Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-07-05

THE uNCEREN0NIOu VISITOR

THE UNCEREM6NIOUsv VISITOR.
Don't come down, Mrs. Allen, ii is
only me-" said an early afternoon
visitor, to her near neighbour, as she
called to her, when ascending the |
back stairs of her dwelling. 81 told
Jane not to trouble you,' she went on
as she coolly entered the room, where
the other was dressing for the after
noon. 81 always do dislike to make
people trouble. shall never stand
on ceremony with you. l would just
as leave sit here as in the parlor."
AS she spoke she settled herself
comfortably in an easy chair, taking
sharp survey of the room at the
| same time.
Mrs. Aliens cheek flushed as she
saw her visitors glance rest on the
tumbled workable, and shawl and
dress thrown over the foot of the bed
She was painfully conscious Of the
fact that she had been too hurried all
the morning, to sweep and dust the
apartment; and she knew full well
that her unceremonious visitor was
taking note of all these things.
"Why, l did not hear you ring at
all, Mrs. Dawson" she said.
ooh, / just ran in at the kitchen
door. / didn't want to startle you by
ringing the front door bell, making
you think some company was coming.
You know that am not company at
all. | never wish you to stand upon
the slightest ceremony with me. ]
never do with people l like"
j Poor Mrs. Allen reflected with
growing uneasiness that James dishes
were most likely unwashed, and that
the kitchen was anything but "set to
rights But there was no help for
ii. So she proceeded to put up her
hair as best she could with such q
keen pair of eyes watching her.
"Your hair is getting very thin on
top, isn't it 2" said her unceremonious
Visitor. "But that little lace affair
hides it pretty well. 1t seems to me
that your complexion is redder than
it used to be. Perhaps you eat too
much meat. or, maybe, you put some.
thing on your face when you go out
So many do. Is this your box of per.
fumery?' and she opened a little cas-.
ket on the bureau. "Why, no, it i;
your jewelry-box. May / look il
over?"
. "Therc is not much to sec. l assure
( you," said the other in vcXation. as
: she cast her eye over the bureau, tC
:. see what article there was the visitor
was next likely to pounce upon. She
slipped little lctter-casc slyly into
e a drawer, for fear her unccremonious
caller should take a notion TO read
her correspondence.
The pieces of simple jcwclry did
: not detain or interest Mrs. Dawson
long. She next adroitly turned thu
:, conversation OH houses, and the in
u convenience of some clothes-presses
"Now this one of yours she re
! marked as she swung open the door
:. and took look up and down at TIT
!, dresses hanging there, 'is just abou
= the right size. Dear me how frayct
: your black silk is getting around TIN
bottom. Oh that is your handbook
:, May take look at your new hat
:, :. want to see how it is trimmed ~
:. Now the hat was Of home construc
= ton, and much pieced out; and tho
! it looked very respectable when worn
= it would hardly bear too close inspec
!. ton.
mis-. AllCI. lHOTC stuNt IlloIC NcAcO
:. every moment, made all the haste sh
- could, and at last was ready to g
!. down stairs, feeling that she had bee
= pretty thoroughly inspected, so far q
= least as her toilet was concerned. Til
:. other stopped at the mantle a momen
:. to saturate her handkerchief wit
- some very choice Cologne water, an
~ then, taking parting glance at til
% - room, reluctantly went down to til
- - parlor.
,; Poor little Charley had, unluckil,
! set his box of cream candies, whic
- Uncle George had sent him, upon til
-, -, parlor table, for safe keeping, in OIL
ao der to show them to little frient
= who was coming on Saturday, an
80 with whom he delighted to share a
~ his good things. He had only taste
u of two or three of the smallest, s
:, choice was he of them. Mrs. DaN
8. sons fingers were ON the lid in half
te minute, and, one after another, til
IN sweets disappeared, in way tn;
e. would have filed little Charley
es heart with dismay and his eyes wit
c. tears, if he had not been taking h
rs comfortable afternoon nap up stair
Of "How l hope he will not wake
ne up thought the mother, nervousl
e. listening for any sound up stairs. Sh
D. knew how the child's heart was set 0
ne his little treasures, and how bite
n would be his disappointment at ha'
US ing his stores rifled in this way. Mr.
tn Dawson did not allow her delicac
'i' to stand in the way, but kept Oh unit
n, the box was nearly empty. Sh
picked the prettiest and incest, TOT
making many comments on their eN
IS cellence.
% A messenger at this moment cam
= to the door with basket that NJ
10 Allen had sent home. Mrs. Dawso
~ was in the kitchen to attend to
&c about as soon as Mrs. Allen.
ly "a box Of early strawberries
cried the visitor. Dear me, wis
C. extravaganza Fresh lettuce and rae
ishes, tool Why. am almost temp
u ed to stay and take tea with you.'
And she did stay, taking quite I'll
lions share of the dclicacies, an
making the poor, wearied, nervou
t., hostess world of additional troubl
of and anxiety. Not the least Of theS
70, anxicties was the fear that she woul
as make a regular thing of dropping il
of in this unceremonious way.
ed The long day came to an and {
he length, and that tiresome visitor wei
cs her way, to inflict call on some OF
Y, else before she returned home, an
tell all she had seen at Mrs Aliens.
K There arc great many pests in s.
ciety, but few that compare with q
UNCEREMONloUs VISITOR. - Peterson
~ Magazine.
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ba ROBBERY AND MURDER.
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