The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-10-14

cry apple-blossoms at the back; end
there was the gourd-sheil, lying in the
grass beside the sweep; and the cleanly
scrubbed kitchen floor, with its rag rugs
at the doors; and the ancient clock, tick
ing away in its corner; and the old
chest of drawers, between the two win
dows.
..Pa," cried Miss Etheldreda Eldred.
putting up her eyeglasses, ''what a
lovely piece of workmanship"
.'Quite medievalr' sighed Miss En-
mengarde. 1--WE mast have this old
Revolutionary relic in our drawing-room.
par
The Professor stared around him.
There's nobody to ask the price of,
my dear, said he.
s.That's Just like pap said Miss Ethel
dreda. "Don't you hear somebody ham,
mering somewhere? There's carpen-
ter shop just down the lane. Go and
inquire-dor'
Abel Jones was working diligently
away at q step-ladder, when the Pro-
fessor's bald head was thrust into his
shop.
s.EhP'' said Abel, looking very hand
some, in his shirtsleeves and scarlet
necktie.
Iwish you very good morning, STRIP
said the Professor, politely.
ssSame to you, sirr' said Abel.
II wish, - said the Professor, ''to in
quire the price of that beautiful old
brass-mounted chest of drawers in the
kitchen of the house yonder. My
daughters"
mo price at all, sill" said Abel. at
amt for sale.'
IF liberal remuneration, sir, would
be any inducement to you"
"Not for sale," good-humoredly re-
peated Abel Nothing would induce
my mother-in-law to part with it."
:. An old family relic, eh?" remarked
the Professor.
Exactly" said Abel.
And he went on hammering, and
whistling the tune of Robin Affair.""
while the Professor made his way back
through the prickly hedge of goose
berry bushes and black currants.
Half an hour afterward, Mary, the
pretty first cause of all Abel Jones' ro-
mantle adventures, ran into the shop.
They had been married for over three
months now, but Abel's smile of well
come was no less bright than it had been
in hedays of the honeymoon.
80 Bless me, Pollyr' said he. "What
is the matter? You look half scared to
deathr'
..And no wonder" said Mary. "There
have been burglars at the house. Moth
er's chest Of drawers is gomez
What!'' shouted Abel.
.sAnd these we're ftunder one of the
volumes of Barnes Notes on the Cos
pei on the kitchen-tabler' breathlessly
added Mary, displaying five ten-dollar
bills in the palm of her hand.
"Upon-my-wordr' said Abel. It's
the old fellow with the bald head. Polly,
and the spectacles, you may depend upon
it. l thought he looked like an old
furniture dealer"
Alas, poor Abel! not to be able to dis
criminate between secondhand store
keeper and the Professor of Esthetics
and Bellies Lettres in Higley University!
But such is life!
g But it's stealingr' cried Mary,
breathlessly.
"Well, not exactly, - said Abel, laugh
ing g The old thing in itself wasn't
worth ten dollars. If they choose to
value it at fifty, why it amt bad for us
in the light of q pecuniary transaction,
eh, Pollyp"
:. But what will mother sayp" pleaded
Mary.
five got another one nearly finished. :"
said Abel. :" i was meaning to sell it
to Mrs. Harrington. But I'll just set it
up in the old place, and mother will
never care whether it's number one or
number two that is there"
So that when Mrs. Bubble came home
from the sewing society, Abel was Just
setting up new chest of drawers, and
Mary eagerly related to her the tale of
the burglary, for so she still persisted in
calling It.
"Well, neverr' said Mrs. Bubble.
/" Fifty and twenty-five makes seventy
five. I'm glad didn't take the Death
of Jonathanr"
This means business" said Abel to
himself.
And he set diligently to work to man.
ufacture still other duplicates of the
''chist O. draws staining them a
dark. rich brown, and beating out odd,
shell-shaped decorations to complete the
illusion. And when the curiosity-hunter
came up the solitary road, EMPOWERED
in elms, where it required considerable
engineering for one load of hay to pass
another, Abel sat whistling on his door
step, ready to drive a bargain.
''Any old furniture or antiques to
sell?" the hunter would blandly inquire.
"Not stickr' said Abel; and then,
after minutes blank silence on the
part Of the pioneers of the aesthetic, he
would add: Unless you'd like to look
at this ere chist o. draws as I've Just
tinkered up. / can't say, up and down,
you know, as it's old; but then it is.
You can look for yourselves. There
amt no date it. Idon'tcar whether
I sell itor not. Nor yet don't put no
price on it. ain tnone of your bargain
d,ivora r. Won EUo IL x>ov xr1o< 49,.