Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-02-21

gave scared look into the hall.
81 suppose it's Mr.. Vanderpool, /"
said Mabel.
"Oh, no. he nerer rings like that, "
said Florence.
Their old colored waiter had opened
the door by this time, and loud voice
was heard inquiring. "Does Mr.. Fen
ton-Mr. Samuel Fenton-live here ?"
Yes, ma am, he Does" old James
answered, respectfully.
"Wa'al, then, l guess I'll walk right
in-I seen the folks through the Win
DER and. apparently before the old
servant could stop her, the owner of
| the voice did "walk right into" the
parlor-a tall. strong-featured woman,
with iron-gray hair, clad in brill
| iantly-tlowered dress that bullying
hoop-skirt showed to advantage, and a
shawl of vivid red and yellow plaid
A bonnet of the shape called poke was
on her head, and from it dang1ed a
thick green veil. She wore gray cot
ton gloves, and one hand firmly
grasped lumpy carpet-bag, the other
a fat umbrella. She looked comfort
able and common from top to toe. She
peered at the group through her steel
bowed spectacleS, and tucking her um-
brella under the carpet-bag arm. she
extended her hand, "Wa'al, now,
s'pose yer don't know me. I'm Jeru-
sha Hevington-yer cousin, JerVsha
| Hevington.
The stricken family were dumb.
Mr.. FentOn was the first to recover.
He took the proffered hand, shook it
warmly, and led the lady to chair,
begging her to be seated; he could not
say that she was welcome, but he tried
to make her feel as if she were. Mrs.
Fenton then came forward, and. sit
ting down beside her, asked some
friendly questions about the journey;
and the girls, little conscience-smit-
ten, offered to take her things.
"Wa'al, guess l won't jest now,
thank yer-Tve got to go and see about
my trunk in minute; | he'd it left in
a grocery store jest around the corner.
The young man was awful pleasant
when told him that / was one of
your folks-he seems to set heap by
YOU"
"Good gracious!" thought Florence,
with shudder. 81 wonder if she
has been going all through the city adj
vertlsing her relationship to us"
"Wa'a1, Samuel" began Miss
Jerusha. "Yer've got two fine, likely
gals; they'd oughter help their mar
sight in doin' house-work and SIGH. 1t
must take a powerful heap O. work to
keep all them fussin's clean with
an admiring, rather awe-struck glance
about the room. Then she went on:
els them all the children you've got,
Maria?"
Mrs. Fenton answered that she had
two more, son and little daughter.
Mabel offered to send for her little
sister, thinking that child might
make converse easier, but Miss Jeru-
sha answered with such evident alarm
and disrelish, "For laws sake, MOI
/ can't bear childrenw that she drew
back, offended. Mrs. Fenton looked
annoyed; but Miss Jerusha, una
Dashed, began to complain of the aw-
tul drought up in their place, while an
awful silence fell upon the rest.
A quick, light ring made the girls
start and fervently hope that it was
not Mr.. VanderpoOl-I am sure for
the first time in their lives. TO have
Mr.. Vanderpool, of all beings in the
| world, see this dreadful relative-Mr.
Vanderpool, whose father belonged
to the oldest of Knickerbocker fami-
| lies. and whose mother was an
f. +. "; who was so fastidious and
refined himself! 1t took only a few
seconds for this to rush through
| their brains, when in Mr. Vanderpool
walked. lie was greeted in rather
embarrassed manner by them all, and
| inveigled into a seat as far as possible
from Miss Jerusha, on pretense of its
being cooler by the window.
But Miss Jerusha didn't mean to be
| left in the background-she got up
from her chair and stalked over to the
! group.
"Who's this young man 2" she
blandly inquired, indicating Mr.. Van
| derpool with her cotton forefinger
Mabel, with a very red face, intro
duced "Miss Hevington," mentally
grateful that the name wasn't Mulkins
| or Shocks.
Mr.. Nanderpool made an astonished
bow, but Miss Jerusha held out her
hand, and gave his an unmerciful grip,
exclaiming heartily, " I'm real glad to
see yer, mister. But see here. sis
| to Mabel" amt ashamed of bein'
your cousin yer might hev inter
! dooced me as SIGH
Then ordering Mr.. Vanderpool "to
set down on the sofy," she took her
place beside him when he had obeyed.
"Wa'al, now, ! didn't 'spect to see
SIGH fine young Teller the fust night
| come--a beau o yourn, | s'pose ?"
cha sold IN Mabel in a lnud trpina