Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-12-30
ear. What's your times One o'clock

very good
"'This lady and her brother reside In
1 the house, sir, and they were going to club
their Christmas dinner with ours, if you
have no objection"
collection l, my dear Todd you for
get that I'm only a visitor. Objection
certainly not. The more the merrier,
say. Madam, your most obedient."
I Miss Pinnifer relaxed so far as to cour
tesy with dignity, STILL however. keep
ing her muff available for defence, if neces
sary.
/ "Well, that's settled" said the stranger
"And now I've got some little matters Of
business to attend to, so I'll wish you a
good night. Good evening, madam
Don't distress yourself about the trowsers
Mr.. Todd
With these words the unknown de-
parted, leaving Mr.. Todd and Miss Pinni
fer dumb with amazement. The latter
recovered her speech first, with the OBJ
servation, "Did you everg' Mr.. Todd
looked at her for few moments. AT las,
he calculated, slowly and distinctly, NO
I na-erw
"What very singular person, Mr.
Todd. You're quite sure you've never seen
him beforey"
Never to my knowledge till the other
night" said Mr.. Todd.
"There's more in this than meets the
eye" said Miss Pinnifer.
You still think, ma'am-"
"Well, no, not entirely. must say
! expected to see quite different style OF
person. But there's no knowing. | shall
be on my guard"
"If he isn't a detective, what can he
want to come here for?" said Mr. Todd
Its the most extraordinary thing | ever
heard in my life. don't know what
Milly will say to strange gentleman com
ing to dinner; but couldn't help it, could
! nowg I'd better tell her at once, and
get it off my mind"
"Pll say good night, them" said Miss
Pinnifer. Give left my brother too long
alone already"
Mr.. Todd wished her good evening, and
dived into small parlor behind the shop
where his daughter, Milly, sat sewing
with three younger brother Todds, max
ing more or less noise, around her.
Milly Todd deserves paragraph all tC
herself, as the pleasantest possible speci
men of good little English girl. She
was not beauty, but better than beauty
in the possession of the more lasting come
illness which is derived from bright
smile, sweet temper, and pair of clear
earnest eyes, made none the less expressive
by the near neighborhood of saucy
little retr0uSse nose. Her wavy Lrowr
hair had not ripple out of place, ana hel
plump little figure was encased in well
fitting dress, which, though it bore the
marks of long service, was neatness itself
In fact, take her altogether, --but that is
precisely what you would have wished tc
have done; or, if you did not you mus,
have had very bad taste indeed. There
are some women one always wants to kiss
at first sight, and Milly was one of them.
John Todd entered the room in high
state of excitement. "Milly, my girl
here's most tremendous go"
why, father dear, what ever is the
matterg"
Matter enough, my dear. Here's a
gentleman coming to spend Christmas-day
with us. Invited himself, and accepted
with thanks"
"He won't have much of dinner, then
father, dear; but he's welcome. Let me
guess who it is,-not old Mr.. BellamyG"
mo, my dear, it isn't old Mr.. Bellamy,
nor young Mr.. Collins either, though
dare say he'll find his way here in the
course of the afternoon, eh, Milly? No,
this is quite stranger; quite the gentle.
man, too, can tell you
But what makes him want to come
here, then, father?"
"Weli, my dear, that's more than can
tell you, except that he said he was a
stranger and had no friends, and that he
thought from my face that he could spend
a merry Christmas here. That's all non
sense, of course; but the long and the
short of it is, he's coming"
Nonsense, indeed, for anybody to like
my dear old fathers face" said Milly, kiss
I ing him. ats handsomer than half the
young ones now, and like the gentleman
for saying it. No friends that's very sad
Poor old gentleman, I'm very glad he's
coming but wish we had little more
to give him"
"That's where it is, Milly; so do I but
we mus; make the best Of it. What have
you gotg''
"Well, father, I've nice bit of beef
and Miss Pinnifer is going to bring some
sausages. I'm going to make g pudding
but it'll be only kind of make believe
to please the boys. They wouldn't believe
it was Christmas, you know, without the
pudding 1t isn't much of dinner tc
set before visitor, father"
"Never mind, my dear" said her father
81 wish it was more; but we must make
it do. Make the pudding as good as you
can. Let me see know l haven't
4 much in my pocket--only eightpence
\ Well, my GEAR, every. littles helps.
shan't want my half-pint of beer to night.
"Dear old father? No, no; you're mo-
going without your supper, sir, can tel
you, for any amount of grand visitors
know what / can do. I've got half I
crown upstairs that ! had put by fol
something else, but it doesn't matter, ant
that will help us out capitally."
With bright smile, though with a LITTLE
L. l.. q . H. ,a1f <rn 49,