River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-06-29
A SUMNER BY THE SEA.
;essie Bolton was delighted.


reflected all her moods like a human
looking-gl glass.
Eolia Bolton had not been we'll. 1t
was not exactly decline, but she had
lost her appetite, grown pale and cough
ed, and Bessie's quick affection had
taken alarm at ouce.
"Miss Bolton ought to 60 into the
country" the doctor said-and before
Eolia could demonstrate, her sister had
given uD the room they occupied in
the city, and consulted the nearest real
estate agent. But it was easy to talk
about "the country" Malaria reigned
supreme in this place-clouds of mus
quitoes drove away the rural aspirant
in another, high fares blockaded a
third, and thus it went on, until Bessie
began TO think it was moral impossi-
bility to obey the doctors edict.
Until one day, walking sadly by the
seashore, they came Unexpectedly upon
a low, rambling old farm house, with
its gray stone walls half covered with
creeperq, and a wilderness of holly
hooks, sweet williams, and crimson
roses all tangled together in the back
yard, while, in full view upon the front,
battered placard, "To Let" swung
idly to and fro in the wind.
And then it was-and there-that
Bessie's lead-weighted heart gave the
upward spring.
''Eolia!" she cried, ''this is just the
place for u.s. Smell the sea air! Look
at those delicious waves creeping over
the sand below Observe the pictures
que old pile, with the house leeks grow
II
about in the breeze"
"I'm afraid we can't affordit, Bessie"
said Eolia.
enquire at next house below" said
Bessie, deciphering the worn inscrip-
ton on the paper "Come, Eolia,
conceive a presentiment that we
shall meet exactly what we want here"
The next house below, however, was
a full mile distant, over a stretch of
slippery sands half flooded by the foam
of the incoming tide-it was inhabited
by deaf old woman who ''didn't know
she couldn't say" Was the rent
high? "She couldn't say for certain
she believed it was about $l2 month,
but she didn't know" Were the
premises in good repair? 'She didn't
feel that she could take it upon her to
assert" Could they have the key?
"Well, she wasn't certain. P'raps
they could. Sometimes her old man
had it in his coat pocket, but. les,
here it was" There was a deposit to
be paidr-the first months rent, if-oh,
thankee, kindly. She was very much
obliged, she was sure.
And Bessie came running out to
Eolia, triumphantly waving the key
over her head
Business is business, Fol" she cried
exultantly. "And we are the ladies of
the manor now! Wen sleep under
that pretty sloping roof tonight"
And they did, having succeeded in
borrowing sofa-bedstead and two or
three chairs from the neighbor's cot
tagel Joyfully they wandered over
the old rooms, peeping through the
dust-filmed lsttices, opening the green,
three-cornered cupboard inspecting
their new premises with all the delight
of day-old proprietresses.
For Bessie colored photographs and
Eolia designed wall paper, calico pat
terms and title decorations, and they re-
quired Studio" facing the north, and
plenty of rooml There were no lux
urious butterflies, these sisters, but two
warm hearted, diligent-working girls,
who earned their own bread, and ate it
with a sense of honest pride.
So Eolia stayed in the old house to
set it to rights, with the aid of Mrs.
Chubb's red armed oldest daughter, and
Bessie went up to town to pack their
little store of furniture and send it
down by express. And the first night
that they sat in the little bow Widowed
apartment that fronted the sea, with
the easements all curtained with chlntz;
the well-worn crimson carpet on the
floor, and the merry little fire of drift
wood blazing on the hearth, they looked
smihngly into one another's eyes.
81 feel better already" said Eoha.
"The very air that l breathe is like a
tonic But it is Sc lonely !"
"Who is afraid of solitude?" cheerily
demanded Bessie, as she knelt to put a
new pile of wood on the fire. "You
will see that we shall be like two queens
in our palace here, Eo We can send
our work up to the city twice week
by express, the expense here will be
trifing, and
''There," cried Eolia, with a start, Il
knew it was some one knocking l
heard it twice before"
otis OLD Chubb with the fish for
breakfast" said Bessie. springing to her
feet.
''No, it isn't" said Eolia. "The fish
came half an hour ago. Bess, I'm
afraid it's a pirate, or Il smuggler,
or -"
Don't be a goose, Eo," said the elder
sister, as she went briskly to the door,
and peeping out into the saltsoented
twilight, she said
who's there
It's l." clear voice answered.
Captain Lilburn, with my traps"
"Then it's pirate u family ejacu-
lated Eolia to herself,
"What do you want?" demanded
Bessie.
ITO come in I" shortly responded the
othor voice. "What should | want
Open the door a little further, can't
you, my good grip
''Go about your business" said Bessie,
with the emphasis of one Who is de-
termined to have her own way.
"Let me in !" sternly spoke the voice.
"Tll do nothing of the Sort" said
Bessie. 'InSfe ) a tavern TWO miles
the road and farm house one mile
below. If you want shelter go which
way you please. You cannot come
here"
"But why not?' persisted the in
truder.
Because don't choose it, said Bes
sie-and she shut the door in his face
And needless of the roUIdde of knocks
ON the panel which succeeded this bolc
coup detat she came back to where
Eolia sat, pale and startled.
"Oh, Bessie" she cried; ''how dared
your"
"Dared what?" said Bessie.
clock him out"
"Would you have let him la !?
counter questioned Bessie, composedly
It's some tramp or other who dom
know that the house is let. think