The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-25
MRS. BLAND.

the advantage OF quiet ana secluSlon. III wa
an out-oi-thc-way-pac on the Sound, which
believed then had almost discovered iher'
was a modest countnfed hotel, where ioot
and misquitOes might be had at minimum
of cost With two weeks holiday and an eX
ceeding moderate amount OF money to devote
"a nv pleasure after due consideration, hat
selected. Ripping Beach for my taring n,
a third clerk in n banN, my vacations were few
and far between, and | had determined tt
make the best of the occasion. When Mr.
Rowland, the assistant teller, whose business
# was to pay the employees their salaries, had
given me my check, he casually asked mt
where was going, and ! had cxpaliated on
the charms of Ripping Beach, and its being
one of the lost places on Long Island,
Visitors at the Beach House were, though
goodsh people, not congenial. was inditlcr
ent, however to society. Boaimcn and fisher
men were my boon companions. had been
a week at Ripping Beach when became ac
ouainted with Mrs. Bland This lady was Il
late arrival How | came TO talk with Mrs
Bland, can hardly tell | rather think that
hearing the lady express desire to see city
paper handed her a Times, and in this way
some commonplace conversation had com
menced before we knew it. a certain, pleas
ant way the woman had, fairly well-bred
manner, Discrimination to indulge IN tit.lctattle
with the rest Of the boarders, made her society
rather agreeable than otherwise Mrs, Bland
was dlminutive, had graceful figure, and
dressed with quiet taste.
Though Mrs. Agnes Bland was fully thirty,
she impressed me with certain chldishness
of expression in which vague description |
hope am not paraphrasing Mr.. Bret llartc.
The lady's eyes were OF pale blue, without
fiyity of glance No one would have been
rude enough TO even attempt to stare Mrs.
Bland out Of counicnancc. 1t would have
been, apparently, too easy thing to do; with,
out having evasve eyes they seemed subdued
and the least blt furtivc An immense volume
of fair blonde hair which she wore in one
big braid, added most essentially to her
charms. For any trait Of fiXity Of purpose in
Mrs. BANDS regularly oval face, the only IN
dication Of it was II slight wrinkling OF the
forehead between the eyes. Such burrows had,
however, no pcrmancncc. You might see such
little winrows on IL Chlld's face when some
passing matter for brief moment had cngag-
ed its scattering wits. COnvcrsatOnally, Mrs.
Bland was fairly amusing. Educated she was
not; but having Il good amount Of nluitivc
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? 1t is one Of the annoy
ances OF an outoi'thc-way place. Mails are
dilatory, or come in batches.'
What do you know about my nailsE' ask
ed Mrs Bland the little wrinkles roughcnlhg
her forehead
"Why, Mrs. Band" | replied, IF you do
not receive many letter, ut least you have Ia
nous collection OF newspapers coming to you
every day-at least a dozen"
'lIow do you know thatY
"'rhe only groceryman in the little town who
sells me tishhooks is the postmaster. go
there early in the morning, before the mail Is
sent 10 the hotel. The grocer generally runs
the whole matter before Inc into IA bushel bask-
ct prior to handing me my occasional CORES
poldence. see Mrs Agnes Bland on ever so
many Journals Have the honor Of address
ing "A lady correspondence literary woman ~
Nonsense what an idea! My husband
sends the papers to me- It Is Il delicate atlen-
ton on his part In reading them time passes
away during his absence" Then there is a
Mr. Bland, said to myself
81 expect Mr., Bland will be here in "a few
days. | hope you will like him, He is II
great fisherman. Now, notice YOU bring II
fishing pole to the water side every morning
and bring back nothing. My husband has
sent his fishing tackle down, 80 if you want
hooks or lines | can spare you some. You
come here every season, do your
No; this is the first time in my life. Good
morning, Mrs Bland, and many thanks for
your offer"
Good morning sir; but excuse me II mo,
mcnt. Would you kindly look at this bill of
mine the motel clerk has sent me? | am an
idiot about accounts. Here are some items
which | have 10 doubt are correct, with cX-
press charges on some trunks and things paid
fl, IA, ,, A.
zlcs me. The handwriting is so bad. Would
you, now just make the addition for me- Oh!
| amt afraid Of you looking at the bill. There
are no sherry cobblers in the account and do
not trust muslin dresses 10 seaside washcrwo
menu Mrs Bland had hanging from her
neck IA delicate chain, and among numerous
rafting appendagcs there was "A dainty gold
pencil With as pretty II dimpled white hand
as | ever saw, she bent over and offered me 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 few cents
the advantage being in her favor
1T is a trlilc in error, Mrs. Bland, but the
people are honest Ii should be S2S61, in
stead OF $3.50"
81 never could remember the figures; pray
set them down. 1t will give Mr. Bland so
much pleasure 10 know that | nave my nlll
exactly tight He is such strict man OF
business"
willingly" replied, and | wrote at the
foot of the bill, "2S61 Korrcct"
Thanks" said Mrs. Bland. what Won
dertul head you have for figures" She scrut
nized the bill closely. "And whataqueer way
OF making sevcns."
"Oh, in the bank do little else than add up
figures for hours on stretch There Is moth
ing queer about my sevens. ! always cross
M seycns Then they do not look like ones
in "A great many banking houses IN New FORK
that is the rule. Scientific calculators always
use the crossed sevcns"
"Ah, indeed. Ifyou want to see ludicrous
, or 3, look at mIne-suCh wormy twisting
thing Look" aud She drew the numerals.
They are quite ludicrous, indeed J said
There, make your three that way, and don't
bring the tail of your five below the line, like
French five and made the figures.
Thanks Tor the lesson | will deain you
no longer must 30 now and pay my bill
$2S 81, you say?"
49, I laf, L.. - Il