The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-01-19

al! alike-flckle as the weather." / gasre
Ter tirmness, uprooted Juliet from N
$ heart forever, aud mane Arabelia man
} The day on tho spot.
o However, Notwithstanding the uprootn
+ process (Which l. not always 50 tlaoroug
Z IS some people imagine>, if there was On
: person in the world before whom ,Ti3he
9 to present 4 respectable figure 1t was .Tu
T iet 1hornton. Arabelia might get Silie
] il a railroad accident. Strange things hap
pencl every dAy. glanced about me il
: desperation. There stood heavenly asi
e barrel right 1t my elbow. [ breathed an in
: ward thanksgiving, and hastily crammins
the hoop-sEirt into the barrel, Joined m,
: visitors at the front gate.
ssWe are just In time to make tour o
your flower garden, Mr.. Blodgett,'' sait
Juliet, heguiIingly; ''I:do SO Goto on -dow
ersi'' and she gave me tender glance, II
If to say, Il have not forgotten the bot
house roses and snowy camelias that
certain individual used TO send me-"
/ "With all my heart, ladies', this way
and Mr.. Ciggswcll, too And led then
in triumph around the f1ower-bcds, pluck
ing the fairest flowers Of al for Juliet and
Mrs. CtggswelI. It is fortunate that Ara
bella did not see the soIctude with which
[ selected the perfect specimens.
| The Reverend Ciggswell sqninted
through his eyeglasses toward the kitchen
| fire.
''You have-aw~sone very fine yege-
tables, TOO, ,-aW-Mr. Blodgett, per-
eeive. [ am very fond Of looking-aw--
ata vegetable garden"
| could have murdered him. 1he way
to the vegetable Patch led directly past the
ash barrel.
"Ob, yes, dear Mr. nIodgctt, do show
us the vegetables said Juliet, II do
love to see the cunning little yellow
squasEes, and the bcets and onions and
| other nice things.
There was no help for it. Sitting a
groan, [ conducted them to the desired
place. We neared the fatal ash barrel.
Juliet's eyes were cast On the ground, and
breathed freely us we passed it, when an
omnious s0und-"s "siss-ss-t -t''~-greeted my
ears. and my Mortified eyes beheld long,
ragged rent in Juliet's pink cambricc
poonaise! That diabolical ho0D-skirt-
that haunting, remorseles5 flend; that
"Banquo" that would not down"-IlQd
protrnded q broken wire through a chink Of
the barrel, and the deed was done! III
Arabela were to be inundated on fifty
trains it would make no difference now /
Juliet would never smile on me again. A
woman mist zbe al angelic forgi4e. ;iIl iy
ssillittty u anew dress.
OF course apologized, and OF course she
pretended not TO care; but Il freezing dig |
nifty crept into her manner for the remain /
der Of the call, and by the time we reached |
Ssthe cunning little yellow squashe5" her
was AS dead as Julius Cnsar.
The visitors declined an invitation to en-
ter the house and rest. Mrs. Ciggwcll,
with au in1lnitude Of pins and an abund-
ance Of sympathy, made temporary re-
pairs in the pink polonase, and bowed
them out Of the front gate with an un-
wonted chill at my heart.
Looking across the street I espied n rag
mans cart standing at the Widow Dicker-
mans. A wild impulse seized me-. l
sna.ched the ssiiendo from the ash barrel,
md as / ranup stairs called out, seBridget
run over to Mrs. Dickerman' :, please, and
tell that ragman to be sure and stop
here"
The ragbag always hung BY ArabellA's
sewing machine, in the bedroom. Twist .
ng the fend into the smallest possible
wrapped and tied it securely III
Z ragged dish-toWel, aud pushed it down,
loWn, to the very bottom Of the bag. No,
hat wouldn't do. The lowest rags would (,
oe sure to crop out at the top when he
,rnptied the bag. With a Machiavelian t
cunning pulled the 'stiend" up toward :
he middle. "He will never discover it /
ill he gets to the paper mill, )" thought /; +
farewell, ruthless destroyer of my peace, i
arewell.'
By the time my arrangements were COM
3Ieted the Widow Dickerman had come to
he end of chaffering for half-pint tin cups /;
md griddle-cake turner's, and the cart was
1t the door. With stolid countenance, /,
out tbrobbng heart, stood. nonchalent
y by, while the peddler weighed and {
mptied the rags, and counted out the +
ash. did not draw full breath till | !
aw the back OF the cart vanish over the
op Of the long billy street. On the road to /
t. IF
Tile next day ArabeIla (dear girD re-
urned with Aunt CarraWay. As we sat l
t.dinner, supplying our elderly relative !
Nth al the delicacies Of the season, heard /
Il animated discussion at the kitchen /
oor between Bridget and a strange man. :
Sridget's voice grew shriller, the mans I
.ruf1er, then heavy footsteps came near. /
auaked with a fearful presentiment e
he door opened and the raglnan stood
ofore me with indignation on his freck-
ed face.
EFF you suppose that Hiram Salathiel J,
,anes is agoin' tew pay five cents a pound i
Or old hupskirt wire you're just q leetle j,
ut of your reck min, for he don't eale'-I !
ate to kerry ON biziness in emmy sich style. II
II trouble yeW for ten cents, mister, = Il