Richland beacon., 1881-08-27

could not. Break it 1 could not. L
could not hide it in the attic, for Aunt |
Carraway would be sure to make an OK
pcdition thithcr within twenty-four
hours of her arrival If I should throw
it behind the wood-shed, Biddy would
trip oveS it and fracture her classic nose.
A brilliant idea presented itself l
would bury it in the vegetable garden,
near the potato patch.
"The turf shall be its winding sheet"
sang I triumphantly, and bore it to the
spot. A few spadefuls OF earth, few
manly tears Caused by uprooting very
powerful onion near by), and all was over.
The next day 1 sat in my library,
reading an instructive volume entitled
"Enigmas of Life" Tho door was
thrown open, and q bouncing, bewilder-
ing object gyrated along the floor to my
study-chair, followed by Bridget, with
the thunders of Olympus on her brow,
and-yes-a blacked eye! With wrath
full gestures she shot forth her TRADE:
can it is mesilf thatll be afther hav-
in'my eye kilt entirely wild the mutherin'
ovid villin av hoop-skurrt jumpin' in
til me face, while was diggin' few
peraties for dinner-like q divil from
purragatory, sure!"
She disappeared, and laid down my
book in despair. "Enigmas OF Lifer
1 should think SO! 1 seized the hoop
skirt. and ran frantically in the garden.
1 would bury it seventy fathoms deep,
if I had to dig through to the antipodes !
No one should say that Theophilus
Blodgett was the man to be conquered
by an old hoop-skirt, forty-spring double
elliptic though it might be! Just as
reached the corner of the wOodshed. /
heard q silvery voice exclaim:
"Good-morning, Mr.. Blodgett |"
Looking around, I deserted, oh, hor-
ror the clergyman of st. James, with
his wife and young-lady visitor, Miss
Juliet Thornton, coming to call! For
the Rev. Ciggswell and lady cared not
o straw, but Juliet Thornton had been
one of my ardent attachments before /
engaged myself to Arabella. In fact, I
was long time q may say very long
time) making up my mind which of the
two really preferred; but, on Arabella's
remarking sarcastically ono evening that
"some PEOPLE never did know their OWL
minds" and that "men were all alike
tickle as the weather"-I gasped fol
frmness, uprooted Juliet from my hear
forever, and made Arabella name thu
day on the spot.
However, Notwithstanding the uproot
ing process (Which is not always 81
thorough as some people imagine), l
there was one person in the world befOr
whom I wished to present respectable
figure, it was Juliet Thornton. Arabell
night get killed in railroad accident
Strange things happened every day.
glanced about me in desperation. Their
stood heavenly ash barrel right at m
elbow. I breathed an inward thanks
} giving, and, hastily cramming the hooI
skirt into tho barrel, joined my visitol
at the front gate.
. "We are just in time to make to'
of your flower garden, Mr.. Blodgett
said Juliet b. guilingly; 81 do so do
on flowers y and she gave one tend
glance, as if to say, II have not forge
ten the hot houses and snowy camelli
that a certain individual used to sci
mew
n "with all my heart, ladies'; this wi
: and Mr.. Ciggswell, too" and 1 Il
d them in triumph around the flower bed
plucking the fairest blossoms of all
= Juliet and Mrs. Cggswell. 1t is fort
nate that Arabella did not see the soil
+ tnde with which I selected the perft
> specimens.
The reverend Ciggswell squint
through his eyeglasses toward I
kitchen fire.
e. "You have-aw-some very fine W
at etables. too-aw-Mr. Blodgett, p
~ ceive. l am very fond of looking-av
at vegetable garden"
ne could have murdered him. The v
I'd 10 the vegetable patch led directly p
tie ash barrel.
I "Oh, yes, dear Mr.. Blodgett.
y. show US the vegetables" said Jul
L 81 do love to see the cunning little
RS. low squashes, and the beets and oni
RS and other nice things"
Oh There was no help for it. Stifiin
IN proan I conducted them to the desl
nd place. We nc.red the fateful ash bar
on Juliet's eyes were cast on the grou
lv. and I breathed freely as We passed
ON -hen an ominous sound" tsiss-ss-t
greeted my ears, and my Mortified
,ile beheld . long, Jagged rent in Jul
md mink cambria polonaise ! That dia
my ical hoop-skirt-that haunting reno
:. -, 49, &c popouon that vi