Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-11-09
"And your chairwoman?"

made sure l could finish the house
cleaning while he was absent"
"And we will" said Flora, cheer
fully.
Chow can we?"
''Oh, you shall see," nodde Miss
Lee.
And, depressed though she was, Mrs.
Dove began to feel the mercury rise in
her mental thermometer at once.
| And Flora arrayed herself in one OF
Betsys cast-oh cslicos, tied her ripping
brown tresses up in cambria sweeping
cap, and went vigorously to work with
the scrubbing brush; while Mrs. Dove
bent her attention to the window glass,
end Adonijah, with more than discre-
ton, splashed whitewash over Kim
self and the door with a lardaole inn
partially.
"Wal," said Adonjiah, afterwards, 81
never did see no cricket work spryer
than that city young lady. BY gracious,
she beats Betsy sll holler at it. And
she's got such an up and down pretty
way of doin' things too. | declare. |
couldn't hardly take my eyes OIL her all
| the time | was in whitewashin'."
Mrs. Dove, however, was unused to
! the severe exertions incident upon
house cleaning time, and went to bed
in the middle of the afternoon.
"Never mind, Mrs. Dove" said + lora
an get tea, and I'll make some of
those cream whites and a short cake
for Mr.. Dove, and you shall see how
nicely | can fry oysters"
Indeed, indeed, | don't know what
should do without YOU" said Mrs,
Dove, fervently.
But as it happened, Mr.. Daniel Dove
was Unexpectedly detained on business
at Whiskill. neighboring town, and
instead of him who wonld walk debon-
airly into the little sitting room finging
down his carpet bag, but Eric Hale,
himself, just as the rainy dusk closed in,
and the delicious aroma of oysters and
Mocha coffee filled the house,
Hello I" said Eric. $50 you're
cleaning house-eh, Betsy ?"
eyes, sir" a demure voice responded
from the kitchen.
"And where's my aunt?'
"She has retired with sick head
ache"
"The natural consequence of clean.
ing house, | suppose" said Eric Hale,
with shrug of the shoulders. "Dear
old aunt Delisl why couldn't she be
contented to leave things as they were?
Tell her, Betsy, that Washburn has
concluded not to exchange until next
week, and that now Pm in The midst of
tue melee, I'll lend a hand with the
business tomorrow"
eyes, SIR"
"And Betsy"
"Where did you learn to make such
delicious coffee? Bring in cup AT
once. Pm ready to drop with weari-
ness and its like dream of Arabia"
And Flora, with the Tapping edge
of her sun-bonnet concealing the anus.
ed dimples around her mouth, brought
the oysters and coffee, tlanked by a
pile of feather light wafhes.
81 declare, Betsy" cried Rev. Eric
facetiously. "lf you were trihe youn-
ger and prettier, I'd marry you my
self to make sure of wafiles and coffee
like this every night"
"Would you, sir?" said the sol-distant
Betsy.
"And we'll make a compact, Betsy"
merrily went on the young clergyman,
as he helped himself to butter, Ito
finish the house cleaning ourselves to-
morrow, and save aunt Della the wor-
ry and work Of it,"
Eyes, sir" said Betsy. "But please
sir, it's all done, except the lacking
down Of the carpets"
"Who did ii?''
az, sir, please, and Mrs. Dove and
Adonijah. And, please, sir, I'm going
to finish it myself tomorrow; and
please" finging back the sunbonnet,
and disclosing coronet of bronze
brown braids, pair of very rosy
cheeks, and eyes full of sparkling,
hazel mischief-'Im not Betsy at all,
but Flora Lee, entirely at your SER
vice"
The Reverend Eric Hale started with
round-eyed surprise, not uumingled
with dismay.
Miss Lsew he repeated.
Exactly" nodded the young lady.
odd you make the cofee?"
81 did,
"And fry these n-jacketed oys-
tiers, and stir up the watHes?'
mo one else. Mr.. Hale"
'And scrub these roor1s?" glancing
! around,
Yes, sir; and busted the cornices
and washed the window glass, and
took down all the window frames, and
put the lace curtains 10 soak, besides
other items too numerous to mention"
mischievously added Flora, rather en-
ioying the discontinue of the young
clergyman.
"Miss Lee" said Eric, 81 beg your
pardon"
"What for, Mr.. Hale?"
"For always having regarded you as
one of the most useful of creatures. |
own that you are equal TO any em9rg-
ency."
And when, later in the evening. Mrs.
Dove crept out,.with her head tied up.in
eau de cologne, she found her nephew
and Flora Lee playing chess together
by the fire in the most amicable man
ner imaginable.
Its all right" said Mrs. Dove to
herself.
1t was all right, and Mrs. Hale won