Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-08-02
Several times during the summer,

would made her too prudent, he sent
her a pair of chickens, and half a
dozen baskets of Strawberries; and he
felt the poor wOman's interests to be
his own. as he thought of her pale face
as seen through her veil.
the summer wore pleasantly away,
and September was passing, with now
and then chilly day. AS the even
ings grew too cool for rowing, the
GreysOns decided to return to town.
They sent word to Mrs. Wilcox to have
good fire in the library on the APP
pointed evening, and generously offer
ed her and her child a home, till they
could make arrangements for them
selves
1t was raw, chilly night when the
GreySons filled two hacks with them
selves and their baggage and rode up
town, happier to get back to their
home than they had been to leave it.
Great was their surprise, however,
on drawing up to the door, to find the
house all dark. 1t was evident, Mr..
Greyson said, that Mrs. Wilcox had
not received his note, and that she and
her daughter had gone out. There
they stood, weary, shivering group,
on the doorsteps, Mr.. and Mrs. Grey
son consulting III a perplexed sort of
way, Miss Greyson encouraging the
little boys to patience, while they and
two little sisters were calling out, fret
fully: "Why don't you go in, papa?"
The nurse was jouncing the frac-
hob oh hA~
hackmen, having deposited innumera-
bic trunks, with
Big box, little box,
Bandbox bundle,
on the sidewalk, were skipping about,
impatiently waiting for their pay. A
belated pedestrian stumbled over the
baggage and, in not very delicate Ian
guage, asked the puzzled group why
they didn't take their traps into the
house and 60 to bed. They could not
tell why.
The prancing of the horses brought
neighbor Leland to his door.
Good evening, good evening"" he
said. ''Glad to see you back again.
We've been at the mountains all sum-
mer and have just got home ourselves.
Some one rang at our bell an hour ago
and left your keys here;' and he
handed them to poor, puzzled Mr..
GreysOn.
So the summer dance was not in
neighbor 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 a fire; but alas, the
cellar was as empty as a 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 few MP stairs again
He caught up his hat and ran to that
refuge in all city emergencies, the cor
ner grocery, and ordered kindling wood
to warm his children.
q had wood and coal in my cellar
for six MONTHS" he said; "but it is all
cleaned out"
I'm afraid you've had rather hard
tenants this summer. SIR" said the
grocer.
Tenants! | have had no tenants!
was the reply. 1--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 debt you owed her
husband; and she's run up "A pretty
heavy bill here;' said the grocer.
"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
desolati0n was never seen before in
beautiful home. Every bed had been
occupied; old boots and shoes lay about
in the chambers; champagne and wine
bottles were still standing and had left
their marks on the upholstered mantel-
pieces and marble bureau-tops. Pine
sticks, well charred, We're in the CRATES;
and little sauce pan on 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, were the only rooms fit to
sleep in that night: and when fairly
seated in one of them, poor Mrs. Grey
son found comfort in that blessed relief
for troubled woman-tears.
Mr.. Greyson sent his family to a
hotel, and brought in corps of carpet
cleaners, house cleaners, whitewashers
and niumhers. and many of the oar