The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-12-09

she good woman to commit the Jsnc,
sce OF rlsklng her neck upon a raiIrC5
Tor the twenty-mile journey was as ~
niluaole to her, With her old-tim n.
uons, as would a visit to India be n. !,
town-bred man -
The morning arrived, and Aunt Su
san, with many injunetions and cautions
at last took her place in the wagon whicl
was TO convey her TO the depot
/ john delayed a few moments 10 tax,
! special parting with Uncle Phil. Wha
was said no one heard save the partie,
interested but Johns low words called
forth series of energetic words from
his uncle, and dry, hard chuckle. be.
traying an unusual amount of interest.
The journey ended safely, and Aunt
Susan was beginning TO feel at home on
springs, and to sleep in spite of the nose
on the street, when q letter from Nome
completely upset the good woman and
*sf saseR II @stS5HEt ftsEt e.eslSy esF
The house has been robbed, wrote
Uncle Phil. l was down to see Mar
thy'-his sister, and it sot in to
storm so hard l stayed all night. Wall,
when l got home 1 thought things
looked sorter queer, and sure enough, L
found lots of things gone. The bureau
IN the buttery, and all the things outen
the summer kitchen, a whole lot of brass
things from the stairway closet, and no
end of fixin's all OYER. 1 can't see,
wrote the old gentleman, 4" as any close
or silver has been took, and guess the
thieves mist hev knowed of your bar
gains and come for them special. I've
heard they set stores by them in big
places. 1 reckon at a ruff CESS we've
lost about five burrows, three sophles
and six or seven parlor stoves, to say
nothing of chiny and 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 so by great effort she
succeeded in overcoming her despOn-
dency and assuming a cheerful face.
The wedding day came and passed.
John and Mary were bound in the holy
bonds of wedlock, 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-silently,
but no less anxiously. In fact, a little
air of mystery hung over the old house
and mid 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 contide
to Uncle Phil, and, stranger still, each
was so engaged with his own as to be
perfectly obliyious OF the others posses
sion.
Only one person saw, understood, en-
joyed and remained silent Uncle Phlps
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 ths
little house. They were to remain a,
Uncle PhiPs till their house was ready.
OF course everything was on tip-tOe,
Aunt Susan caused a supply of pies
and cakes to be baked that would have
victualed a man-of-war while Uncle
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 then
home from the depot with great pride,
under the scrutinizing gaze of the entip
village eye, so to speak.
Tea was soon ready, but not so SON
but Uncle Phil had found time to d
vulge his secret to John, for from tie
came a low murmur of voices,
with now and then a 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 nc
hint was given.
After tea the whole party strolled
down to the new house. Now it was
Aunt Susan's turn. With q proud step
she marched ahead and opened the door
of the house, a faint flush on her with
cred cheek. Mary followed closely, but
Pail and John stood rooted IN the hall, |
staring blarlkly and stupidity into the lit
tie parlor.
Certainly there was nothing there
which ought to frighten two full-grown
men-only four or five bureaus of some
what antique design, several tables with
massive pedestals and claw feet, two So
las large enough to accommodate the
81 prehistoric man" we hear about, and
a goodly assortment of clocks, andirons,
shovels, etc.
"You don't seem to be pleased, said
Aunt Susan in crestfallen manner, hel |
kind old voice trembling little ''Nov
[ thought you would be tickled about
10 death with them. found them all
IN c. CUncle Phil and John ex-
guilty looks), and L was SO took
aback at losing mine, and / noticed you
looked kinder red and cat up the morn
ing the news come, so thought to my
self, Now I'll just buy these for you,
John. This here burow placing hel
hand lovingly on large and imposing
piece of furniture did look so exactl,
like the one 1 bought of Squire Thoma
and had in my buttery, that couldn't
help getting it You know you kinde
wanted it, John, the night it came home
and / alus felt sorter mean that l didni
give it to you then; so as soon as I 50
my eyes on this one up and bought
and sent it down with the rest, unbe
known to anybody, so as to surprise you
You didn't suspect, did you, Phil ?"
But Uncle Phil was still speechless
and even Johns ready tongue refused tt
do its work.
While they yet stood, a silent and
group, shrill, high treble
broke upon the silence, and Aunt "MarJ
thy" came walking in.
"Wall 1 do say you look meeching
enough told you, Phil, that Susan
would find you out thought should
bust when Susan went to Caleb to go
down to the depot and haul up these
things lust ten days after he hauled Iiml
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 1
make her understand that she was max
ing mess of it.
Poor Marthy" stared, as Open
mouthed as the rest but the warming /
had come too late Aunt Susan was BY
no means slow, and the whole plot was |
rs plain as daylight to her.
80 Dl,:1:..