The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-12-09

Uncle Phil. :" was down to see Mar
thighs sister" and it sot in tc
storm so hard I stayed all night. Wall,
when I got home I thought things
looked sorter queer, and sure enough,
found lots of things gone. The bureau
in the buttery, and all the things outen
the summer kitchen, whole lot of brass
things from the stairway closet, and nc
end of fixin's all over. I can't see,
wrote the old gentleman, "ss any close
or silver has been took, and / guess the
thieves must hev knowed of your bar
gains and come for them special. I've
heard they set stores by them in big
places. | reckon at a ruff CESS we've
lost about five bU -ows, three sophies
and six or seven ,,trlor stoves. to say
nothing of chiny end brass things"
To say that Aunt Susan was stunned
would be but family to express her state
of mind; but she determined Johns
happiness should not be dimmed by. her
anxiety, and 30 by great effort she
succeeded IN overcoming her despon-
dency and assuming cheerful face.
The wedding day came and passed.
John and Mary were bound in the holy
bonds of wed1ock, and had departed on
| their bridal trip.
Aunt Susan fingered few days to
complete some purchases, then returned
to the even tenor of her quiet home, and
waited with what patience she could for
Johns return.
Uncle Phil was waiting too-siIently,
but no less anxiously. In fact, little
air of mystery hung over the old house.
and hid shyly away amidst the wrinkles
of the kindly old faces of its excellent
owners Uncle Phil had some secret he
did not tell Aunt Susan, and Aunt Su-
san had some secret she did not confde
to Uncle Phil, and, stranger still, each
was so engaged with his own as to be
perfectly oblivious of the others posses
| sion.
! Only one person saw, understood, en-.
| ioyed and remained silent-Ohcle Ph1l's
sister, Martha.
| The summers heat slowly died out,
and autumn was beginning to paint the
tree-tops in the glories of red and gold,
when John wrote that he was coming
with his wife to take up his home in the
little house. They were to remain at
Uncle Pills till their house was ready.
OF course everything was on tip-toe.
Aunt Susan caused supply OF pies
and cakes to be baked that would have
victualed O man-of-war while Uncla
Phil spent the entire day shaking out
buffalo robes, and polishing up the old
carriage and wagon.
| Train time came so did John and
Mary, and the old people drove them
home from the depot with great pride,
under the scrutinizing gaze Of the entire
village eye, so to speak.
Tea was soon ready, but not so soon
but Uncle Phil had found time to di-
vulge his secret to John, for from the
woodhouse came low murmur of voices,
with now and then hearty peal of
| laughter In Johns clear voice mingled
with Uncle Phil's low guffaw.
Twice did Aunt Susan call out and
demand to know the joke, and twice did
she get her trouble for her pains, for no
hint was given.
After tea the whole party strolled
down to the new house. Now it was
Aunt Susan's turn. With proud step
she marched ahead and opened the door
of the house, faint flush on her with.
cred cheek. Mary followed closely, but
Phil and John stood rooted in the hall,
staring blankly and stupidity into the lit
tie parlor.
Certainly there was nothing there
which ought to brighton two full-grown
men-only four or five bureaus of some
what antique design, several tables with
massive pedestals and claw feet, two So
fas large enough to accommodate the
"pre-historic man" we hear about, and
q goodly assortment of clocks, andirons,
shovels, etc.
" You don't seem to be pleased" said
| Aunt Susan in a crestfallen manner, her
kind old voice trembling a little. CHOW
I thought you would be tickled about
to death with them. I found them all
in C (Uncle Phil and John ex-
changed guilty looks), and was 50 took
aback at losing mine, and [ noticed you
looked kinder red and cat up the morn
ing the news come, so I thought to my
self, Now LII just buy these for you,
John. This here burow"-placing her
hand lovingly on large and imposing
piece of furniture" did look so exactly
like the one I bought of Squire Thomas
and had in my buttery, that I couldn't
help getting it. You know you kinder
wanted it, John, the night it came home,
and l alus felt sorter mean that I didn't
| give it to you then; so as soon as [ sot
| my eyes on this one I up and bought it
and sent it down with the rest, unbe-
known to anybody, SO as to surprise you.
You didn't suspect, did you, Ihil p
But Uncle Phil was still speeches.,
and even Johns ready tongue refused to
do its work.
While they yet stood, silent and
crestfallen group, shrill, high treble
broke upon the silence, and Aunt "Mar-
thy" came walking in.
"Wall I do say you look meeching
enough ! | told you, Phil, that Susan
would find you out I thought I should
bust when Susan went to Caleb to go
down to the depot and haul up these
things just ten days after he hauled UNI
down, though, as fur that, twas dark
enough when he took um down, being
night"
At this awful stage John recovered
himself sufficiently to confront Aunt
Martha and by dint Of winks and mods
make her understand that she was max,
ing mess of it.
Poor " Marthy" stared, as open
mouthed as the rest but the warning
had come too late; Aunt Susan was by
no means slow, and the whole PLOT was
as plain as daylight to her.
And SO, Philip Wheeler" she burst
out with whitening scorn, "you thought
twould be fine fun to deceive me with
your trumpt-up story of thieves that has
made the shivers run down my back
every night since I came home! Oh,
you needn't say nothin'"- Uncle
Phil attempted to speak" it's nifty
honest, mebbe, and does great credit to
your profession. AS fur you, John, I |
wouldn't have bel'ved you would hev
treated your old auntie in such way.
You ken take them old things and send |
um back to c.; 1 hate the sight OF |
UNI And Aunt Susan fairly broke |
down, and, bowling her head on Mary's
shoulder, burst into shower of tears
which caused Uncle Phil and John to
feel not only like sneaks and scoundrels,
hI1k lra