Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-10-23

a great rough knot, from which stray ten
drills crept out in a distracted and distract
ing manner. Jacks surprise found vent
| in low whistle, at which Minnie turned
| round with suddenness that sent pile
Of egg-shells at her elbow flying from the
! table TO the floor.
"Oh dearn' she exclaimed "RealIv,
| gentlemen didn't ought to come into the
| Kitchen as cook used to be so fond of re-
marking"
Used to be:' repeated Jack, ruefully
surveying his own mischief "Cook
hasn't departed this life, has she?o
mo, but she has departed this house,
| and under peculiar circumstances-for
further particulars inquire within,'' added
Minnie, mysteriously tapping a black
bottle in the chimney corner; "and as
| Bridget knows about as much of civilized
| cooking as wild PaWnee, Aunt Fanny
and ! have sent her up stairs about her
business; and if all that isn't explanation
enough"
add that Miss Minnie seizes tie oppor-
tunity to practice upon us for the benefit
of Mr.. Ned Wyndham's household" mis-
chievously put in Mrs. Heaton, appearing
| from the next room with handkerchief
| tied over her head.
us that so, Minnie?n asked Jack, after
| a pause, in which he had attentively con-
| sidered Minnie, who had fallen to beating
the eggs again with still greater energy,
which WAS perhaps what made her cheeks
so red.
THE ideaun answered Miss Minnie,
| with toss of the head that sent half a
score of little curls flying loose. Before
he can have household he must have a
house; and, though | dare say the willis
pnnH Crh If I yyait fill ba taly 70
me home" and Minnie completed her
broken sentence with an expressive flour
ish of the egg-beater.
"Well, but you can take him home,
! then,n said Mrs. Heaton. at comes to
| the same thing"
Same difficulty in the way" replied
! Minnie, seeing I'm not an Aladdin to
| make a palace out of a toadstool.n
| and if you We're, would you make
young Wyndham King Toad?" asked
| Jack, laughingiy, but watching her close
| ly the while.
ooh, you uncivilized John. did you
never hear that direct questions were the
| bane of existence?" exclaimed Minnie,
vanishing into the pantry in search of a
nutmeg crater, as she said.
Is it really true?" asked Jack of his
mother, in a low voice.
why, where have your eyes been?''
answered MIS-. Heaton, in the same tone.
1t was scarcely a week later that Mrs
Heaton was thrown into a regular furry
| by observing what looked suspiciously
like building preparations in the vacant
lot adjoining, an open green, forming a
| part OF their grounds. Had Jack sold it
| to some building speculator? That was
an important question under the circum-
/
| fence between, a great deal would be de-
| pending on the sort of tenants the new
house might have. Mrs. Heaton could
hardly wait Jack s coming home to satisfy
her impatience.
"Jack'-she began the attack directly
there seems to have been some kind of
building people in the vacant lot this
morning"
Il know it," answered Jack; and after
a little pause, '' In fact, | sent them"
"Oh, jack" exclaimed his mother re-
proachfully, II never thought you would
have sold that ground"
Il haven't sold it" answered Jack; and
added, Il think of building myself"
"Youm said Mrs. Heaton, in tone of
surprise-"you, of all people in the world,
turning speculator! But now, my dear
boy, have you Considered the risk you
run? 1t is so near; disagreeable people
there could make themselves SO Uery dis
agreeable to US"
"Ill promise 10 take nobody into the
| new house who can disturb the peace of
/ the old one" replied Jack, with a smile.
! Besides mother, it isn't even begun yet
/ time enough to worry when you see the
! states on the roof and the chimney smok-
| ing
"Ah, that won't be long first, I'm afraid ~
I said Mrs. HeatOn, ruefuIiy.
II hope not" rejoined her son. I'm
! bound to get the thing through as soon as
| possible"
but what for?" replied Mrs. Heaton;
what good is it all going to do?
"Oh, building pays" answered Jack,
vaguely, and changing the subject.
! 1t looked as if Jack meant to lose no
| time from the way things went ahead.
| Minnie declared that he had made some
unholy compact, and that invisible hands
at night took up the work where his Irish
hOd carriers had left it, And certainly
the house-that is, myself, you under
StanS-grew with a rapidity that gave
some color to her accusation.
Finally the day came when | stood fin
| ished from head to foot, or, if you prefer
it, from roof to basement. And though |
say it, that perhaps should not say it, l
was a handsome structure. | had a
piazza, balcony, bay-w iQdow no mod
ern Improvement or adornment had beei,
spared on me. | was, as yet empty, to be
sure, but that was lack easily supplied; :;
all the more easily that Jack the very
evening | was done brought over his
womankind, with the addition of young
| Ned Wyndham, who happened to be max
ing a call at the old house, to give their
united voice about the furnishing.
remember just how the party looked
as they entered. Minnie came first of all.
She wore a thin white dress, covered with
founces and ipuffings, and the folds of
which she had gathered up out of the
dust, so that had peep at the rosetteS
on her little high-heeled slippers. Her
black wayy hair had red rosebud on the
left side, to balance the pink dimple in
her right cheek, | suppose, and her black
ewes were wide open and sparkling.
Altogether l approved of her, and if had
not been afraid, being so new, of doing
some harm to myself, | should have Civ
en- some sign of satisfaction. Ned Wynd-
ham followed her, quite an elegant-look-
ING Young fellow, with white hands and a
tawny moustache, and who-tbat | saw at
Once-admired her quite as much as
did. Jack and his mother brought up the
l