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THE KNELL OF ROMANCE
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cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, mending — everything ! ' '
Sparks shot from Teenie's eyes and her voice sounded grim as she said, "Very well, Theresa Merriam. It's too bad we didn't do this a long time ago."
When Joe Blake came around the next day to get two separate orders for groceries, he didn't know what to make of it. But that was nothing
compared to what the Ladies' Aid women told each other when they saw two separate lines of clothes hang' ing out to dry later in the morning, nor what Joe Blake muttered under his breath when he made his delivery at dinner'time and found Teenie seated at the table in the kitchen, and Tessie at the one in the parlor, and both sisters chewing fiercely.
What would happen next in that house divided, no one was prepared to guess!
IT was that very evening that Teenie and Tessie were almost jolted out of their senses. When Mr. Jennings came ambling over at his usual time, he was togged out as they had never seen him. He was wearing a fawncolored fedora, a high-standing collar with a red cravat-tie, and a vest with
such large polka dots that it looked like the breast of a young robin. He even had a new purple ribbon for his nose-glasses.
At such a sight, the hearts of both sisters fluttered wildly.
Mr. Jennings wasted no time, but began to speak as if he were a Fourth of July orator:
"Ladies, I come here tonight as the bearer of glad tidings. When I purchased the Reynolds property, my wife, the esteemed Mrs. Jennings, foolishly vowed she would never consent to live in a lonely country hamlet. But in today's mail I received a letter in which, praise God, she has finally relented. That is why I must cut my visit shorter than usual tonight, in order to meet her at the arrival of the 8:25 train. But be of good cheer. Within a very few hours it will be my pleasure to make you acquainted with one of God's noblest creatures — my beloved spouse — the esteemed Mrs. Jennings!"
Long before their caller had thus delivered himself of speech, Teenie and Tessie had withdrawn from his hearing. At the very first mention of the word "wife" they arose as one, marched with their heads in the auto the screen door, opened it, passed inside, and locked it after them.
Indoors, each looked at the other with a fond light in their eyes.
"I think tomorrow," said Tessie, "that I will bake a chicken pie."
Chicken pie was Teenie's favorite dish above everything else.
"And I'm going to ask Joe Blake," spoke up Teenie, "to bring that apron with the flower pattern that you've wanted for so long."