The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-09-07


cream hearted roses swung against the
tmble.down stone wall, and love-in-a,
mist, London-pride, and all those rare
old.fashioned flowers of orr ancestor,
ran riot sprawlng across the grass
grown paths, and packing themselve,
into the angles of the fence, where Oh,
honeysuckles trailed, and the scarle
poppies looked like drops of blood
The old garden of Ripple Grange wa
like horticultural show gone mad al
midsummer And even now it was swee
with tufts of crocus, bluc-velvct iris, ant
d1tfodils, while at the rear rose mp th'
silent hemlock wood, still and scented
ana emerald green III the twilight.
Miss Briggs, with her terrier dog, hel
bandboxcs, aud her poor little hail
trunks, studded with, brass nails, had
got there early. she had opened the
windows to let III the yellow glow OF thu
Aprl sunset, kndlrd lire with straigh
sucks on the deep tiled hearth, and wa
sitting ON starch-hoX turned upsid
down. drinking cold tea and feeding he
dog with occasional scraps OF canne
beef and bakers bread,
"lt seems rather lonely here" SAT-
the little old splnSter to herself, "ant
the rooms are very large and dreary-lOOk
ing; but | dare say ] can hire little fur
mturc in the village, and the garden il
really superb, never saw such tulil
roots IN my life. And the little brooI
twlnklmg at the foot OF the wall is al
idyl in itself. "
Miss Briggs, who had a good deal OF
poetry in her starved soul, set down the
can and reached over to look ont Of the
window at the golden western sky.
$50 quiet, tOor' said she: $50 So,
cudcd. -
But, to her amazement. even as she
looked, she perceived the figure of Il
stout old gentleman, bald and spectocled,
and carrying an immense flat travelling
case under his arm, who was picking his
way among the rose-briers that lay
prone across the path, stopping here and
there to examine the growth of silver
green housclccks on the garden wall.
Miss Briggs, who was somewhat near
| sighted, jumped at once to the concll-
sion that this intcrlopcr was tramp.
She hurled the tin can rcckIcssly down
into the budding currant bushes.
"GJ away" she cried.
Mr.. Hyde pccrcd upward, with one
band back of his ear "Eh?' said he.
cor I'll set the dog on you, squcaled
Mss Briggs, encouraged by the shnll
bark of the terrier.
Woman, SAID the scientist, "who
are you?'
"lll let you know, said Miss Briggs,
waxing more and more excited i'll her
indignation. GLOW dare you trcspaSs
ON my prcmlars?'
"iIow dare You trespass on mlne?
rctortcd the old gentleman, curtly.
"Hc's II mailman" thought Miss
Briggs; and she remembered, with a
thrill Of terror, that there was no key Ia
the big front door. aud the bolt was
rustcd into two pieces.
At the same moment the sound Of
whoopiug voices was heard through the
wide, cchoing hall. and three chubby
lads, rushed hihrionsy in. tumbling
over one another rs they came.
'Ilurahn' they shouted: "hurlah!
Amt this a Jolly old cavern OF house,
My here's Il fire! and here's an old
w0mnn!"
Miss Briggs. who had drawn her head
in from the window, stared ut the three
chcrry-chcckcd invaders. who returned
hsr gaze with interest.
"Roys," suid she, severely, "what are
Won doing hcrc?"
"Why," said Master Bruce Bellairs,
trai eleven. "its our house. And pn
and ma are helping unpack the cart at
the south door. And i've got redbird,
and Iohnmy's got brood of Brahma
chickens in basket. and Pierre has a
monkey"
"But, BOYS" said Miss Briggs. with
little hystcrical laugh, "this is my
house"
"No, in amt, said the three Masters
Bclairs in chorus: its ours We've
rented it for II year, and pa and ma are
uhpa'klh8 "o"i''VlrS' -, ,.
rs INA. your l'l' H''in MISS hfiSSS;
With sudden inspiration, Us shG pointed
TO tlle olh gentleman III me Sarteh' VINO
,'''' "'''' '''''' '''' Wv ''s'' i''
llSk.
NO, indeed, sad llelfe, cohtemp-
tuously.
Nothing OF the sort, SAID Johnny.
Our pa amt such guy as that,
chuckled Bruce
81 think must be asleep and dream
mig, sad Miss blggs, aS the door
opened, and Il stout, blooming matron
entered upon the scene, with kerosene
lamp i'll one hand and Il basket OF care
fully packed china ii t he other, while
from her finger depended a hird-caSe.
My good woman, said the Reverend
Mrs. Bellalrs, 81 suppose you have
come here to see about situation. If
you can bring good reference as to char
acter-'
"You are entirely mistaken, madam
said Miss Briggs, with energy. Il am
here because
But at that moment Mrs, Ripple her