The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-14
TWAS MOVING DAY
AND THE HUSBAND TOOK SOLE CHARGE
A Short Story With Result That May Be
Imagined, But Which Is Here Told
In Amusing Fashion.

WAS to climb over and see what
the rest. of the house looked like.
WHY had they put all the dining
room furniture In The living room!
And those mirrors belonged up
stairs! And here was all that atuc
stuff right in the dining room!
He marched upstairs; the hall
was full of springs and mat
tresses, but he was thankful that
at least they were upstairs and
not in the cellar. He made his
way to the front bedroom, and the
first thing he saw was the icebox.
It made him furious. the last
straw. He tried to shove II angrily
aside, but a castor was Off one
leg, and 1t only toppled forward
and fell on his foot. In falling
he put his arm through something
stiff and resisting. After he had
hoped around holding his injured
foot he investigated-it was their
oil |painting-the oply one they
possessed.
He gathered up the remnants
and wondered what Mabel would
say, then looked around the room
in gathering hopelessness. There
wasn't thing in the room to re-
mind one OF a bedroom. Here
was the tool chest that he had told
them to put in the cellar, the
clothes wringer, piano stool, medi-
cine chest.
Well. thank goodness, he knew
where to find the medicine chest
he'd get some iodine--didnt
need any water. He raced up
stairs-yanked open the medicine
cabinet-but 1t was empty.
At 6 o'clock that evening the
house looked worse than ever.
He was too torn, dirty and gen.
orally unpresentable to go out for
supper and having stumbled on a
case Of kitchen groceries he de-
cided to have a cold repast.
1t was growing dark and Dale
made the discovery that both gas
and electricity had been turned
off and there were no candles.
After a desperate but Intellectual
effort to put a bed UP he couched
on a mattress in the hall for the
night.
In the morning he got a pail Of
water from the neighbours and ate
a few more oyster crackers, fear
ing that if he left for breakfast he
might miss the all-important
women who were coming to clean.
Nine o'clock. 10 o'clock and no
scrub-women. At 10:45 o'clock he
left with the widest kind of an
appetite and an unprintable
opinion of scrub-women in general.
When evening came he had
grown Respondent. The house had
a wild look that depressed him,
and the only effectual thing he
had accomplished was getting one
barrel in the cellar at the expense
Of a broken mirror and MabePs
best lamp shade.
The next morning when he was
lust dressed the bell rang. 1t was
Ma Perry, big, putting and cap
able, with a bony-looking woman
and a cowed-looking colored man
lowering in the rear. both OF Mas
household.
Dale gave me a forced, sickly
smile. I'm not quite in order"
he stammered weakly.
Dale Freeman" Ma Perry
pushed him aside and marched
into the house followed by her
aides, "you have just five minutes
to catch your train to the city.
Here's your hat"
He smiled in a foolish way and
went out-happy though conscious
of being beaten.
In the evening he returned with
new courage. He was going to
show Ma Perry how he could work.
He opened the house door and
stood still, utterly amazed. Every
thing was in perfect order rugs
down, pictures up. An air OF peace
and comfort pervaded the entire
house.
ma Perry, you old wizard!
land gave her a smacking kiss
will you please, please move to
Spootiswood2"