The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-07-08
POOLING IN EARNEST.

Miss Mehitable Parsons, stood before
the kitchen window, preparing sausages
and potatoes for breakfast. Her cat,
Spice, sat on the sill, surveying her mis-
tress' proceedings in serene anticipation;
and the small servant, who with Spice,
formed the whole of Miss Parsons limit
ed establishment, was vigorously sweep
ing the passage, with a broom much TOO
large for her, the handle of which kept
up perpetual knocking accompaniment
against the walls.
It was a beautiful day, sunny and
balmy, with fresh, delicious perfume of
springing grass and budding leaves; and
few opening blossoms were sprinkled
like new fallen flakes on the branch
es of the old pear tree. Miss Mehitable
devided her attention between these, the
sausages and potatoes, and the contem-
plation of three speckled hens, which
she intended to "set" tomorrow. She
had lust arrived at a close mental COM
putatlon Of what would be the net pro-.
ceeds OF the Matching, when the small
servant rushed in, wonder in her eyes
and letter IN her hand. : y
20, mum I" says she, holding up the
missive, "jest see what found tucked
in under the street door,
Miss Parsons correspondence was not
an extensive one. With the exception OF a
married sister in California, from whom
she heard once in Six months, or cousin
in town some thirty miles distant, who
wrote to her about twice in three years,
she boosted no regular correspondent.
She, therefore, surveying with interest
the brim- stone colored envelope, which
/ the small servant held up, and wiping
her finger and thumb on her apron took
It glngerly by one corner, and exalhinad
It with microscopic scrutiny.
"Miss Mehittyble Parsons, Present.
No stamp nor postmark. Nothing in
that ] Can feel of. Name spelled wrong,
too. Who could have sent its What can
it be about, ! wondera Put under The
door, too, without knocking. / do won
der what it is about, and who it is from9''
AS the most direct means of enlighten-
ing her mind on these obscure points,
Miss Parsons at length bethought her
self Of opening the letter. She sat down,
carefully opened the envelope, unfolded
the enclosure, and read aloud its con.
tents, written in awkward schoOlboy
hand, and embelllshed with sundry blots
and erasurcs:
MISS MEHrrTYBLE PARsONs-Mad-
am 81 take the liberty to inform you
that as there Is no peace or quiet in the
neighborhood, nor IS likely to be, so long
as your cat trespas on my premersis, and
set my dog abarkin' all night, and the
neighbors THROWN bootjacks at him and
threatenln'to shut him, I hereby inform
you that the next time your cat trespas
on my wood shed ruff, or the gardine
fence, III shut your cat and git some
peace and quiet. Yors respectfully
CApTEN TELLER
Miss Mehltable gave a gasp, and lei
her hands drop nerveless in her lap.
''The land! Who ever heard of the
like9 Why the man must be stick stark
crazy.n
Then her eyes flashed with Just indig
nation.
ssTo think of SIGH assurance--and tt
me, the darter of Deacon Parsons! II
all the forty five years since l was bor1
in this very house, I've never had sucf
an outrageous thing to happen 10 me
never!''
Her lips quivered -hereyes filed will
tears.
eff there was man of any sort in til.
house, he wouldn't a dared to write tina
letter. It all comes of my being a poo,
lone unprotected woman. And he want.
to shoot my Spice!'
Here, suddenly arousiDg to sense o,
Spices danger, she hastily turned to the
window, but the cat had disappeared.
'sSally Sally! run inro the garden
quick, and bring in the cat! That dread
full man may be getting his gun at thi
very minute. Run!
"Please. M says Sally, nervouslv
peeping through the window, as though
a tribe of Indians in war-paint were am
buscading behind the sage and goose
berry bushes-"pleas, I'M don't see he
nowheres."
s'Then go and look for her-quick
skeercely dare to shoot you, you littl
z cowardv
AS Sally disappeared, her mistres
turned to the tizzling sausages and pota
toes, which having been neglected IN be
excitement, were now giving out and odo
of burning.
She had hardly time to turn then
when the small servant rushed in. pale
ami with wide-open eyes, bearing Splc
in her arms, carefully wrapped in he
check apron.
ooh, mum! Cap,n Teller's over in hi
yard, and he do look orful'
Miss Mehitable peeped from her win
dow. There indeed was her next doc
neighbor. bare-headed, an ak in his hanC