The Washington times., 1938-03-28

va AVA SA@A r OOAS NS' AS N~AA
seat for Old Lady Pritchett wa
Tom caught her one day niddlins
through the garbage with a rake
She had pushed one Of the big cam
over on its side so that the con
tents were strewn on the ground
what are you at there, ole
lady?" Tom demanded.
"Oh, Mr.. Bagby! I forgot II
was the day you come to collect.
"A fine mess you're fixing Il
leave, for me to sweep UP, Lizzie
Pritchettl Out Of it, nowl
"I was only-I was only"
Old Lady Pritchett backed away
before Toms righteous wrath
Over on the side porch other ole
ladies were snickeripg. Whisper
ing, Serves her right. Tom Bag
by1l give Lizzie Pritchett hel
come-uppance. Serves her right.
Old Lady Pritchett wanted tc
explain to Tom that she was only
picking over the garbage for scraps
Of food. Bits of crust for the birds
A silver Of meat for a stray cat
Perhaps a bone for aging Rover
nondescript rnongrel hound that
warmed his stiffening body in the
sun. VIZ
PERPETUAL MEDDLER
She didn't say anything. Instead
she retreated in naughty dignity
pushing past the knitting-needle
brigade with chin high and a souI
visage. Old Lady Pritchett hated
the Old Ladies Home. Out in the
world she had sons and daughters
grown and married. They didn't
want her around because she was
such a perpetual meddler. She
poked her nose into their business
She wanted to raise their children
The daughters-in-law we're the
worst.
Il don't know what's the matter
with your mother" they would tell
their husbands. "She's the worst
old noseyposey in the world. Why
can't she grow old gracefully the
way other women do?"
The in-laws were right, OF
course. Even Old Lady Pritchett's
own sons and daughters recog
-nized that. They didn't know what
was the matter with their mother
For that matter, neither did Lizzie
Pritchett know. She was just a
lonely, cantankerous old woman
waiting for death to come and
snatch her. She was miSerably I'M
happy and she didn't know why
Old Lady Pritchett was forey eI
taking in woebegone animals. She
would borrow nickelS and dimes
and forget to pay them back
Special packages would be deliv
cred to her by the butchers boy
and the grocer's boy which she
would hurriedly secrete, infuriat
ing her angry creditors.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
'"The food here isn't good
enough, for Liz Pritchett so she
uses our money to buy tidbits or
the outside" the gossips agreed
That was the objectionable
crime. The other old ladies took
to snubbihg her. She was excluded
from the happy, noisy gatherings
on the side porch. She became q
soured, embittered old pariah with
only stray dogs and cats and
Hedging birds to love her.
The game between Old Lady
Pritchett and Tom Bagby became
one of hide-and-Seek. She knew
the days Tom was not supposed tt
come around and picked over his
garbage at those times. Tom, tt
outwit her, took to arriving at the
oldest times-early in the morn
ing, then toward shutdown. HI
would catch her in the act anc
Upbraid her without mercy.
One day when Tom detected hel
The shouldn't have been there al
all-he flew into such q rage thai
the members Of the knitting anc
tea-drinking coterie on the porch
became alarmed and were on thu
point Of sending for the matron
''At it again, are you?" Ton
cried. II just thought I'd catcr
you In the act. Get out Of my
garbage now before I lift a switch
to your skirts! Haven't warned
you often enough?"
GOSSIPS GIGGLE
Old Lady Pritchett beat a hastS
Eetreat while the porch giggled.
"As II q man didn't have enough
troubles" he grumbled. with ar
infant squalling baby to keep hin
awake nights"
Old Lady Pritchett halted he