The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1876-09-08

you go IN, papa 2
The nurse was jouncing the fraction
baby about in her arms; ; the hackmen
having deposited innumerable trunks
with
Big box, little box,
Bandbox, bundle,
on the sidewalk, were skipping about
imFatiently waiting for the pay. a be
lated pedestrian stumbled over the bag
gage and, in not very delicate language
asked the puzzled group why they didn'
take their traps into the house and go u
bed. They did not tell why.
The prancing of the horses brough
neighbor Leland to his door.
"Good evening, good evening" ht
said. "Glad to see you back again
We've been at the mountains all sum
per and have just got home ourselves
some one rang at our bell an hour age
aud left yourskeys here;" and he handed
them to the poor, puzzled Mr.. Greyson.
So the summer dance was not in neigh
Dor Leland's house
Opening the door, they were met by
strong odor of tobacco, and they fancied
something more than that also. The
house was dark and cold, and the air
within it heavy with impurity. The
gentleman struck match, and having
ushered the family into the cold library,
proceeded TO the cellar for materials to
make fire; but alas, the cellar was as
empty as blown egg-shell. Even the
ash-barrels and the boards that composed
the coal bins were gone. He turned to a
smaller cellar where he kept the boards
for protecting the brown stone steps from
snow and ice, resolving recklessly to
have fire at any cost. But they, too,
had vanished. He flew up stairs again.
lie caught up his hat and ran to that
refuge in all city emergencies, the cor
ner grocery, and ordered kindling wood
to VAIN his children.
" | had wood and coal in my cellar for
six month";" he said; ''but it is all
cleaned out"
I'm afraid you've had rather hard
tenants this summer, SIR" said the
grocer.
" Tenants! Ihave had no tenantp' was
the reply. We put widow and her
daughter in there to take care of the
house"
WHY the woman told me she took
the house and her living for the season
in payment of a debt you owed her
husband and she's run up a pretty
heavy bill here" said the grocer.
4" Well, I'm swindled but I'll pay
you. Send in the wood at once - said
the gentleman.
When Mrs. Greyson was warm enough
to move round, she and her husband
went over the house. Such dcsolation
was never seen before in a beautiful home.
Every bed had heen occupied old boots
and shoes lay about in the chambers
ciI%mPagrse and wine bottles were still
standing and had left their marks on the
upholstered mantelpieces and marble
bureau-tOps. Pine sticks, well charred,
were in the CRATES; and little sauce pan
on a dirty hearth showed that water had
been heated, if cooking had not been done
there, also.
The two spare chambers in which the
rich winter wardrobes had been locked
up where the only rooms fit to sleep in
that night; and when fairly seated in one
of them, poor Mrs. Greyson found COM
fort in that blessed relief for troubled wo-
men-tears.
Mr.. Greyson sent his family to a
hotel, and brought in a corps of carpet
cleaners, house cleaners, whitewashers
and plumbers; and many of the car
pets that came up never went down
again.
When this was going on, Mr.. Greyson
received the grocer's bill, on which was
charged for two women in three months:
thirty dozen eggs, twelve dozen lemons,
two boxes of oranges, ninety pounds of
sugar, twelve pounds of tea, thirty boxes
sardines, raisins, figs, jelly and every
other conceivable luxury the grocer could
supply.
Then came the provision-dealer'
book, with charges of mutton-legs and
beefroasts of powerful dimensions, of
steaks, outlets, chickens, sweetbreads,
oysters, and in short everything an cpl
cure could desire, in quantities large
enough to supply a boarding house
The neighbors did not know what Mrs.
Wilcox brought, but they knew she
carried off two cart-loads of boxes and
barrels.
When all was again quiet in Mr.. Grey
sons house, he stepped on to the stairs
late one evening to turn off the gas, when
a key was put into the latch. A spruce
looking young man sprang in, and, pass
ing the gentleman, darted up stairs, three
steps at time.
% What do you want up there, sir?''
asked Mr.. Greyson.
The young man turned Indignantly
and replied: II don't know as it is any
business of yours what want. But I've
been out of town for fortnight, and
have come home to my wife, Mrs. Will
cox's daughter.
When told they were gone, the man
asked, "Where?"
"Fll give you hundred dollars to an
swer that question for me, said thegen-
tleman; "for they've swindled me out
of hundreds of dollars. and ruined my
furniture, and, for aught l know, they
kept saloon or lodging house here in
my absence"
The man descended more humbly than
he went up, and said in subdued tone
1--WE occupied the second floor. l
don't know anything of the other peo-
ple." His wife was the frail child Mrs.
Wilcox had to provide for.
Scarcely had he thrown down the
Iatch-key and gone, when there came
4 tremendous ringing at the door. Mr..
Greyson opened it, and stood face to
face with a buxom, over-dressed girl,
and a hackman with a trunk on his
shoulder.
Mrs. Wilcox in ?'' the girl asked, with
. confident, Aippant air.
".She doesn't live here" was the cool
reply.
The girl looked puzzled. " Isn't this
ay1