Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-08


she'll have felcn ont. Anyhow,
it begins Just as james wife's first hus-
bands sisters felon legan-she was
Sal Mari Gage-and she had proper
hard time ont She was keeping the
destrick school aad boardin' with us
when she took it, The girls do ali the
work now, but they re smart as lection,
though Belindas trife the best for
business. May be you're coutin' one
on EN-. she continued looking up at
him WI h what was meant for rough
smile.
Hang it !" was Mr. Mays mental
ejaculation, "but the girls viii proba-
bly, be in soon. I'll relieve her mind
of that notion. On no, indeed !" he
replied, loudly, q am only a young
man. just studying law, you know"
next Sunday morning." cried the
old lady fairly staring out OF her
chair with surprise. Now YOU don't
say so, At meetin' of course. Now
how sly they have kept 1t from mel"
:. You misunderstood me-" he
screamed, in terror. 81 didn't say
So
"Belindy, tooi Well, I'm glad it's
her for your sake. Cause she wouldn't
say no to so good an offer. Behndy's
a good gal, too. She's named after ne,
and perhaps that's, why / like her a
little better thanI do Lucy; but shall
do what's right by her when she goes
to housckeepin'. I'm savin' up a half
dozen solid silver teaspoons for her,
and | shall give her my gold beads,
too" taking hold of that string OF am
clent adornments which encircled her
great fat neck "Shall you go right to
keepin' house 5"
- tell You I'm not going to be mar
ried,H he screamed, so loud that it
seemed to him all the neishbors must
hear
"Of course you want a home TO be
happy, anybody does, and | always did
believe in young folks goin TO house
kecpin as soon as they was married
You're altogether mistaken" he
screamed in her ear, ,he perspiration
starting from every pore.
. The house already taken? Now |
never And to think they was trying
/ to keep it from me- and you've told me
( all about Ii shan't tell 'ein, though,
nor anybody else, so you needn't be n
/ grain AFRAID can keep secret if |
am an old woman
4" | wonder who grpmraa is talking
with " said Lucy, as q luli in the clat-
/ ter of dishes brought the sound of
4 voices to their ears.
" Father, probably" replied Belin-
/ ia. 81 have heard no one come in. "
/ Lucy put her last loaf of bread down
I to rise, washed her hands, took off her
. big apron, and appeared in the sitting
room, much to Mr.. Mays relief Just
after grandma had pledged herself to
secrecy She started in surprise when
/ she saw the guest.
"Whyl Mr. May! yon here Come
into the parlor,' and Lucy led the way,
leaving grandma alone. " You must
have had an interesting visit with
grandma
Il think / did, replied the gentle
man, wiping the perspiratiou from his
brow. .'She's very hard of hearing,
isn't she ~
Very said Lucy "but she doesn't
realize II
Z" | see it is so. | couldn't make her
understand q word yet from the an
swers she gave me | saw she thought
she understood it all. | guess she'll
conclude I've told her some strange
stories.
Never mind. said Lucy; ''she's
always making blunders, of course.
Meanwhile grandma had recovered
from her speechless Indignation at
seeing Lucy carry off BeIiuda's beau TO
a private conference, and waddled out
into the kitchen.
Beludy, she squealed, taking the
scruhcloath from her hand, go right
INTO the porlor. Nj Nays III there
with Lucy"
"No matter, grandma, laughed
Belinda, wondering much ut hcreudent
frame of mind.
I'm rinish up here, tell you. You
so right along and grandma won't To
scrunbing at the shelves. while Belinda,
to please her, went into the parlor,
Later IN the afternoon, rs the girls
were IN tue kitchen getting supper, for
they always worked together, Deacon
Shltsworth called to see Mr.. Freeman
on business.
Walk right into the sitting-room,
deacon, said Lucy. Father viii be
in dlrectly;" so in the deacon went
Are you pretty we'll, this spring 2"
he shouted 10 grandma.
" Oh Ia, YES, our well aud spring
both held ont wonderfully, tJougn
some of the neighbors was plagued for
water most oIl winter How's your
folks ~
Wen as usual" nodded the dea-