The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-22


a hotel till the party was over.
But the cars came in ten minutes be-
fore their time, and when Mr.. Bakerly
reached the depot the passengers had
all disappeared. He rushed home,
hoping to meet them before they en-
tered the house. But they had not ap-
peared and the conclusion was that
they had missed the train, and would
not arrive i'll the city till the next day.
In this, however, the family were mis-
taken. In few minutes there came
loud ring of the door-bell, and then
their ears were assailed by the sharp
notes of an angry voice aimed at hack
man.
"I never heerd sich swindle Don't
pay him a dollar and q half, Gidyon,
for fetchin' us half mile. We could
"a walked just as well; and the men,
folks could "a lugged up the trunk-it
amt mite heavy I'll have you took
mp for robbery, sir, if you do keep
carriage and two horses -
AS children and butcher-boys were
collecting on the sidewalk, the lady of
the house slipped down stairs, put the
money in the hackman's hand and
smuggled her friends up stairs.
AS there were men at work in the
kitchen, their supper was given them
quietly in little side-room, and the
tired travellers were sent early to bed,
without any remonstrances on their
part.
The pair were put into an attic room
which was rarely slept iu. This was
done not from disrespect, but because
the usual sleeping rooms for visitors
must be used until late in the night, by
the ladies who were among the guests
of the evening. Gideon and his wife,
however, were glad of any resting
place. They complained to each other
that Z" it was dreadful hot for the last
of October" 6leV out the gas-light, and
were soon lost to their new situation,
but not until Aunt Betsy had exclaimed
in dreamy drawl:
New York's the nastiest smellin
town ever was in, and I wish 1 was
to home"
The guests had gathered and there
was hum of merriment below, which
was suddenly hushed by the appear
ance of two strange apparitions on the
stairs.
"Tableaux, tableaux" cried an inno-
cent youth land in moment everybody
was making for the hall and laughing
and exclaiming, "Darby and Joan" !"
"John Anderson, my 10, john" and
like interpretations of the scene.
The gentleman of the house elbowed
his way through the crowd just in time
to see his half.clad brother escape from
the gaze of his guests. But Aunt Betsy
stood her ground bravely, looking like
fury just risen from her grave, with
dishevelled locks, white robes and a
kerchief bound around her head.
"Go up to your room. I'm ashamed
of you," said her brother-in-law, in q
low tone.
"You haint no need to be ashamed
of us, nor anybody else, of your own
folks"-here the poor woman was
seized with terrific fit of
coughing and strangling but
regaining her breath, she con-
tinued "We're your own flesh and
blood, if we haint rich and some of
the richest saloon-keepers and fish
dealers in this town or Boston, either,
has sprung from Cape - Cough
ing again silenced her angry boasts.
"What ails you?" asked the agitated
brother, as terrible sounds of stran-
Cling and groaning were heard from
Uncle Gideon above.
"She's crazy, sir, and that old man
was trying to catch her." said one of
those officious men who think they see
at once the solution of every difficulty.
"Send for policeman and have her
taken of, SIR"
At this Aunt Betsy, who had now
seated herself, gave loose reins to her
tongue, and cried, amid her coughing
and choking, "Gidyon and me has
caught some awful disease a ready in
this nasty teown, else we was pizened
with our supper! don't be-b'lieve
we'll ever see Clam Harbor ag'in ! But
don't you dare to bury us here, where
these yillanous marcury doctors digs up
dead folks and hacks 'em to pieces Q
dear, dear ~
The distressed host now changed his
tactics, remembering his brother swords
that "Betsy was one of them women
that could never be driv," and led hel
gently up stairs, his wife following
them.
No sooner had they opened the cham.
| Der door than they all joined in the
chorus of coughing. The gas had
been blown out And the register, be-
ing open, the heat, which had beer
shut off from all the other rooms, had
made this one like fiery furnace /! But
even this did not account for the fright
full inflammation which the kind sister
in-law saw on the limbs of her agonized
visitors.
Uncle Gideon was jumping abou
with remarkable vigor for one of his
years, swinging his hands and trying tc
suppress his groans. AS soon as all the
windows in both attics were thrown
open, Aunt Betsy gave vent to her woei
thus
"We coughed and choked terrible
but at last we got into bed. But all o
q suddent 1 was took with such a paiI
that l hollered out that somebody hat
stuck an eel-spear into my leg, and wa
stranglin' me beside. He begun t.
pooh at me, when he was took will
the agony himself, and hollored as baC
as myself. We started to go down anC
hunt you up, to get doctor, and
guess we stirred up an awful mes
among them are hig addressed butter
flies %
A sudden thought struck the lady o
the house, and throwing open the bed
she discovered-an unusual sight TO
the city housekeeper-a nest of wasp
that had taken possession of one corne
of the unused bedstead, a savage squat
ter sovereignty that had opened fire ol
the poor strangers.
As they could have no other room til
| fl,A ta i.