The National tribune., 1882-10-05

No." / says, very firm, 81 never could bear
her"
"Well, must say, You are the only persons
I ever met who didn't like Cary! What are
your objections to her, pray tell me?"
"Well," begun Jim, you see-yOu see
why she's such mortally homcly woman!"
"Do you think so, Mr.. Miller? l aclInowl-
edge that she's very large, but"
Yes, that's it," breaks in Jim, "she's so
uncommon fat that" and then he stops
short and was half frightened out of my wits,
for Mrs. McCaffery was one of the biggest wO-
men you ever laid eyes on, and 1 could see
she was just a little bit riled.
"That she can't half sing" he goes on, in a
second. "Now, I'm not very small myself,
ma'am, as you see, and / like good sized wo-
man first rate, but Cary, she'd weigh full as
much as you and 1 put together, L know she
would"
"O Mr.. Miller! I'm afraid you are fatter-
ing me" says Mrs McCafFery, smiIin' again.
"Not at all, maam!" answers Jim, very ear
nest you're only nice size. wish my wife
was as big as you are; do, indeed"
"Wcll, then, don't" thinks 1 to myself,
"scein how short I am"
you have a very pleasant home, Mrs. Mil
Ier."
"Yes, ma'am,' says, eve find everything
very handy"
Mrs. Martin, whom you rent the house of,
is very intimate friend of ours" she goes on,
'and we all felt SO badly to have her leave
| Chicago; but she found her health required
that she should go East to live l was telling
my daughter when we came in, that every
/ thing looked so natural that it seemed as
though Mrs Martin must walk in every min
ute. l am sure you may consider yourselves
very fortunate in securing this house. Fur
nished houses are so hard to get, at this season,
l believe. L suppose you got tired Of board
| ing?"
Well, we thought we'd rathor come over
nearer the lake." says jim, Pm very fond Of
the water myself and I think its healthier over
here don't you, ma'am?"
Yes Indeed, Mr. Miler!"
'And then its more kind O genteel on this
side of the river, to my thinkin'. I'm always
very particular about the ncighborhoOd | live
| in, ma'am. l don't want no stores, or n0thin'
like that, too near my house. L like nice,
quiet street like this ere. There amt many
boardiu' houses right along here, are they,
maam? l wouldn't like to get in whole row of
boardin' houses, but it's hard to get away from
em, here in Chicago. Now, down in Pennsyl-
yany, where | was born and brung up, people
all has nice little homes Of their own. l told
my wife / couldn't stand bOardin' no howl
mean, considerin' that she seemed willin' to go
to housekeepin'."
"You were very sensible, I am sure, Mr..
Miller not to board any longer. Why don't
you buy this house of Mrs. Martin, and settle
down in a home of your own? 1 think she
would be glad to sell it."
"Well, we'll think of it, ma'an. You see, we
thought we'd take a furnished house first, and
then if we liked livin' in it we could buy it,
you know"
"Quite right, l am sure. But am very con-
fdent you will like this house, and it is SO
beautifully furnished. Mrs. Martin has ex-
quisite taste. l think these parlors are lovely;
everything matches exactly"
"Now, that's just what l don't like ma'am,"
says Jim;" it's all blue and drab, and l never
did like no such pale colors. told my wife |
reckoned we'd have to get some little things to
sort o liven the room up little. Now, to MY
thinkin', red curtains would look heap bet
tern them air blue ones, and I'd like few
red chairs and another big glass over the
mantel. There amt near pictures enough to
suit me, neither; like to see whole lot o
pictures; they make the room look so full and
nice"
Then you're fond of pictures, Mr.. Miller?"
every, ma am, very fond of EN- indeed"
so am l, too. Mr. Raymond has such fine
I Of
picture without consulting him first. One is
so apt to get cheated in pictures"
THAT'S SO, maam, that's so. Now, what L
look at first is the colors. I like 'em real
bright and gay lookin Some of these pictures
are too pale to suit me; haven't red enough in
'em. I'm very particular, ma'am; faint every
picture that suits me, by no means"
"You must come over and see my pictures,
Mr.. Miller. L have some very fine ones. Mr..
Raymond helped me select the most of them.
l never mind the price of picture happen to
take fancy to-"
Neither do I, ma'am says Jim "Iwouldnt
mind payin' nigh fifty dollars for picture 1
happened to like, providin', of course, it was
pretty good size!"
''Are you fond of art, too, Mrs. Miller" she
says turnin' to me.
90, Sallie likes everything that I like!"
puts in jim. We agree as nice as any two
people you ever saw"
How delightful! You are quite model
couple, I'm sure. And so, Mr.. Miller, you have
no tastes that your wife does not share?"
"No, ma'am, exceptin the smokin', and I
amt particular about her sharin' that just at
present"
"Why, JIM" says, feelin' bound I'd speak
up for once, you know 1 can't abide cabbage
and you can never get enough of it; and you
won't as much as taste Goldfish, but l like it
first rate !"
81 really must go; | have made very long
call" says Mrs. McCatlcry, gettin' up from the
sofa as if she was in dreadful hurry, 1
thought.
40, don't go yet, maam!" jim remarks
very polite; "me and my wife would be very
much pleased to have you stay longer Take
of your bonnet and stay to supper with US
Now do"
"Not this time!" she says, laughin' most
pleasant.
"Well, then, come over some other after
noon, ma'am. Salie and | get kind O. lonely