Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1878-10-17
3HisfeNanM
MRS. BLAND.

had the advantages Of quiet and scclusion.
1t was an out.of.thc-way place OH the
Sound, which believed then | had al
most discovered. There was Il modest
countriticd hotel, where food and mosque
toes might be had at Il minimum of cost.
With two week, holiday and IN exceed
ingly moderate amount of money to de-
vote to my pleasure, after due cOnsidcrl-
ton, had selected Rippling Beach for
my tairing. As Il third clerk in the bank,
my vacations We're few and far between,
and had determined to make the best o
the occasion. When Mr.. Rowland the
assistant teller, whose business it was to
pay the employees their salaries, had given
me my check, he had casually asked me
where was going. and had cxpatiatcd
on the charms of Rippling Beach, and its
being one OF the lost places on Long
Island.
Visitors at the Beach House were,
though goodsh people, not congcnial. |
was indifferent, however, to society.
Boatmcn and fishermen were my boon
companions. had been week at Rip
plmg Beach when became acquainted
with Mrs. Bland. This lady was late
arrival. How came to talk to Mrs.
Bland can hardly tell. rather think
that, hearing the lady express Il desire to
see City paper, | had handed her IL
IimcS, and in this way some common
place conversation had commenced. \
certain pleasant way the woman had, Il
fairly wcll-brcd manner, diSinclination
to indulge in tttlc-tattc with the rest of
the bOardcrs. made her society rather
agreeable than otherwise. Mrs. Bland
was diminutyc, had graceful figure, and
dressed in quiet taste. Though Mrs.
Agnes Bland was fully 30. she impressed
me with certain childishncss of express
sion, in which vague description | trust |
am not paraphrasing Mr.. Bret llartc.
Tile lady's eyes We're of Il pale blue, with
out iixity of glance. No one would ever
have been rude enough TO even attempt TO
stare Mrs. Bland out Of countcnancc. It
would have been apparently, too easy Il
thing to do. Without having cyaSiyr
eyes, they seemed subdued and the least
bit turtivc. An immense volume of fair,
blonde hair which she wore in one big
braid, added most essentially to her
charms. For any trait of iiXity Of pur-
pose in Mrs. Bland regularly oval face,
the only indication of il was a slight wrink-
ling of the forehead between the eyes.
Such burrows had, however. no prrma-
ncncr. You might see such little winrows
ON chid's face when some passing mat
ter for u brief moment had engaged its
p,t,tt.t..,l ,..tt.s i'1ttar-1tIppullt- hp-
Bland was fairly amusing. Educated she
was not; but having good amount Of
intuitivr perception, her remarks were
clear and defined. 1t was the day after !
had given her the paper, when said to
Mrs. Bland, Has your budget failed
to reach you. II is one of the mnoymccs
Of an out-oi-thc-way place. Mails are
dilatory, or come in batches.'
What do you know about my mail?''
asked Mrs Bland, the littl wrinkles rough
cning her forehead.
"Why, Mrs. Bland. replied, "if you
do not receive many letters, ut least you
have a famous collection Of newspapers
coming to You every day-at least Il doz-
en-.
"TIow do You know that
"Ihc only grocery man in the little
toNn, who sells me iish-hooks, is the Post
master 90 there early in the morning.
before the mail is sent to the hotel. The
grocer generally runs the whole mail be-
fore me, into Il bushcl basket, prior to
handing my occasional correspondence.
| see Mrs. Agnes Bland on ever so many
journals. Have the honor of addressing
lady correspondence literary womm?"
Nonsense! what au idea! My husband
sends the papers to me. 1t is a delicate
attention on his part, In reading them
time passes away during his absence.
Then thcrcis Il Mr.. Bland, said to my
self.
al expect Mr.. Bland will be here in Il
few days. hope you will like him. He
is great fisherman. Now, notice you
carry fishing-polc to the watcr-sidc cv.
cry morning and bring back nothing. My
husband has sent his fishing tackle down,
so if you want hooks or lines can spare
YOU some. You come here every season,
do you not?"
mo; this is the first time in my life.
Good morning, Mrs. Bland, and thanks
for your offer.
"Good morning, Sir; but excuse me a
moment Would you kindly loo: at this
bill ofmine the office clerk has sent me? ]
am an idiot about accounts. Here are
some items which have no doubt are cor.
rcct, with express charges on some trunks
paid for by the office, and the string of fig
urcs puzzles me. Then the handwriting
is so bad. Would You, now, just make
the addition for me? Oh! | amt afraid
of your looking ut the bill. There are nc
sherry cobblcrs ON the account and one
does not trust muslin dresses to seaside
washcr-womcn.' Mrs. Bland had hanging
from her neck a delicate chain, and among
numerous nttlmg appendages there was Il
dainty gold pencil, With as pretty a
dimpled white hand as | ever saw, she
bent over and offered the pencil.
The calculation was so simple that ran
| it over in my mind without the use of the
pencil, and gave the total. 1t differed a
few cents, the advantage being in Mrs.
Bland's favor.
at is trillc in error, Mrs. Bland but
the people are honest. II should be
$2S g., instead of $685."
al never could remember the figures;
| pray Sct tnem uOWn, IL VIII give WI,
Bland so much pleasure to know that |
have my bill exactly right, He is such a
strict man of business.
"Willingly," replied, and wrote at
the foot of the bill, 1898 81, Korrect.'
"Thanks, said Mrs. Bland. "What a
wonderful head you have for figures.
She scrutinized the bill closely. "And
what queer way of making sevens!"
"Oh, in the bank am in | do little
else than add up figures for hours on Il
stretch. There is nothing queer abontmy
Sevcns. always cross my sevens. Then
they do not look like ones. In a great
many banking-houses in New York thai
is the rule. Scientific calculators always
use the crossed seven" "
"Ah, indeed. you want to see a ludi
crous or 3, look at mine-such worny
twisting things. Look" and Mrs Blanc
drew the numerals.
"They are quite ludicrous, indeed,
said. "There, make your 3 this way, anC
don't bring the tail Of your 3 below th'
line, like French 5, and made th,
figures.
"Thanks, for the lesson. | will detaii
you no longer. | must go now and pa.
: my bill-S29 81, you say?'
] With q bow left Mrs Bland, and hur