Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-09-13

Grange, the old brickhouse, which had
stood empty for six good years at last.
became al of sudden alive.
It was an ancient, mildewed structure
on the edge of . wood, an old red house
whose front garden tangled over with
rose. briers. and grown with the fantastic
trunks of moeey pear trees, and apples
that leaned almost to the ground, sloped
down to the bank Of merry little
rivulet. Here the tiger lilies lifted their
scarlet turbans in the July sunshine,
and the clumps Of velvety sweet will
| liams blossomed first and sweetest
Great cream-hearted rosesswung against
the tumble down stone wall, and love-
ih.a mist, London pride and all those
rare old fashioned flowers of our ances-
tors ran riot, sprawling across the grass.
Miss Briggs, with her terrier dog, her
band boxes, and her poor little hair
| trunks studded with brass nails had got
there early. She had opened the win
dows to let in the yellow glow IF the
April sunset, kindled fire with straight
sticks on the deep tiled hearth, and was
sitting on starch box turned upside
down, drinking cold tea, and feeding
her dog with occasional scraps of cam
ned beef and bakers bread.
ut seems rather lonely here" said
the little old spinster to herself, land
the rooms are large and dreary looking;
but dare say I can hire little furni-
ture In the village, and the garden is
really superb. I never saw such tulip
roots in my life. And the little brook
twinkling at the foot Of the wall is an
idyl In ITSELF"
Miss Briggs, who had good deal of
poetry in her starved soul, sat down the
can and reached over TO look out of the
window at the golden, western sky.
$50 quiet, too !" said she, $50 seclud-
ed!n
But. to her amazement, even as she
looked, she perceived the figure of
stout. old gentleman, bald and spectacl-
ed and carrying an immense fiat travel
ing case under his arm, who was pick
ing his way among the rose briers that
lay prone across the path, stopping here
and there to examine the growth of ell
ver green hOuse-leeks on the garden
wall.
Miss Briggs, who was somewhat near
sighted, jumped at once to the c0nclu-
sion that this interlOper was tramp.
She hurled the tin can recklessly down
into the budding currant bushes.
"Go away !" she cried.
Mr.. Hyde pee-ed upward, with one
hand back of his ear. "Eh ?" said he
''Or I'll set the dog on you," squeak
ed Miss Briggs, encouraged by the shrill
bark of the terrier.
"Woman," said the scientist, 'who
are you? ?"
sI'Il let you KNOW said Miss Briggs,
waxing more and more excited in her
indignation. "How dare you trepass on
my premises ?"
"How dare you trepass on mine 2" re-
torted the old gentleman, curtly.
Hes q madman," thought Miss
Briggs, and she remembered, with q
thrill of terror, that there was no key to
the big front door, and the bolt was rust
ed into two pieces.
At the same moment the sound of
whooping voices was heard through the
wide, echoing halls, and three chubby
lads rushed hilariously in tumbiing over
one another as they came.
'Hurrah ?" they shouted, ''hurrah =
Amt this jolly old cavern of a house
My here's IRE! and here's an old wo-
man! !"
in from the window, stared at the three
y
her aze with interest.
''Boys," said she, severely, what are
you doing here?"
why" said Master Bruce BelIairs,
gt0l eleven, ''it's our house. And pa
and ma are helping unpack the cart at
the south door. But I've got q red bird
and Johnny's got q brood of Brahma
chickens in a basket, and Pierre has q
monkey"
"But, boys" said Miss Briggs, with a
little hysterical gasp. this is my
house."
mo, it amt" said the three Masters
Bellairs in chorus, ''it's ours. We've
rented it for year, and pa and ma are
unpacking down stairs"
us that your pa ?" said Miss Briggs,
with a sudden inspiration, as she point
ed to the old gentleman in the garden
who stood stock still, like the Egyptian
obelisk.
mo, indeed" said Pierre, contempt
uously.
"Nothing of the sort,n said Johnny.
"Our pa amt such guy as that, ("
chuckled Bruce.
II think must be asleep and dream
ing" said Miss Briggs, as the door
opened and stout blooming matron
entered upon the scene, with kerosene
lamp in one hand and q basket of care
fully packed china in the other, while
from her finger depended bird cage.
my good womaD," said the Rev.
Mrs. Bellairs. Il suppose you have
come here to see about q situation. If
you can bring good reference as to
character"
"You are entirely MISTAKEN, madam. p
said Miss Briggs, with energy, II am
here because"
But at that moment, Mrs. Ripple
herself, with DoreAs. her maid, entered
the room.-She W. tall. handsome
woman, dressed in elegant mourning,
and she used an eye-glass as she talked,
and somehow she seemed to take up a
good deal more room than anybody else.
Mrs. Bellairs set down the kerosene
lamp and the bird cage, Miss Briggs
terrier stopped barking and the three
boys instinctively retired behind the
starch box.
"Who are you all ?" said Mrs. Ripple
surveying the scene thrughout her eye.
glass. "And how came you to be
here?n
| II have taken this house." said Miss
Briggs, with dignity.
$50 have we," said Mrs. Bellairs.
| $50 have !" declared the bald headed
old gentleman, who had by this time
made his way up into the ruby light OF
Miss Briggs 1re,. and stood there close
ly hugging his flat travelling case.
Dear mel" said Mrs. Ripple; "this
is very singular. And I have come
here because the house wasn't rented al
ALL"
And fhau opo.,ad a r.a,,o.ol oho, =,