Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-11-28


Hidden between loving eyes, .,9e ..e ~
Burning hands, and answering signs?
-Hellen s. Co,asnt, in Harper. Magazine Q
II WISH I'D REMAINED AT HOME"
A THANKSGIVING STORY. 5,~5 >..'-
% "The Badgerleys coming here to spend
Thanksgivingg" said Mrs. Nett;ngley.
,"Not if I know it," +: - -: ::s :.
: Mrs. Nettingley was close-fsted and
calculating matron, who lived in house
in stylish neighborhood in New York,
and was one Of those who, Of her maid Of
all-work expressed it, would skin flee
to save the hide and tallow." Mrs. Net
tlngly liked to make a show, but she had
deep-rooted' aversion to spending
money. And entertaining company on
Thanksgiving day was one of the (, things
that could not oe accomplished without
the latter concomitant. -
Mr.. Nettingley, little, weak-minded
m an, who viewed his big wife With
spectful admiration, looked obviously at
her, sBut, my DEAR" said he, show are
: you going to help it4 They've sent word
they are COMING ~
''I'll go to your sister Belinda's, up in
Saugatuck county," .. ~ - =.
Mr.. Nettingley felt of his chin.
"They haven't invited u.s." said he
shat is not especially"
ooh, fiddlestick!' SAID Mrs. Netting
ley. "Delinda's always glad to see me
and the children. And as for staying at
home to gorge Mrs. Badgerley ana her
six children, and Mr.. Badgerley's two sis
tiers, I won't do it, Why, such turkey
as they would expect would cost So. at
the very least. Get me timetable,
Nettingley. Send word to Mrs. Badger
ley that I've gone away to spend Thanks
giving" ia
Mr. Nettingley, who never dreamed of
opposing his wife's will in this or any
other matter, wrote the letter accordingly,
and put it in his coat.tail pocket, where
it remained, For he forgot all about it.
Mrs. Nettingley packed up her own
things and the things of the four little
Nettingleys, and took the afternoon train
to Scrag Hollow. in Saugatuck county.
"Mamma," said Theodore Nettinglcy
the juvenile scions of the house OF
Nettingley all had hi gh-soundiug appel
lations-''it looks all shut up and lonely.
I don't believe any one is at home"
'Psbaw" said Mrs. NettiDgley, "peo-
pie in the country always live in the.
back of the house,
And carrying heavy carpet bag in her
hand she trudged around to the rear door,
followed by Theodore, Lavinia, Evange-
line and Gervase, each Juggling along
smaller bag.
Nobody responded to her repeated VOL
ley of knocks, but presently little old
woman, who had come from a neighbour
ing cottage to the well for water, was
made to understand what was wanted.
MRS. Peckfeld2" said the little old
woman, in a high-pitched, shrill voice
which so often accompanies deafness.
"You's her cousin from the city, come
spend Thanksgiving2 Well, if that ain
too badl Mrs. Peckfeld started tn
very afternoon for Ladd's depot; got som
relations as lives there"
"That's very strange" said Mrs. Net
tingley. 81 telegraphed to her that l was
coming.
Couldn't a got the telegraph, I guess"
said the little old woman.
But Mrs. Nettingley knew better than
that, for under the corner of the piazza
there lay torn envelope Of the Western
Union Telegraph! And she knew that
Mrs. Peckfe!d had fed from her, just as
she, Mrs. Nettingley, had fed before the
Badgerley family.
"But Ill be even with her," said Mrs.
Nettingley, grinding her false teeth, "l'll
go to Ladd's depot. What are the names
OF her relations there?" -
The little old woman, after some med
itation, said that it was Jones. At least
she thought it was Jones. She wasn't
quite certain. 1t might be Smith. Or il
might be Thompson. But she believed it
was Jones. And she believed they lived
on Thorn street. - y ..
1t was long walk back to the railroad
depot, and the four little Nettingleys
were tired and cross, but they fortunately
succeeded in reaching it before the last
northward train started. But it was an
express, and didn't stop at small places
like Ladd's depot, as Mrs. Nettingley
found to her cost when she paid IS for a
hack to take her back to Ladd's depot.
On inquiry it was found that there
were about half dozen families of the
name of Jones at Ladd's depot. The first
place to which they drove, on Thorn
street, was a tenement house, where th.y
all had the scarlet fever. H.
"Oh, my |" said Mrs. Nettingley. "Drive
on, quick. This isn't the placer'
The nextGwas "a clergyman's house
where q, full-fedged experimenting was
going briskly on .... -.
This isn't the place, either" said poor
Mrs Nettingley, waxing more and more
in despair.
And the third was vinegar faced old
maid, who lived with her married sister,
and never had heard the name of Peck
field in her life. 'f'2'-'~
"What shall do2" said Mrs. Netting
ley. -. !
Better 20 to- a hotel, ma am, :" said. the
hickman, who himself was beginning to
get out of patience.
"But it costs so much,'' said Mrs. Net
tingley. "And tomorrow is Thanksgiving
day. Is there train goes back to-night?'''
''To-night2''; said the hackman. why
its past II a'readyl And my horses has
got the epjzootic, AM. I couldn't keep 'em
out no longer, not for nobody. But :
s'spose could take you to the IL 80 night
express, for little extral'' :':''@ !: =
And this moderate specimen of the
tribe of hackmen consented to be salts
fed with So ...s...''55
"Mar' whispered Gervase, i'r uere are
we golngf" -. b." %. ~s>'. r::3s
Home" said Mrs, Nettingley, pro-
nouncing the word as if it were d peanut
she'll she was cracking. There was one
comfort, though. the Badgerley family