River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-09-13
HOW HARRY BEAT HIS UNCLE.

HOW HARRY BEAT HIS UNCLE.
81 never did see such sight in all
my life" quoth Mrs. Marley, elevating
her two rheumatism-twisted old hands
in the air. "Dust on them beautiful
velvet carpets; glass in the conservato.
ny windows all broken; chickens
scratching up all the geraniums on the
front lawn, and the lazy servants david.
ling away their precious time, while
poor dear Mr.. Avenel and Harry don't
know any more what's going on than if
they were boarders. Says Dear
heart-alive, Mr.. Avenel, this is enough
TO make your poor wife turn in her
grave Says he-you know his pleas
ant way Well,s | know it isn't just
right, Mrs. Marley, but what can DO p
And | answers. says |, Get a house,
keeper. Says he, Where p 5 vs. I,
ADVERTISE SAYS he, Mrs. Marley,
you've hit the nail on the head. IN
advertise to morrow. And that's how
that paragraph happened to be in the
papers
Here Mrs. Marley stopped to catch
breath, and nodded emphatically at her
auditor, a pale woman dres sod in deep
mourning, with the unbecoming frame
work of widows cap around her face.
And do you think | would suit the
gentleman the latter asked timidly.
"You can but try" was Mrs. Narley's
encouraging response. "Mr. Aveners
as easy as lamb, and not one o. them
as is everlastingly checking off bills and
counting nickel pennies, and Harry's
dreadful pleasant tempered. AIRY way,
il was you. Mrs. Hawkhurst, Id 20 up
and see."
And Mrs. Hawkhurst, holding her
pretty little daughter by the hand,
went up, accordingly, to the handsome
stone house on the hill.
There she found Mr.. Avenel in a
state of Temporary siege, for others be-
sides herself had seen the tempting adj.
vertisement, and made haste to answer
it. There were fat women and lean,
tall women and short, Scotch women
and Germans, smiling slovenly women.
and trim, sharp-visaged women, women
who had seen better days, and women
who evidently hadn't.
Mrs Hawkhurst looked around
somewhat discouraged by the formida.
BILE array of rivals.
There's no hope for me, she
thought despairingly, and was Just
about TO turn away, with the timid
Juliet clineing to her hand, when Har.
~ Ayenel advanced.
" Do you wish to see my uncle.
ma'am /? - he asked courteou.ly.
oil called about the housekeepers
situation meekiy murmurel the
widow.
And Harry showed her in at once.
The fat and the tall, the German and
the Scotch, thesour and the sweet went
Avenel decided to engage Mrs. Haw.
hurst as his housekeeper with ermis-
sion TO keep Juliet with her.
"She is all have, sir .aid the
housekeeper apologetically and She
will try TO be useful about the hou =
" How old is she ~ asked M. AyeDel.
" Fifteen, SIR
Well, let her stay said the widow.
er good humoredly. "Shell eat no
more than a chicken, and dare say
she can do great many odd things
about the place.
Mrs. IIawkhurst proved her.elf an
executive oiiceress OF the grea est ablli-
". Gradually the "chaos and old night
OF Avenel place was reduced to system
and order The wheels Of housekeep.
ing reyolyed so softly that no one knew
they had moved, yet these were the re.
suits. You scarce ever saw the house.
keeper glide about the halls, yet the
servants declared her omnipresent. Mr..
Avenel found himself actually the in
habitant Of home once more % the
years slowly passed away.
lie was sitting on a piazza one day,
smoking his cigar, and watching the
graceful movements of juliet Hawk
hurst, as she was planting vines in a
marble vase that occupied the center OF
the lawn, when Mrs. Marcy came out.
A nice evening, sir said Mrs Mar.
ley. ON, there she Is
Who? Mr. Ayenel asked.
Why, that foolish child. Juliet, an
sNered the old lady sharply. ." hayn
no patience with her. that haynt,