River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-08-14
COMPANY TO SUPPER.

COMPANY TO SUPPER.
There was not living being in tn,
| house but Della, Lottie and me, except
| ing the cat. who was snoozing away be
| hind the kitchen stove.
The rest had gone to Falltown to somt
kind of q meeting. There was Away
something gong on somewhere for thu
grown folks, and | suppose there wa
never child in the world who hated t
be left alone worse than ] did. So thi!
time they let me have Della and Lottlt
come to stay with me
We were up stairs braiding palm lea
hats-girls were brought up to work IL
that town-when suddenly the front door
bell rang.
Now, the front door bell was not runa
more than once in three months, and II
was so rough and rusty it would only
tinkle. Almost everybody came through
the side yard to the double-Ieaved doors
that always stood open into the little
square south entry with the sun shining
| II.
So, if the bell rang, it couldn't be one
of the neighbors. 1t must be a good deal
OF stranger, and was as afraid OF stran-
gers as aas of dogs.
Lets pretend We didn't hear it" said
Della.
"Seems as if l heard something, but
may be 1t was the cat knocking down q
milk PAM" said ].
But 1t was of no use. There came an
other tinkle, as though sheep with a
bell around his neck had bitten off q
mouthful of tough grass.
Il thought l heard a wagon stop a
long time ago." said Lottie. Yes, there
one tied out there" she added, Skin
mishing to the upper hall window
You Will have to go, Totty.'
mo, YOU needn't. Pretend we were
braiding so fast We couldn't hear a
thing" said Della, who would go out OF
her way to tell story any time.
ooh, I'll haUe to go! don't dare to
not" said /, casting aside my biaiding
in despair.
Then l battered down the little ma
hogany stained flight of stairs, the bell
ringing for the third time, and tugged
away at the great door key.
| And it did hate to tuIn In the rusted
| lock, And when it turned at last with q
complaining shrek, how the brass door
knob refused to move! Then a strong
hand from outside took hold, the bolts
gave way. the door flew open in a twink
| ling, and there stood two men. One was
a very tall man, and one was middlng.
sized man, and they had whlskers and
| hats and linen coats.
Good afternoon" said they, making
bows. ''Is nobody at home but yout"
mo, ma 'am-no. sir; the folks are all
gone to Falltown," said /, hoping with
all my might they would keep right on
10 Falltown, too. But then my sense OF
hospitalitality set in, and l added
They'll be coming home soon. Will
you walk ln9'
'Thank you said the middle-sized
man. May we put our horses in the
barn first"
Eyes, maam-yes, sir" SAID /, glad tC
be rid of them for so long. Then | rar
upstairs to the girls.
.tThey are going to stay; they are put
ting up their horses. | guess they've
c.me to see Amy. She has IA great many
gentleman friends" said l, proudly
minded to pick up what crumbs Of com
fort could.
Then shall go straight home sale
Della, tying up her straws. And, Lot
tie, you've got to 60 with me, because
you are my company"
"Oh, don't go!'' cried, in an agony o
bashful terror at the thought of being
left to face the strangers alone.
"Will you give me your beads If
stay2' demanded Della.
My beads were six in number, made o
white glass with square sides. They
were strung ON red thread, and, wheI
they were not finger ring, | kept then
IN an isinglass box along with the onl.
tooth | had yet shed. Sabbath schoo
card marked five mills" piece of blu
CLAW, the head of a doll and horse
chestnut. | went to my heart TO los,
these beads, but anything was bett@
than losing the girls, so as just goins
to saw that Della could have them, wheI
Lottie spoke up.
"Aren YOU ashamed, Della, to try Il
GET away Totty's beads" said she. III
stay with you lofty, till the folks come
anyway"
I i looked at her gratefully.
.Do YOU want "a bite of my liquoncel
said l, plunging to the bottom of my peck
ct and bringing up small piece wrappe'
in bit of newspaper.
II don't care" said she, holding on
her hand, ''where shall bite to2"
Bite to there said | marking off
space with my finger nail. And Deli
may have a taste, too, continued, will
ing to heap few Goals of fire on her head
But Della was not very sensitive, and, &C
cordingly, she helped herself to a genet
Gus mouthful, and didn't seem to fee
,, scorched bit.
Lets go down stairs and be ther
when they come in from untacking,
said, she, Just as though she hadn
thought of going bone.
well, said |, landing up my ha
and stra 5.
So, when the tall man and the mic
dling-s,zed man came in, there we sat o
high red, wooden bench with our fe,
t dangling, and each with a haff-braide
' hat In her hands. The gentlemen pause
I a moment, as though little surprised q
e such an appearance, and as though the
: expected some sort OF introduction G
. salutation. 4 faint impression foate
= over my mlnu 1t inc SAINT tliHe THAI SOM
5 thing of the kind would be proper. Br
: what could dos Was to say, This
G LottIe, and this is Delial' orMiss Pi
r. and Miss Luttonl" And if | knew whs
a to call the girls, was not sure about tn
:, gentlemen names. One ] knew to be
' Mr.. Bowers, an old school friend of m
n sister. and the other might BEL vas NJ
: certaIn-a Mr.. Linden, whom / had see
7 once.
I So, as ! did not know exactly what
s do. did nothing, which was perhaps II
: best way. but sat and braided and fe
n ashamed; and the young man looked ov'
/ the books On the braize-covered side L
G bic and tined to talk with Us. FINAL
Y they took pity on us as well as on then
e selves, and went out for walk up De-
:. Hill, and then Della made up her min
d she would go hons any way.
# "Comc, Lottie,r said she with autho
!, ity: .'you are my company"
}. ..oh Lottie said she would stay Il
d the folks come, cried, sDelia. yc