River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-10-02

OF ohIong box OF coarse, nnpalllteu plne-
wood, was thrown down, and the stage
) got under way once more.
- coffin, guess" said little Dickey
Staples, who possessed share of his
elder sisters aptitude at saying unlucky
things.
"Nonsensc said Miss Kitty, aiming
a cuff at Dickey's ears-she might as
well have tried 10 snlite will-o the
wisp. "Any fool, with half an eve,
could see it's nothing but n shower.
bath. 4"
It's mighty heavy for that sort o
thing, said DAN Harvey, who was act
ing as porter, as he stopped to shoulder
the box. =" say, Mrs, Harper
"Well?"
You're sure that it's all right?"
"Of course, il is, You fool p cried
the old lady, beginning to lose .hei
temper "Don't stand there all day,
but be movin'."
"Cause, muttered Dan, under his
breath, "Pd just as soon leave the liftin
and luggin' of corpses To the undertak
ers Where's this to be put ?"
In the big front room, of course,
said Kitty, briskly. "Now, there
Don't knock the wall down. What is
the matter with You, DAMP
Its SO mortal heavy, mu.tered
Dan, as he staggered into the sitting
room and dropped the case with a re-
sounding thud upon the floor 4 do
wonder what to gracious is in il vi
did you ever hear" demaGded
Kitty, Struggling her shoulders, "of the
man that got rich by minding his own
businessp'
He wamt any relation to the Har-
vey's, | guess, said Dan, with Il broad
grin. "Now, Mrs. Harper, ma'am, III
trouble you for that ere fifty cents.
When Mrs. Harper came back from
driving a bargain with Miss Betheral
Higgins for spring chickens and fresh
eggs for the next three months, she
found Kitty aud the help Desire Jones
by name, and quite on an equality with
the family-rpstairs IN full conceive.
"Oh, Aunt Polly, I'm so glad you've
come back :" said Kitty, Historically.
I'm SO afraid.
afraid of what -
"Of staying alone with that thing,
aunt, said Kitty, in whisper; I'm
almost certain there's something wrong
about it."
NV goodness gracious - cried Mrs
Harper, letting herself drop into a chair,
"what does the girl mean? What
should be wrong?"
Aunt, whispered Kitty, her voice
making a disagreeable tickling sensa-
ton in her elderly relatives ear, she
calls himself chemist He writes NJ.
ID. after his name
We'll, what then ?" questioned Mrs.
Harper, rubbing her irritated ear.
IF he should have come to this
secluded place merely to further his
own diabolical ends-if-oh, aunt, if
that case should contain dead body
upon which he intends to operate with
knife and scalpei-"
Nonsense y squeaked Mrs. Harper
6 It's so heavy" said Desire. Law
| tried to lift it, and | might as well
move so much cast iron =
And Tn almost certain, quiyered
Kitty, "that there's disagreeable
smell coming from it Oh. aunt, how
horrible! Only fancy spending night
in the house with a corpse -
:" | shan't stay" said Desire, . ! shall
go over and sleep to Becky Staples p
Mrs. Harper arose and advanced as
timorously toward the long mysterious
case as if she fully expected a skeleton
to bounce out of it, after the fashion of
Jack in the box"
II read astory awhile ago, saidshe.
Z" of packing case being brought into
a house of unprotected females lust like
us, and burglar being done up in it
on the sly -
Laws p calculated Desire, while
Kitty got nervously behind her. "But
there amt no lire person in that box, if
there was, he'd yelled out when me
and Kitty tried to lift the box and drop
ped it, bang on the hearth-stone.
DO You really suppose it's body?"
gasped Mrs Harper.
"Well, if it amt, what is it?'' conn
ter-questioned Desire.
"And do You believe MIR Ho-
bartson is a cutter up of the dead?"
Hes scientific man. said Desire.
sOlemnly, 'and as I've al'avs heard.
science don't stick at anythingi"
=" Then / don't want him here. =" cried
Mrs. Harper.
"Tell him 50, suggested Desire.
will, said Mrs. Harper. But
don't go, Desire Stay and keep us
company.
I" It's an awful ticklish thing to do.
said Desire, "but amt the stuff TO
back out Yes-I'll stay"
All night long the three women kept
vigil before the fire, with u big Bible
on the stand beside them and Baxtcr's
Saints Rest, and the Catechism under
It And all night long the obnoxious
little boys of the neigborhood whistled.
sang, and flung stones against the win.
dows, with yells of, Now, then. come
ON! Bring ont your dead body. Clear
the way for the ghost Where's the
undertaken y and other shlill icers and
taunts, which aggravated Mrs Harper
TO the point of several times hingino
basins of cold water on the i,yenile
disturbers of the nightly peace Which
proceeding scattered hemmomentmily.
only to gather IN stronger hai is thau
before, when the immediate danger was
over.
81 can't stand this " oruun,d AIRS