had so unaccountahly mussed
mp. On Saturday the inevitable ex-
plosion came:
3 III You please, mum, I'm willin' 10
do your work. but seems to me 1t don't :
make no difference to you whether
wear one apron or six. or whether
hang my dish-sowels on string or on
the bars. or whether ! wash goblets |
or kitties first and amt In the habit |
Of havin' folks spyin' round on me. II !
yon want me to 10. Ill go: but II |
stay, want 10 be let alone,"
Poor little Mrs Gray fed TO her
seat in the paFlcr. and for the rest OF |
that winter she did not dare to call |
her soul her own; but her table was
beautifully set and served. aud her |
house was as neat as wax.
The weeks passed and Reuben be-
gan TO he restless. One siay he came
In from the post Office fairly bnbbling
over vith excitement.
s.Sav Emily sxhn,, falru h,x Go x,.<..~., 4