Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-10-15

Ing PROCESS (WHICH Is uOI always 30
thorough has some people imagine,) If
there was one person in the world be-
fore whom wished to present respect
able figure, it was Juliet Thornton. Ara
bella might get killed in railroad ac7
cident;; Strange things happened every
day. glanced about me in despera-
ton. There stood heavenly ash barrel
right at my elbow. / breathed an in
ward thanksgiving, and hastily cram
ming the hOOp-skirt into the barrel,
joined my visitors at the front gate.
I'VE are just in time to make tour
OF your flower garden, Mr.. BlOdgett,"
said Juliet beguilingly; 81 do so dOte on
fi0wers! and she gave me a tender
glance as if to say, 81 have not forgot
ten the hot house roses and snowy came
las that certain individual used to
send mep
with all my heart, ladies, this way
and MIR. Ciggswell, too" and led them
in triumph around the flower beds,
plucking the fairest blossoms of all for
Juliet and Mrs. Ciggswell. 1t is for
tunate Arabella did not see the solicit
tude with which selected the perfect
specimens.
The Reverend Ciggswell squinted
through his eye-glass toward the kitchen
garden.
"You have-aw-so some very fine vege-
tables, tOO-aw-Mr. BlOdgetr, 1 per-
ceive. am very fond of loOking-aw-
at vegetable garden"
could have murdered him. The way
to theyegetable patch led directly past the
ash barrel.
"Oh, yes, dear Mr.. Blodgett, DO show
us the vegetables" said Juliet. 81 do
love to see the cunning little yellow
| squashes, and the beets and onions and
other nice things"
There was no help for it. Sitting a
grOan l conducted them to the desired
| place. We neared the fateful ash barrel.
Juliet's eyes were cast on the ground,
and l breathed freely as we passed 1t,
when an ominOus sound -'tsiss-ss-t"
greeted my ears, and my Mortified eyes
beheld long, rugged rent in Juilet's
pink cambria pOlOnaise! That diabOlical
hOOp-skirt-that haunting, remOrseless
iend-that "BanquO" that would not
"dOwn"-had prOtruded broken wire
through chink of the barrel. and the
deed was done! If Arabella were to be
inundated on fifty trains it would make
no difference nOwl Juliet would never
smile on me again. AwOman must be
an angel to forgive an irreparable injury
| to new dress.
OF course / apologiZed, and Of course
she pretended not to care; but certain
freezing dignity crept into her manner
for the remainder of the call, and by the
time we reached 'the cunning little yell
low squashes" her enthusiasm was as
dead as julius Caesar.
The visitors declined an invita- ton to
enter the house and rest. Mrs. Ciggs-
we'll, with an infinitude of pins and an
abundance of sympathy, made Temporal
ry repairs in the pink pOlOnaise. and
bowed them out of the front gate with
an unwOnted chill at my heart.
| Looking across the street | espised a
ragman's cart standing at the Widow
Dickerman's. wild impulse seized me.
l snatched the "fend" from the ash bar
rel, and as | ran upstairs called out,
Bridget, run over to Mrs. Dickerman's,
please, and tell that ragman to stop
here"
The rag-bae always hung by Arabella's
sewing machine, in the bedroom. Twist
ing the fiend into the smallest possible
in ragged dish-tOwel, and pushed it
down, down, down. to the very bottom of
the bag. No, that wouldn't do. The
lowest rags would be sure to crop out
when he emptied the bag. With Ma
chiavellian cunning pulled the "fiend"
up toward the middle. "He will never
discover it till he gets to the paper mill"
thought L; farewell, ruthless destroyer
of my peace, farewell p
BY the time my arrangements were
completed the Widow Dickerman had
come to the end of chaffering for half
pint tin cups and griddle-cake turner's,
and the cart was at the door. With a
stOlid cOuntenance, but thrObbing
heart stood nOnchalantly by, while the
peddler weighed and emptied the rags,
and counted out the cash. did not
draw full breath till l saw the back of
the cart vanish over the top of the long
billy street, on the road to Il.
The next day Arabella dear girD re-
turned with Aunt Carraway. As we sat
at dinner, plying our elderly relative
with all the delicacies Of the season,
heard an animated discussion at the
kitchen door between Bridget and a
strange man. Bridget's voice grew
shriller, the mans gruffer, then heavy
footsteps came near. l quaked with a
fearful presentiment. The door opened
and the ragman stood before me with
Indignation on his freckled face.
"Ef you suppose that Hiram Salathiel
Bangs is agOing' tew pay five cents q
pound for old hupskirt wire you're just
a leetle out of your reck'nin, for he don't
calc'late to kerry on bizness in eny SIGH
style. I'll trouble yew for ten cents
mister" and he handed me me the "fiend,
still tied in the ragged towel"
Arabella was completely mystified
Aunt Carraway looked unutterable
thingsl handed out dime; Hiram
Salathiel departed. l flung myself back