Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-11-09

/ lit hands upon the top of the broom
handle, said with mixture of archness
and bravado too natural TO be mistaken,
"Well, Anson, what do you thnk?'
The young man laughed and@ooked an,
noyed in the same breath
Then it is you, Barbie?' he said 81
was suspecting something of the sort
Not till | looked at you,' said the
girl rosuishly, retreating as Anson APP
preached
"Do you think this is quite the thing,
Barbe 2"
"Shure an why aint it the thing for a
poor girl to be gett;n' her livin' dacently
and honesty p
And that was al he could get out of
her Ha inc acknowledged her identity
with Barbie for an instant, she was the
most unapproaehab "Biddy' the next,
and would have nothing to say to him save
in that character
"Does your father know of this Bnrbie?
What would he say?' persevered Anson
anxiously
'Shure an it's not me own fader would
he interferin wild me, would he p said
Biddy
In ain were all remonstrances with the
wi'lful Girl She persisted in being Bid
idv even to him, and maintained a distance
between them very different from that be
tween him and. Barbie in her own proper
self ANNOYED, provoked. chagrined, al
most angry, the advent of his father forced
him to retire from the kitchen, for fear of
betraying Barbie's secret, which he would
not have done for Il great deal
1t was several hours before he could re-
turn to the house, his father having Joined
him and upon one pretext and another
detained him When at last they entered
together. kitchen and sitting room, both o.
which had been in 4 most untidy state
when they left them, had undergone such
a remarkable renovating process that old
Joel drew back at first, thinking he had
set foot in somebody else's house instead
of his own. Supper was smoking on the
table-such a supper as old Joel at least,
had not seen in many months To crown
all, Mrs. Shellenbarger was sitting. prop
ped with pillows, in great easy chair,
and looking wonderouslv contented, and
with reason--the poor lady had not had
woman hand about her before since her
Illness They lived in such an isolated
hospitahle manner, that very few Of their
neighhors en- knew that Mrs Shellen-
berger was not as we'll rs usual Biddy,
as she called herself, had tidied the poor
lady up in wonderful manner
Joel Shell enberrer sat down to the daint
lily spread table, and made most hearty
and keenly refreshing meal, clancina
askance at Biddy meanwhile Anson,
strange to say ate very little, and he
watched Biddy askance too
This was on the beginning Of reforms
this daring girl instituted First, however,
as much, perhaps, for her own peace of
mind as Arson s-knowine that mother
and son were fast friends and al
ways of one opinion-she told her secret
to Mrs. SheIlenbargcr, and fairly wheedled
the rnad lady into onnrcva1 It is true
+bot sbo oboo1s ho,. hand ~ f,.et and 1ookod
,ro,aro,s1r sbnotad R,+ + was so charm
;n - boro those 1itt1a sof+ hands fntter-
ing abont her and 70 SEQ sncb brightness
on5 comfort snrinr nm around that she
oo,Id no+ for bor own soto bo n copnta
nono;n,, os ,prob os si1onoo copId Riddv's :
mysterious presence
;,
Ia - '''' - give y" al POI ''e ''.,. :
o"' II" -'0u a -
true iiiS'i i"'',i'y, .'i'uy 's'''',''a'':, "
herSeii III i very s"oF' ''h.e comp I,e'I III
''ie You a., ms - '''e oi' man" ,'''N'
~ &''' -'- ''l,' >,
o-r +idr hons Loo.ou I-n5or +bo now
ro:,n orlor rro,r ON. of oboos. tho bousa
saan,o4 - bo r5a,- 81 IN H., tir,o ond
on a.,oosrhora e social cboorf,lnoss nor
vaded everything.
Ono -Riddv had sa;d sor,otl,;,e. +.
boc,r, ..rI