The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-09-16

Dove bent her attention to the window
glass, and Adonijan, with more zeal
than discretion, splashing whitewash
able impartiality.
WAL, said Adonijah, afterward, 4
never did see no cricket work spryer
than that city young lady. By gracious,
she beats Betsy all holler at it. And
the's got such an up and down pretty
way of doing things too, l declare. l
couldn't hardly take my eyes off her
all the time was whitewashin'.
"Mrs. Dove, however, was unused to
the severe exertions incident upon
house-cleaning time, and went to bed
with sick headache in the middle of
the afternoon
"Never mind, Mrs. Dove, ",said Flora;
I'll get tea, and I'll make some of those
cream waffles and shortcake for Mr..
Dove, and you shall see how nice ! can
fry"
| Indeed, indeed, | don't know what /
should do without you Flora, said Mrs.
Dove, feryently.
But it happened Mr.. Daniel Dove
|
at Whitskills, the neighboring town,
and instead of him, who should walk
debonairly into the sitting-room fling
ing down his carpet-bag, but Erie Hale
himself, just as the rainy dusk closed
in, and the delicious odor of frying
oysters and Mocha coffee filled the
house.
Halo! said Erie. so you're house
cleaning-eh, Betsy?'
Yes, sir, a demure voice responded
from the kitchen
And where's my aunt?"
'She has retired with sick headache,
sir
The natural consequences of clean
ing house, suppose, said Erie Hale,
with shrug of his shoulders. Dear
old Aunt Delial why couldn't she be
contented to leave things as they were?
Tell her, Betsy, that Washburn has
concluded not to exchange until next
week, and that, now I'm in the midst
Of the midst of the melee, TIL lend a
hand with the business to. morrow
Yes, sir
And Betsy
'Sir?'
Where did you learn to make such
delicious coffee? Bring me cup at
once. I'm ready to drop with weari-
ness, and it's like dream of Arabia
And Flora Lee, with the Tapping edge
of her sun bonnet concealing the anus
ing dimples around her mouth, brought
in the oysters and coffee, f1anked by a
pile of feather light waff1es.
Erie facetiously. 'If You were a trife
younger and prettier, I'd marry you
myself, to make sure of coffee and
wafHes like this every night
Would you, sir?' said the sol distant
Betsy.
and we would make compact, Bet
sy,' merrily went on the young clergy
man, as he helped himself to butter,
to finish the house cleaning tomorrow,
and save Aunt Della the worry and
hustle of it.
Yes, SIR said Betsy. but, please
sir, it's a all l done excepting i the tacking
| who did it?'
| 4, sir, please, and Mrs. Dove and
Adonijah. And please, sir, I'm going
to finish it myself tomorrow. and
please, SIR fIinging back her sun bon
net and disclosing a a,coronel of bronze
brown braids, a pair of very rosy
cheeks and eyes of sparkling, hazel
mischief-pm not Betsy at all, but
Flora Lee, entirely at your service.
The Rev. Erie Hale started with
round-eyed surprise, not unmingled
with dismay.
Miss LeeH repeated he.
Il Exactly nodded the young lady.
Did you make the coffeeg
4 did,.
And fry those brown.jacket .oysters
and stir up those waffies?'
No one else, Mr.. Hale
And scrub these rooms? glancing
around.
Yes, sir, and busted the cornices, and
washed the window-glass, and took
down all the picture frames, and put
the lace curtains in soak, besides other
items too numerous to mention, mis-
chievously added Floca, rather enjoy
ing the discontinue of the young
clergyman.
Miss Lee,' said Erie, 4 beg your par
don.'
what for, Mr.. Hale 2?
For always regarding you as the
most useless and ornamental of Great.
ures. 1 recant, own that you are
equal to any emergency, !.
And when, later in the evening, Mrs
Dove crept out, she found her nephew
and Flora Lee playing chess together
by the fire, in the most amicable man.
} ner imaginable.
"It's all right said Mrs. Dove to her
self,
"It was all right. And Mrs. Erie
Hale won her frank, unconventiona'
husband, not through the medium o.
dress, or jewels or waltzes, or flower
shows, but through the grim realities
f of cleaning house.
ri wanted genuine helpmeet, says
the Rev. Erie, 'and have got one.