Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-11-12
COUSIN 5OE's PLAOE.


mere IN the hOrr1d dusty city all the
summer, when other folks go TO
the mountains, or to the springs, or
lakes, or somewhere ~
Viola Perry pouted and tossed her
head pettishly.
tOf course it's our luck Z" chimed
her sister Betty. SIT was just our
luck when Uncle Lyman Perry left
all his property to Joe Ferris-the
best farm in the state, with twenty
acres in woodland, and big orch
ard, and some Of the finest blOoGed
stock, all thoroughbred. And Joe
Ferris was no nearer kin to him
than we are ~
HES aa old miser to take all the
property and keep it! snapped
Viola, tartly.
"But it's just our luckl" groaned
their mother.
In the meantime, Joe Ferris, the
old miser, as Viola had dubbed
him, but in reality a very good
looking young man. was taking a
survey of his new possessions.
every nice" indeed, but lonely
a. Sahara ~ he soliloquised, with a
comprehensive glance at the big
brown farmhouse with its wide ga
bles overrun with clematis and wis
taria vines. "Might as we'll turn
hermit, or Robinson Crusoe at once,
as to live in this rambling old place
without kith or kin. Hold on, /
though I Haven't I got some kith |
somewhere after all? "Pears like |
/ hev,'" as old Granny Griggs used |
to say. l must ask Dinah, or who |
ever the colored genius is that pre- |
sides over the internal arrangemen !
of my bachelor establishment. And |
if there are any pretty cousins, they |
might possibly be persuaded to |
honor me with a visit, properly |
chaperoned, Of course"
Joe Ferris had lived nearly all |
his life in San Francisco, conse- |
quently his Missouri cousins were |
entire strangers to him, personally. |
And so it CHANGED that Mrs. Per- |
ry and her daughters were delight |
fully surprised by an invitation to |
spend the summer at cousin JOe's |
place-Pinkdale as he had chris
tened it.
But there is no rose without
thorn, and the thorn in this case |
was the postscript to Mr. Ferris let
ter.
81 find I have two other cous-
ms" he wrote, miss Barbara Per-
ry and Tom Briggs. Tom is in
poor circumstances, understand, |
and shall try to get him good
situation. You are already acquain-
ted with Barbara, believe. They |
will come by the same train as
yourselves, and hope will help to /
make your journey agreeable"
swell, upon my word W cried |
Viola, her black eyes swapping an-
gTlly.
"Oh, OF course" grumbled Betty,
"Bab must. be invited, I'll warrant!
She always does cOntrive to have a
finger in our pie"
"Oh, of course !" echoed their
mother.
And she'll d her best to catch
cousin Joe with t-aem great owlish
eyes and elfin curls," added Betty.
Miss Betty had small eyes and
the straig'htest of black hair herself,
and therefore pretended great dis
dain Of her Cousins yellow curls.
81 know what III do" declared
Viola, energetically, "Ill go and
offer to pay Bah if she'll stay here
and keep house for us while we're
gone. She's absolutely pinched for
money just now, l know, so l think
We'll agree"
"The very thing" chorused Bet
ty and her mother Frightening up;
while Viola tripped over to the
dress-maker's shop on the next
square, where Bah earned scanty
living, by sewing all day and half
the night, and made known her err
rand.
"And it'll be so much better for
you than sewing all the time, Bab,"
She added, persuasively, "besides
being better pay"
But, to Viola's disappointment,
Ban declined the generous offer.
She wanted so much to get into
the country, she said, and besides,
cousin Joe had sent her a cheque to
cover all expenses, she added, with
grateful flush lighting her pale
cheek.
Viola flounced off in high dudge-
on.
"Bab's a mean artful thing" she
declared, land Just wants chance
TO fool cousin Joe and marry him
for his mOneyw
And her mother and sister coinci-
ded in her opinion.
They were still pOuting over the
cloud which threatened to dampen
their enjoyment, when the dOOr-bell
rang, and the servant handed in
Mr.. Briggs card, with few words
written on the back, to say that he
had ventured to call and offer his
services for the contemplated jour-
ney; but his offer was scornfully
declined. !,
"Tell him we are engaged and
have not the slightest need of him
or his services either ~ Comman-
ded Viola, in such loud tones that
the young man, who was waiting
in the hall, heard the words dis
tinctly.
He turned away with a disap-
pointed look, before Bridget had
time to repeat the scornful mes
"An' shure he's a gintleman
born" muttered the girl, looking
after him, "if he does be wearin'
the ovid, shabby coat, with darn
ed howl on the shoulder! !"
To do Bridget justice, she was in
nocent of any intention to indulge
in slang talk, for the hole in the
shoulder of Mr.. Briggs coat was
very neatly darned indeed.
And pretty Bah, in her new trav-
cling dress of silver gray, a wide
brimmed hat shading her shy blue
eyes, was quite content to accept I
the escort of Mr.. Thomas Briggs,
and allowed him to walk beside her
to the depot and carry her modest
travelling bag, witha feeling of COM
fort and security she had never had
known before.
Evidently, Toms Spanish black
eyes and tawny mustache had made
an impression on her inexperienced
heart.
Tom had just found comforta-
BILE seat for Bah anG himself on the ,
shady side OF the coach, where they ,
could look out on the broad waters !
of the Mississippi, which lay strech- :
ed cut like silver ribbon before ,
their gaze, when Mrs. Perry and :
her daughters rustled by in their ,
flounced dresses.
They bestowed a distant nod on ,
Bah, but ignored Tom altogether. ;
"Just see how they are flirting :" :
Betty. 81 shall take care
that cousin Joe hears about that" I