The Portland daily press., 1883-12-25

ed out a brawny hand to meet halfway the
welcome he anticipated from his cousins
husband.
| gasped,-for the announcement fairly
took away my breath-and L must have
looked as stupid as a stuck pig. The fact
stared me in the face that one Of the terrible
Harmony cousins bad come at last. VIVA,
should do with hin? There was that ex-
pectant hand to be disposed OF somehow.
Gould shake it and so imply cordial vel
come to the owner OF it? One look into the
eager eyes of the man aud the next moment
| was shaking his hand. l could not have
the heart to disappoint such faith and trust
as | saw displayed in his countenance.
will confess. however, that the most of the
shaking was done by the Harmony man, but
be did it with vigor enough for both of us.
Then fell into another embarrassment.
The man would expect to be invited hone
with me to spend the night,-in fact, he had
doubtless csme to Swinton for that very pur
pose. remembered, with dismay, that my
wife was in the midst Of her annual house
cleaning aud our ooe spare room was dis.
manted. remembered also that had thai
very day dined GU baked beans warmed ovel
at that. Not that cared penny for myself
Almeda did her own homework without as
sistance and was willing to bear with many
Inconvenience is it would make her work
any lighter, but 1 was Seriously concerned
lest sheshould no The prepared to receive com.
pany at so short notice and at such time.
l wanted to gain time to think my way oul
of the dilemma, so said TO the man:
Excuse me, please. for few nom ents,
while finish this letter."
Certainly" he assented, as he calmly
dropped back again into Sley's chair, and
picked up that gentleman's evening paper
that was lying unopened on his desk. | ex-
pected every moment to see oEr senior part
ner come in aud, knowing, as / did, his iras
chile disposition, anticipated a scene be :
tween him and the Harmony man, but tor
tunatelV he did not return.
I remembered the solemn advice of my
wife's mother, never to invite our Harmony
relatives 10 visit us; but, good heavens! how
could act on that advice There was the
man right before me and felt in my bones
that be was going home with me whether ]
invited him or MOI. The best solution of th e
difficulty that could think of was to knock
him on the head and pack him away 10 a
out upon reflection there seemed
to be serious objections TO that way OF dis
posing of him.
While wrote and thought, and thought
aud wrote, the hands Of the office clock
moved steadily on and, long before I was
listening for it, the whistle Of the establish
ment blew for six O'Clock, tine usual hour Tor
closing The Office. When my visitor saw me
putting away my books, he laid down the
paper he had been reading and inquired inno-
Gently:
About supper time, isn't it ?'
saw the drift of his question and came
very near grooming aloud in consequence, but
contrived to recover my selfpossessou in
time to answer quite placidly:-
s'Yes, am going to tea now. You will, OF
course, 60 home with me and spend the
night. My wife would like to see you. my
smote me Justify as 1 said this, for
knew that the statement was lie.)
''Well, don't know but would go home
with you" he answered gracousy. 81
would like to see cousin Almeda, | alw avs
thought good deal Of her, though havn' /
seen her since she was little girl. I've al
ways heard that she was mighty smart
He said much more in praise oil
my wife, that need not repeat here.
Now man usually likes to hear his wife
praised. 1t seems to reflect credit upon his
own good Judgment in selecting such help
meet; so 1t came about that, by the time We
reached home, / was listening quite comp la.
Gently to the mans talk.
showed him into our little sitting-room,
went in search of nay wife, found her in the
Kitchen, in full house-cleaning rig, with
smutty face and hair uncombed. Before ]
could fairly shut the door between the knch-
en- and sitting room, she commenced to talk,
In very high key, very different from wh a
ever heard her Talk before.
who's that man you brought home with
you, just now?o
| motoned tor her not 10 talk so loud and
ans wered ia a whisper.
'Hush; Fell hear you. It's your cousin
Samuel, from HARMONY
II don't care whoit is or who hears me
don't want to see anybody today,-Dot even
my own mother. It's just like a man tc
bring home company at no use-cleauing time
aud nothing in the house for supper. excep,
bread and butter" and the good won ans
talk degeneraled into a succession of sobs.
Don't feel 50 bad about it, Almeda,'' l
said, in an effort to comfort her. II am sor.
ry, bur csuldn't help It. He would come
home with me anyway. He said he had al
WAYS heard that you were a smart woman
aud he wanted tn see you. Ifyou have moth
Inc but bread and butter To give US Tor sup
per, why we'll make that d., THAT'S an
My wife is sensible woman as we'll as al
smart one. She accepted the situation
washed ner face, combed her hair aud put on
a clean dress. Half an hour later, when We
sat dow0 to tea, she was quite her glorious
self again, and, may say, contidentlay, ]
wasn't ashamed of the tea-table either.
CJusn Samuel ate heartily OF the bread auC
butter, drank goodly quantity of tea an(
told Us all about our Harmony relatives. Fol
a time attempted to follow the wanderingi
aud the FORTUNES OF various branches of tbs
great Strong family, but soon GOT bawil
dered and went to pay with tie bab, while
A lmada. who ALWAYS had ynnd head fl