The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-10-27
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VIOLA
Thrice Lost in a Struggle for a Nana
CHAPTER VII.
BIT MRS. r.. B. EDISON,

CHAPTER VII.
Tom Arnold had a housekeeper, a
rather attractive little woman of per.
haps thirty-five, who rejoiced in the
name of Bugbee. say rejoiced; per-
haps that is not quite correct. 1t was
maliciously reported that Mrs. Bugbee
would not seriously object to dropping
that cognomen if favorable opportu.
nifty occurred for an exchange But.
being a widow, people were privileged
to say such uncharitable things of her
without rebuke. / think widows are the
most abused and slandered people in
the world. The idea of their ma
neuverng or setting traps for a hus-
band-why, it's simply preposterous! l
wouldn't believe it if | saw it with my
own eyes.
Bugbee, deceased. had shuff1ed off
this mortal coil something like five years
before, so she might be said to be in the
lavender and gray stage of her grief.
having triumphantly outlived the Grape
and bombazine period. She was very
blackeyed little woman, with cheeks as
round and as red as China dolls and
these cool. gray tints were becoming,
and made her look Gas fresh rs rose
set in bunch of tansy" This simile is
not original with me; it originated in the
brain of Ned Bradlee, and it first oc-
cured to him one spring evening when
he went up to Arnold's after some
turnip seed. And Mrs. Bugbee, in the
absence of the master OF the house, got
1t for him, pouring it out of the paper
into her plump, rosy palm, and holding
1t out for him to look at. talking all the
time of what "splendid'' turnips they
were, and what lovely sauce they made
mashed up with potatoes and butter and
pepper
.'Du you love turnip sass, Mis- Bug
bee" Ned asked, venturing look from
the plump hand to the bright eyes of his
companion.
90 yes, Mr.. Bradlee, 1 love it better
than anything in the worldr' was the
fervent answer.
Now, turnip sauce was Ned's special
delight, but for an instant he felt little
twinge of jealous envy toward his old
favorite
81 should think you could raise beau
tiful ones on your place. thought of
1t when was by there the other day."
she continued, doing up the seed and
laying it in his hand, just brushing her
sleeve across his arm, and touching in
the lightest possible way her little warm
fingers to his palm.
Alas, poor Ned, He went home that
night thoroughly bewildered. He for
got that he had eaten no supper, he
forgot that his feet were wet from walk
ing directly through a " slough" in
cfnah of oil h.
deed, L am not sure but he forgot there
was slough there at all; he forgot
to shut up his hens (and as a conse-
quence lost more than half his Young
beets before he was awake in the morn
ing) and to feed the chestnut colts, but
he did not forget Mrs. Bugbee-ah no!
not even in his dreams, for then he
fancied she was an immense turnip,
with lavender leaves bound with pink
ribbon, and when he went to pull
her, she put up her lips and kissed him!
He woke up with little delicious thrill,
and an abominable cold in his head.
He had forgotten to shut down the win
dow over his bed, and the wind had
come round and was blowing directly
on him.
Ned Bradlee, your a consumed old
fool?" he said, dropping the window
with bang. Amt You ashamed of
yourself, at your time O. -forty-five |
the thirteenth day of last Jinewary-
you old ninny, you?"
But as he laid back in bed for another
nap, he somehow hoped he should |
dream that "turnip'' dream again.
The wonderful Improvement which |
had come over Ned's personneHe, had |
all dated from that MI ht. There was
a snug little frame house going up now
on that ..quarter section" and though |
the question had not yet been directly |
put, Mrs. Susan Bugbee was as morally
certain of some day making ..turnip
sauce within its pleasant walls as one
Gamble OF anything in this changeable
world.
And now, it having Just occurred to
me, L will go back and look after my
hero, whom, if l mistake not, / left on
the eve of an introduction to the Misses
Montford.
Ralph felt as he went through the
ceremony of introduction, as if he was
in sort of nightmare. Did you ever
look at the sun, until, when you looked
away, you could see round, prismatic
ball wherever your eyes rested? just SO
it seemed to Ralph Anderson for the
first few minutes after he came into the
room. Look wherever he would. at
the gilt wallpaper, the pictures. the
carved holdings, or even into the ia
ces of the Misses Montford, pale olive
face. with great lustrous startled eyes,
seemed to look out at and confront him.
But after little it wore away SO that he
could observe his new friends. |:
Miss Althea Montford was light ;
haired young lady-not particularly
young, either--with a rudy complex ]
ion and very pale blue eyes. She had a
Tery large i may say extremely large
nose, of the Roman style OF architect :
ire, which was, without exaggeratiOn, ;
he most prominent thing about her. I
Without knowing anything about her, {
,ne would be pretty apt to think her re-
served and naughty, and perhaps lit 8
lie unscrupulous. don't think you {
would be inclined to change your mind
mich after YOU did know her. Ii