The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-08-14
A KISS FOR A BLOW.

THOMAS" said Miss Browne to thu
man-servant, "what is the name of tht
family living in the third house below
us on this side the street.-the house
with the ash-trees before it? Olive,
"ten CAN ne relied upon in the matter
of names.''
That be the name, MISS sail
Thomas. Leastways, it's Thurstn,
on the door"
"Thurston! A pretty set they mus
be. too! That Thurston boy pummel:
Oliver within an inch of his life when
ever he goes into the street. l cam,
keep Oliver in the house, and l CAM
bear this thing any longer. Why, the
poor child came home Yesterday with
his nose bleeding. and mud on his new
suit, and l have made up my mind to
send line to young Thurston's ia
ther"
"Shall l take it round, miss?''
Directly" And Miss Nora pro-
ceeded to indite this frigid note:
MIR. THuRsToN: Dear Sir-You will doubtless
be surprised at note from a stranger; but
feel obliged 80 call your attention to the be-
havior OF your son toward our little Oliver, who
blow from him. have endured this sari af
thing till endurance is no longer virtue, ana
must request ycps early interference;
The next day she received this reply:
=" MIR. Thurston regrets that Mrs. Browne has
been put to any Inconvenience by the conduct of
his grandson. and begs to ask if Master Oliver
did not provoke the quarrel, and bear his part
in it"
"Our Oliver provoke quarrelr'
cried Miss Nora. "What an insolent
old manr' and, she straightway re-
turned:
SRI cannot believe for an instant that our
Oliver was to blame in the affair. l have in
quired into the matter and it seems that the
blow was entirely unprovoked. am only aston on
such grave fault II. BRowNE.'
A reply was soon after received, as
follows:
Mr.. Thurston thinks that if you can secure a
faithful report of the affair from Master Oliver,
you will find that it is six of and half dozen
of the other SO to speak. Mr.. Thurston also begs
that you Will reorganze your own child's man
bors.i
If l can secure faithful report
from Oliver! When will :apudence
cease" oman-like, she meant to have
the last word:
"MR TauRsIoN: Sir-I can rely implicitly
upon our divers word. And if .! fail to reor-
",
ampes. 81. BRowNE.H
"What an ass that Mrs. Browne isr'
said Grandpa Thurston to the person
who had been doing up this tender
correspondence for him. "Give it to
the simpleton hot and heavy this time,
Luce. You weren't savage enough in
your last.''
~ propose we drop the subject here.
She's born scold, and will have the
last word, say what you WILL" and as
Grandpa Ihurston was paralyzed, and
could only hold a pen by proxy, the
correspondence came to a stand-still.
''They found my last unanswerable,"
thought Nora. "What common peo-
pie they must be, to bring up child
so badly! Shoddy, no doubt. Pm glad
Idon't know them-that people are not
obliged to know their neishbors in the
city. They must be insufferable.''
Miss Nora Browne had been left in
charge of her sisters household, while
that lady and her husband travelled
abroad. unhampered by Master Oil
ver's presence. Her home was some
hundred miles away inland, and her
acquaintances in the city were few and
far between, while even these few were
generally out of town at this season of
the year. However, she was surprised
one morning by call from friend,
who, having become tired of the noun
tains, had returned to the city for
few days.
"How lonesome you must be, Nora!n
said Miss Elphinstone. ':You must
drop in upon us often; the horse-cars
run within block of our door. And
We'll have such larks! By-the-way, we
are going down the harbor tomorrow
in Cousin Lucius' yacht he Just home
from Europe, you know-and you must
join us.'
"I'm sure don't know," said Nora,
"never having heard of Cousin Luz
cius' existence before"
"Never heard of Cousin Lucius!
Well, live and learn. But you'll come?'
"Wild horses couldn't keep me at
home, thank you"
The next day Thomas and old Rus
set took Miss Nora down to the wharf.
where the Sunbeam was ready to put
out. What day it was! Not a cloud
IN the whole wide heavens, and ..Cous-
IN Lucius'' on deck, brown-bearded
and white-handed, with great LIQUID
eyes, and smile that set the pulses
beating when it beamed upon one, and
that one happened to be a girl of twen-
ty with an untenanted heart. The
party was quite family affair, MIR.
and Mrs. Elphinstone, their sons and
daughters, with one or two friends,
making up the list.
This is regular snare, Nora" said
Ellen Elphinstone, when they were
dropping down the harbor. 81 don't
know how you'll feel about it, my dear
girl; but, you see, we are not going to
sail for the day merely, but out into
the broad Atlantic, and along the coast,
and Heaven knows where, just as Cous-
in Lucius pleases. We may be ship
wrecked, or cast on desert shore.
But we shall be away week, at the
very least.''
"Oh, how superbr' cried Nora; and
then her face heightened. "But, Nell,
things"
Providence will provide. You see.
had no time to notify you after our
change of plan; but packed up a
double supply of 'things;' so don't
worry
"But there's the housekeeping, and
the servants, and burglars,
But you've a housekeeperr"
"And there's Oliver, and Oh
dear! it's delightful, but ought to be
at home"
but your nephew has nurse?''
"Why, he's eight years old, Nell.
10 be sure, his nurse lives with MS
still, and regards him as the apple of
her eye, and Thomas looks after him
like detective; still"