The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-12
MRS. DODD's PORTIERE.
BY MARY N. PRESCOTT.


on the floor and they're worked with
crewels, and yarns and things! Lawyer
Brownies folks, over to bingham, have
real satin broclde ones in the best par
Tor, good enough for gown. But Mrs.
Kitchener, the housekeeper, she took
me into her room, and there they was
nothing but coffee bagoing. if vou'll be-
lieve it, with bits of colored COTTON fan
mel sewed on EN-; and the bagging ain I
over fifteen cents II Yard
Il don't see the good of hanging cur
tains mp to the doors; nobody can see
through EN-
''Lor, child, the door is took of, and
the p0rtiere hangs in its place, and looks
mighty grand, and makes You feel as
though YOU was living in a palace"
II don't believe it'll deceive me, ~
shifted Lucinda.
do get the dictionary down, Lucin-
dy, and look ont p0rtiere. want to
know how 10 spell it, and all about it.
and when Mrs. Jerry comes in she can't
trip me. How cut up she'll be- You
know when brother Ben left me his best
wooden carpet she wanted to know if [
wasn't afraid of moths getting into the
house"
Lucinda took down the consumptiye-
looking dictionary and pondered over
81 don't believe that's the right word"
she said presently; there amt no such
word here
No such word. You're lust like your
Aunt Jerry Dodd. = always making
folks miserable. Don't YOU suppose
Mrs. Kitchener knows. aud she. living
1
esp
Il daresay she's poking fun at YOU"
''Poking fun nj me! DO YOU think
your mother is u person calkilated to
hev fun poked at her, Lucindy Dodd?"
The Duncans have got an una
bridged.'' said Lucinda, waving the
question; IN run over and hunt it
up"
But don't let on what you re looking
after. | want the neighbors 10 come in
and ask what Eve got Arranging up
there, and | want to tell 'em, "a portiere,
to be sure;' and | want to see 'em a.
turning it over in their minds. dying of
curiosity to know what p0rttere is, but
hating TO give in that they never heard
of the thing before!"
But Mrs. Kitchener. who had been
commissioned to buy the cofee-bagging
in bingham. happened over with it the
next day
do you know" said Mrs. Dodd
privately, we've hunted through the die
and Lucindy's looked in the un-
abridged, and we can't find pOrtiere,
high or low?"
s'Of course you couldn't" answered
Mrs. Kitchener. why, it's a French
wordr'
"A French wordr' repeated Mrs.
Dodd; "a real French world You don't
say so! Why folks'll come from Old
bury, and Nearfeld, and all about to
see it. just as if it was whole nlenagerie.
Mrs Jerry'll be just fit to die. But
ton't know what Tom'll say about tax
ng the door off the hingesr'
Il guess he'll talk FRENCH put in
Lucinda. And he did.
Take the door off the hingesr' he
,ried. what tomfoolery is this, Ell?
Are you crazv PameleF? All the neigh
'ors'll be laughing at You. Hang yom
1ortiere."
That's just what we want 10 do"
yiggled Lucinda.
''The neighbors don't laugh at Law
Ter Brownies folks, and there's portiereS |
md portieges all over the house see
EN- with my own eyes,
''And the doors took ofP' gasped |
Tom.
Yes"
blessed if / ever heard of such a
hing! 1t must be modern progress! |
Why not take down the side of the |
louse and hang up curtain? What's |
t for, any way? 1t amt pretty; it looks |
ike horse blanket. Itll be mighty |
lice for rheumatism and influency.-
Why not take the roof off the house in
teadp"
But for all Tom Dodd's disapproval
he door came of. and the pOrtiere, bril-
liant with cotton-fannel dragons, Ja-
'anese young men and women, half
Moons and hieroglyhics, reigned in IFS
tead. Mrs. Dodd was ready for the
eighbors.
mercy sakes alive!" calculated Mrs
erry, who had come in with her darn
ng for little gossip. What on earth
ave you got a-hanging up there? and
here your door gomez"
That? Oh, that's only pOrtiere,r as
a pOrtieTe in Millvillage was the most
ommon thing in the world.
"A what! 1t looks like side-show at
he circus, or a poster.n
Everybody don't take 20 'em when
hey first see 'em,' Uttered ISfesnda.
Father didn't Folks have tosbe AedH-
ated up TO 'em. like eating tomatoes
"A portiere, did you saya Where'd
on get the ideer?''
ITS French word, - said Mrs. TOnl,
S if French were her daily speechs |+It
anne from France.''
PITY it hadn't stayed there 1t must
It in a sight of cold air.