Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-11-17
COUSIN FALC0NER.


"What will mamma sayW
And Hannah Ann, the raw-boned
wooden-visaged gervitress, uttered the
expressive monosyllable, Humph !!
which is equivalent in Yankeedom &c
that famous French shrug Of the
shoulders.
cts all very well to talk" said Han
nah Ann, "but | dunno as [ can make
ouails on toast and currant jelly outer
sticks an sLones. I've done the best
can and nobody can't do no more"
as the leg of pork all gone, Hannah
Ann?" said libby, plaintively.
every identical particle ont y
Hannah Ann answered, with the majes,
ty of Druidical priestess.
"And the chickensY meekly limited
libby.
',Ikilled the last one Wednesday,"
didn't old Hugh bring along any
trout yesterday pursued libby.
eyes" said Hannah Ann; she
brought 'em along. But we owed him
two dollars and fifty cents already, and
Hugh has a family to support. So !
didn't fairly like to run up any longer
account"
"And you were quite right" said
libby with sigh. "But, Hannah Ann,
what are we to dot"
THAT'S what I'd like to know my
self" said Hannah Ann, CURLY.
libby was silent, drumming her
pretty pink-tlpped fingers on the
kitchen table, while her eyes looked
intently at the old fashioned, bras,
warming pan on the opposite wall.
"Hannah Ann" said she, piteously
at length, Couldn't you suggest some
thing? Because, when | ask mamma
what is to be done, she only
cries, and says, Write to your
rich Cousin FAlconer.' And
have written to him and | only
get back checks for ten dollars, with
the coolest acknowledgement Of my
letter. I'd rather starve than live on
such grudgingly doled-out charity as
that! Don't you know of sos1e way,
Hannah Ann, to make money!"
Hannah AIMS hard face softened, as
an icicle softers when the winter sun
strikes it.
"Miss Elizabeth" said she, its a
secret. Don't speak of it. But | was
clear driv' to the wall, so I've took a
boarder."
ga boarder, Hannah Amp
"Out in the barn chamber" said
HaL.,ah Ann. "You see, Miss Eliza
beth" (Iamah Ann never condescend-
ed to the undignitied pet name with
which her little mistress had been in.
vested since she was ten years old),
''this houeo used to he ~ sort % tavern
in the old days afore the bow-wind 0 W
was added ON, and the renaissancy
porch put on the south corner. jerks
Glen Halfway House, it used to be
called when | was gal. And there
como gentleman rs used to hunt and
fish on these ere mountains, twelve
good years ago rs this jerks Glen
House? says he. We'll, that's what
they used to call it, says /. Can l get
accommodation here? says he. Pm
afeared not says /. And then you
should have seen his face fall Il al
ways boarded here says he and |
can't make up my mind to go else
where. I'll pay any price you please,
my good woman, and am not ut all
particular where you put me- We'll,
says !, "if you doat mind the barn
chamber--its very clean and quiet
there, with the apple tree boughs in
bloom close to the window And he
says, Put me in thu heu-coop if you
like So I've been boarding him ever
since; and the week is up tomorrow,
Miss Elizabeth, and | expect he'll pay
his seven dollars"
Tibby's eyes sparkled.
Hannah Ann" she cried, "you are
female Napoleon. You did right"
Il know of two other boarders | ould
get" shrewdly added Hannah Ann
Sketch young ladies, as don't like their
rooms at Coons' boarding house-if you
could make up your mind to spare the
big front room; and after all, you never
used it, except ~ guest chamber for
company AZ never comes"
"Pll ask mamma" cried eager libby !;
"becsuse you know, Hannah Ann, we
must live"
Mrs. Wayne, limp, sentimental
elderly lady, who spent her time in
reading novels and hemoaning the
splendors of her vanquished girlhood,
began to cry feebly at the idea.
"Boarders ~ cried she. me Cap
tain Frost Frozenham's daughter {?
And has it indeed come to that? Oh,
if h I'd only died ten years ago and
avoided the terrible humiliation |"
"But, mamma pleaded libby,
E'you need have nothing to do With it.
Hannah Ann will attend to everything.
And can gather wild berries for the
table, and see to the linen, and get
flowers for the dining room. Hannah
ANA says she had rs lief cook for ten
rs for two. And we might raise her
wages then, and"
Don't torture me with such details"
sighed Mrs. Wayne, behind her pocket
handkerchief.
"But you don't positively forbid it.,
mammal" coaxsd libby.
II don't forbid anything" said Mrs.
Wayne. "My wishes are of no cOnse-
quence, one way or the other"
Which libby joyfully construed into
u permiSsin. And she ran down stairs
to count the cups and saucers, look
over the table drapery, and consider as
to the chairs which were worth of use.
For some one must attend to these
things, and libby was so anxious to be
useful.
And in month jerks Glen Half.
way House was full of boarders. Some
people came there for the view, some
for the air, some for the delicious quiet
which brooded over the icrests of the
bills. Mrs. Wayne contentedly read
novels in her own room, and libby
kept detormiuedly in the background,
while Hannah Ann was constituted
managing agent in general, and proved
herself fully worthy of the occasion.
"Pm psyin' expenses said Hannah
Ann, with pardonable pride, land lay
ing up little for interest on the mort
gage. Nobody don't forclose on my
folks, not if know i'll And Miss Eliza.
beth shall have new dress in Septem-
Der, just as sure as my nsme is S,okes!'
libby was busy enough now-whsl
with the house linen, the connecting
of rare and dainty deserts, which were
a degree above the solid buildings and
thick pies in which the soul of Hannah
Ann delighted, and the score of daily
duties which seemed, no one could tell
how, to fall to her cheerful lot. And
one day Hannah Ann mounted to the
attic chamber to which libby had
transferred her household goods.
"Miss Elizabeth" said she in a low
tone, "one of the boarders would like
to see YOU"
Zone of the boarders, Hannah Ami
What one9" cried libby, dropping the