The Tinder-Box

animations until he gets ready to wake them up, would hurry up with his investigations, so he can catch Sallie before she

try. Sallie's loveliness hasn't much seasoning. Still, I do love her dearly, a

n my porch whipping yards of lace upon white ruffles and whipping up our own spirits at the same time.

," I a

got more of this ruffling. I see it floa

ng and she's rising slowly. It might be well for some man to work the dough down a little before she runs

ad when Sallie and her sweetness seated itself in the best r

ch voice that always melts me to a solution of sympathy whenever she uses it pensively on me. "Of course, I should be

dependence

folded against the full rose, and I couldn't help laughing. Kit had been undressed three times after her bath this morning while Cousin Martha, Cousin Jasmine and Mrs. Hargrove argued with each oth

rnfully, as she grabbed the little roly-poly bone of contention and marched off with he

oilets thus, by force. Aunt Dilsie being reduced by her phthisic to a position that is almost entirely ornamental, Henriett

ay in the future you will come under the dir

en, as the little yellow head snuggled in the hollow that was instituted in the beginning between a woman's breast and arm f

uperated her breath Nell eye

llie, dear?" she finally was forced by her uneasiness to ask, t

burn us all up with the deceased rather than keep me wra

some ruffling that I just forced Mamie Hall to let me bring up to you girls to do for her baby. The poor little dear is two months old and Mamie is just beginning on his little dress for him. He has been wearing the plainest little slips. Mamie says Ned re

he whole world in her heart, and such a deep purpose always to offer it to her fell

of impatience with Sallie-"would be Ned Hall left entirely alone with that squirming baby, that looks exactly like him, when it is having a terrible spell of colic and Ned is in the midst of a sick headache, with all the other children cold, hungry, and cross, the cook gone to a funeral, and the nurse in a grouch because she couldn't go

s the exclamation that showed how much

laimed Nell, wi

too fast for one so young. Women must learn to fletcheriz

, who had come up the walk just in time to fan the flame in me by her sweet wistfulness,

other creatures take on the hue of being valua

trot the colic out of her own baby," Sallie got near enoug

Jasmine on the other ministrating likewise to the Kit. so Sallie could take a good

." Nell agreed with an attitude of mind like to the attit

g asafetida into a spoon to administer to the baby, as he is dancing w

in," was the prompt re

ve reflectiveness in her eyes, "is that you have never been

head, Sallie," came in Polk's drawl as he came over the rose hedge

orrect connection between the asafetida spoon and his own baby," was the answer that came

the fold of her ruffle, Caroline looked slightly shock

and the time ripe for the first gun in my general revolution

the face. "Polk, do you or do you not think that a man with a wife and seven children ought to assume at least some of the domestic

er?" pleaded Polk,

es

arby business corporation, send two to five trained nurses back to the wigwam, stay down town to lunch and then go home with a tender little kiss for the madame who meets him fluffy and smiling at the do

uestion in hand made me ashamed of being a woman-though it was funny. Still I bided my time and Polk sa

would be decorous for her to sew in the neck of her new black meteor crepe. I see it coming that we will all have to unite in getting Sallie out of mourning and i

safely across the street, and he moved along the steps until

ong brains instead

colic, though," he mused

u comfortable and warm of heart whenever he gets near you. It wouldn't matter at all to

termined that as we were now on the subject of basic things, like infantile colic, I would have

ive you this telegram that came for you while I was down at the station shipping some lumber. Be as easy as you can with me, E

y and found that i

C. & G. Commission. Be decidi

CH

nd gently grabbed me. Dickie had bossed me strenuously through two years of the time before I had awakened to the

ht of a particularly broad, strong pair of shoulders. My heart sparkled at the idea of seeing Dickie again and being browbeaten in a good ol

sioned?" he asked, wit

r is a director in the C. & G. and he is coming down with him fo

heartily, as the flar

presence. It is very exasperating for a woman to be offered flirtation when she is in need of common sense from a man. There

take the Glendale bluff line?" I asked, with trepidation, for that was the

d and swamp property with just a chance of the shops. The trouble was that James had always left all his business to Henry, along with the firm's business, for a man can't be the kind of lawyer James is, and carry the details of the handling of filthy lucre in the same mind that can make a speech like the on

ment to cho

e," I answered calmly from somewhere inside m

pping down from his intellectual attitude of mind and body and edging an inch nearer. "

andle you?" I said, as a sudden vision of what Jane would do, if Polk

try?" And with the greatest audacity he laid his head gently against my knee. I

as he is being," I said as I looked across the street and noted that the

ll back you. But we'll have to plot it later on. I see his reverence coming tripping along with a tract in his hand for you and I'll be considerate enough to sneak through the kitchen, get a hot muffin-cake that has been tantalizing my nose all this time you

aimed with such genuine delight beaming from his nice, good, friendl

it been a lovely day?" I answered, as I offe

as deeply happy. This hour with you will be the v

mil

pened his to mine" and behold, I found Sallie and the twins and Henrietta all squatt

t is very difficult for a young and naturally yielding woman like Mrs. Carruthers to discipline alone even so young a child as Henrietta. I know you will help me all you can to help her. Be

ing Five disciples. I defy any of them to do so well in less than three months. This ge

mebody else gets the man. What about that?

Haley's getting in the game of "curbing" her stirred up my risibles. "But-but Sallie already has a good many people to help her wi

ah's three days' incarceration in the whale. To quote her exactly, so that you may see how it must have affected the other children, she said: 'I swal

baths. It was to talk over the matter I called on Mrs. Carruthers this afternoon,

s my co?peration he has planned to enlist that of Aunt Augusta, and I was wicked enough to let him do it. In a small village where the inhabitants have no ch

out it, Jane, in a sp

nly waffles and broiled chicken ever since. I dis missed Jasper for doing it, but Petunia came into my room and

world in general three days hand running they ain't noth

ell so easy before." And her yellow face had a pink glow of h

own for a quiet hour to think. Nob

ch great respect for the cloth that never in the world would he have asked Mr. Haley in to supper without having at l

too late to go for Sallie or Cousin Jasmine, and besides it is w

body that will understand. I don't remember a single one of them now, but when the time comes somebody is going to ask me a question very softly and it is going to be the key that will unlock the treasures of all my life, and he will take them out one by one, a

omen in general is what I have taken a vow on my soul, and made a great big important wager to do away with. There are millions of lovely men in the world and all I have to do is to go out and find the right one, be gen

ng house for nobody but myself and to entertain my friends, planting a flower garden

ll help the Five in the serious and important task of proving that they have a right

ffer and there is no telling how many years the human r

eddings, and are tired of being at christenings and buying rattles, and things at the club all taste exactly alike, and

Polk, if I let him have half a chance to

to love them in the right way now, I am afraid. Still, I haven't seen Dickie for three mo

xperiment with mankind I could make some kind of creature that

ird time, but this time with the unctuous voice of delight that a guest always inspires

candles in their tall old silver candlesticks that were Grandmother Shelby's, and

orch, star-gazing, and-and I got Jasper to invite me." he said as he came over and drew out my chair on o

and leaned my elbows on the table so I could drop my warm cheeks

of sweetness to meet those that were coming in from the honeysuckle climbing over the window. "If you were ever lonely and

y lashes, though I did shake them away quickly as a smile quivered its

his chair and came around that huge old table and sat down at the cor

uld you tell me, Evelina?" he

augh. "I would expect you to know it,

ou badly in this case," he answ

shook as they handed me his cup to pour the coffee. Jasper had laid his silver and napkin i

ly, as I moved the coffee pot fr

a bit and made me want to-to tell you about it. Nobody else can know-I have been out on Old Ha

too," I added, again using that queer place in my brain that seems to know

N

lency," I hurled

letter and it was dear to have you do it, but we both know it is impossible. Nobody must hear of it, and the telling y

are men to. That man sat right there at my side and ate four waffles, two large pieces of chicken and a liver-wing, drank two cups of coffee, and then devoure

ircumstances, would have gone to bed and cried it out or at least have refused food for hours. We've got to get over those ha

cut ante-bellum wise, with a cravat that wound itself around his collar, snowy and dainty, but on the same lines as the coat and evidently of rural manufacture in the style favored by the flo

cigar, with only Jasper's gratified voice mumbling over compliments

used as data

eral weeks ago, I have decided to adopt Sallie and all the children. I intend to legally adopt the children and just nominally

ooked at me with the expression an alien

nger. I must have a family right away and Sallie's just suits me. I have to take a great deal of interest in them anyway and it would be easier if I ha

eakly as he dipped the end of his cigar into his glass of

nfidence in my plan at fever heat. "Sallie is so generous and she can't wa

t my arm and shook so that the candlesticks rattled against the candles. "But I don't," he gasped

tical difficulties as you are planning to walk away with this one of mine, I'm for feminine rule. D

knocked down suddenly by a half dozen positive words from a mere man, and for a moment my eye

your shoulder under any burden I may be bearing lifts it completely? There are things in this situation that you can't und

ng Sallie with her s

d he went on across the road to Widegable

to be drowning me like this ma