The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-10-12
find "Our Fanny" he'll It least mn
age to scare US up some sunners

find "oar Fanny" he'll 1t least ,,an.
age to scare us up some supper
"'You use the lady's name very
freely" said the stranger, rather sharp
y.
"The voice pleased me, in spite Of its
sharpness perhaps because Of its sharp.
ness-and confess to you that At this
point l mustered sell. possession enough
to put my eye to the key:hole in the
hope OF seeing the spe>ker. Mr.. Leg
gett was sitting With his back to me,
fearfully near, and Mr.. Hooper, for it
was he, opposite, so that his eyes, and
very good honest eyes they were too,
seemed to be piercing directly through
my key-hole, although they vere sctu-
ally only trans61ipg bis impertinsnt
companion.
"'Well, Why shouldn't I p said Mr..
Leggett. She's none too good to be
spoken Of, hope, for all her high and
mighty airs. You can't touch her with
ten-foot pole (eight feet less would
nave been sufficient for the purpose At
that moment). 'But what makes you
80 touchy about her You don't know
her,"
"'1 never shall know her, or any
other lady, little enough OK we'll
enough not to object to such q free
handling OF her name, in her own house
| at least.'
"'Well, we'll, don't be hufy. She
isn't worth quarreling about. We've
got first-rate chance to see how blue
stocking keeps house,
~ never was that, my dear, but I
was an omnivorous reader, and always
credited with far more knowledge than
I possessed.
"'Here's her cloak and bonnet pitch
ed into one corner, aud the tea-table
was pitched into another till her daddy
Strengthened 1t. Have a lump of sugar,
Hooper,? Gracious :! if here isn't her
hair-brush With . couple of long hairs
in it. III 60 halves with you But
there isn't much show for supper, is
there?
"The creature had set out on = voy-
age Of discovery by this time, aud I
was in su sgony Of fear lest his vulgar
curiosity shouldn't be limited to the
rom, but take him into the olos-
cts also, and lay open my retreat.
A suddeo racket and volley of ex-
pletivcs showed me that he had oyer
turned my big work-basket, and the
only consolation had during Ill that
awful afternoon was in the variety Of
Its contents, and the length of time re-
quired to right them again; to say
nothing of several resoundiDg bumps
which he got from table, sofa, and
chairs, in his haste to put things in Or
der before fathers return, or my pos
sible appearance. His running COM
mentary would hardly have pleased
the Professors aoy more than ii did his
hearers in the closet and without.
''Mr. Hooper occasionally remonstrat-
ed, and even declared that he would
leave tie house rather than stay in such
company.
| "Suddeniy Mr.. Leggett exclaimed,
BY Jimmy that's pretty little slip
per. though How it must pinch her
tees III pocket one Of 'em, sure ~
fate, and keep it in my room uoder 4
glass-case to make the fellows stare.
Who'd have thought q blue-stocking
could 90 into such a Cinderella slip
per?'
~ am afraid NJ. Hooper used too
vigorous form Of speech by way of pre-
face as he cried out, John Leggett,
take that shoe out Of your pocket and
put it where it belongs
| "'I shouldn't like anything better,'
said the wretch If "our Fanny" OF
your Fanny, if you prefer, would only
trot in her little toeses.'
I" L sm 10 earnest, sir ; take out that
shoe.'
"'Come, come, Hooper, what's the
use of snch row ? It's too good joke
to spoil. Twsn't do you any harm
"'You shall no: leave the house With
it, I warn you.'
"What in tunket are you making
such = to-do about it for? Any girl
would be tickled to death to have me
use her things to ornament my room.
What'Il you give for the little teenty-
tonty-tootsey yourself, now!
"*Five dollars said Mr.. Hooper,
greatly to my surprise.
"Done, said the other; fork over
'Tbis strange bargain seemed to be
consummated, for I heard tho clipper
fall, and silence followed, which Mr..
Hooper was the first to break.
"I want you to know, Mr.. Leggstt,
that I bought you of, not because one
must adapt his arguments to his op-
poneut, but to spare DR.. Draper tho
knowledge Of how bssely his hospitality
has been outraged, and myself the
shame Of being known Is the eomp.u.
ion, even for one afternoon, Of such 4
one az you.'
"'Dra~ it mildly, young man, s.id
the co~ardly -" Aunt Fanny hesi-
tated for a substantive, but declined the
torrent which I poured out in her ser
- = r. 4