Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-16

Give me back my deed, then" "a;
be. Hunting vocation, hey? I a,
) afraid you'll not find IT. Charlie
We ahouRht him an old cuYmudceoi
and went on with our preparations.
vas midspring time vhen we set on
and the dearest. saddest day thst eve
davned and set vas the day We bid fsre
We'll to Walnut Hill. A dismal raj
irIn2ed all the trees about our home
arp, drip, il fell from the caves. fror
every bouah and shrub. ps il weeping a
our departure. The very chickens In tn
DarnJa-d FILTERED about Us with no.s
demonstrations, and the COWS locke,
after rs with sober, wistful eyes. w
nad lived 50 happily at Walnut Hill.
was terrible trial to tear ourse.ve-
away. could see regret in Charlie
eyes; and when. upon starting, our o..
Watchdog followed us down to the cat.
while my pct Tabby mewed patheticall,
from the window, We both broke dow
and lost sight Of our late home hal
blinded bv tears. But our mission wa.
an important ons-Cnariie was in search
| of his vocation.
! Summer came Just about the time ",
got established in our city quarters; M
sham abou! Il, eIfher-hot. sitting, earn
est summer. Pleasant enough il nigh
be In dewy rural retreats. or in shadow,
| forests, where the waters gurgled anc
| the breezes sang through the live-lont
day: but to Us, IN our three brick
| IL the heart of a crowded block. il wa.
dreadful. This had be, n the very best
We could do: small houses were not te
| be had, aud the furniture went with on,
three-story brick, brussels carpet. hand
some daInask, walnut and mahogany
not worn at all. for the paltry sum OF
$1,000; cheap as dirt. Charlie said. and
We bought il and took the house. The
rent was beyond our means. truly, but
we trusted to taking dodgers.
We felt quite grand. to be sure; but
oh. that burning heat, that close, sitting
heat. All our stately parlors and cham
bers could not compensate rs for the
refreshing breezss We had lost. Baby
began to droop like wilted blossom
from the very first day Of our arrival.
I carried her from cellar to ATTIC in
search OF cOolness, and watched over
her day by day with a nameless dread
at my heart. In the meantime Charlie
was ont late and early in search of his
vocation. Hard work he had finding il.
too; man does not stumble over one
every day. But it came to him at last
in the shape Of a copyist at about &l.5O
per day. A poor beginning, bat some
thing better would turn up. Like Mr..
Micawber. he waited.
Then ws advertised for dodgers to &C.
cupy our two spare rooms. week went
by without single applicant; after that
they began to pour in by dozens. There
was not an hour III the day in which we
were free from intrusion. For DAYS in
succession could not get time to eat
my meals in peace-yst the ro0ms were
not taken. At the end of three weeks
my stair carpet was growing throadb are,
and my very sool was sick with despair,
We thought Of giving up tho brick and
hunting cheaper quarters, when good
fortune favored us IN the person of Mrs.
Colonel Hargrave, who drove down in
her elegant carriage to look at the rooms.
For fifteen minutes che trailed her silk
and cashmere up and down, and then
she pronounced the rooms charming.
OF course she would engage them-the
rent WAS a more song. And she moved
down her effects OH the following day,
including the Colonel, Who was q large,
fino-lOOking man with military whiskers,
and who paid down half months board
in advance.
Charlie and I were wondrously elated.
Il argued we'll for our future success to
have such stylish persons in DOR house.
And then the Colonel promised to do SD
much for us-Charlie vas to have a To-
orative Office at once. But for some Iea-
son or other it was not secured; and the
summer DAYS wore on, and poor Charlie
sill held his old place, while superin-
tended the cooking and made mocha aud
mixed ices for Mrs. HarRrnve. She vas
an extremely fascinating woman. and
she and got to he friends. She embro:-
dered pinafOres for baby, and would
have me accompany her TO the opera,
and even forced two or three costly pres
ents upon me. Two sisters were never
moro intimate-we even wore each 9TH
era apparel; and when we had private
theatricals, and che played juliet to
Charles Romeo, she borrowed my dia-
monds and dazzled the As, emily with
her regal beauty. My precious dia-
monds! what store set by them! There
was not such another Get in the city.
80 said Mrs. Harpravs when she brought
them down, on the morning after the
theatricals.
August came; the streets ankle deep in
dust. the sky like brass. Baby was srri-
ously i'll: her little dimpled face wasted
to n mere shadow. The doctor advised
taking her back to the country, but we
were deep in debt, and Colonel HarQravc
had not paid another cent toward bis
board. At Charles suggestion l VEN
tured weak expostulati0n. II she only
could nav us part-our expenses were 30
heavy. Mrs. HarRrave laid down her
novel and shook ont the folds Of her
linen cambria wrapper.
Certainly, my dear. Why in the
world didn't you remind me beforeY'
smiling blandly through her blonde
curls, "The Colonel il such neglect
ful man; but I'll have him draw on our
banker tomorrow aud attend at once to
the matter"
loot up an extra dinner on the strength
OF her promise, and in the afternoon !
vent ont 70 make q few purchases pre-
para.ory to taking the baby to tno cOun-
iry. On my return l found the house
deserted-my rooms forlorn and empty.
Colonsl HarQraye and his wife had bet n
eummoued away. VAS bitterly disap-
pointed aud a little apprehensivs; bat
Charlie laughed Mt nv fears. OF course
they would forward the money next day.
The morrow brought other scenes, but
not the expected money. Baby was
alarminely i'll. and by moon our house
vas in the hands Of bailifs. There was
q claim on the furniture, they said, prior
to our purchasing. Charlie stormed and
expoetulated by turns. but In vain
They felt for Us, but there was NO help
for tit had to 90. Sunset found our
three STORY brick cleaned out-not an
article left bat the little wicker cot on
which baby lay. Chsrlie and stood
over her in silence; and somehow, j st
then. while the pitiiess liaht Rlared
through the custsinlsss windows into
| the bare rooms, q vision of our Old life
at Wa!nr. Hiii-the coy chanber-the
blazing wocd-6re-the happy evening
hours-swspt before "a. Charlie croan.d
aloud and burst into tears. Inst night
wrote 10 grandfather, and the follow
| iuy day br0uch: his response. "Coms
back To Walnut Hiis, n. said, and no.
thing more. 1t yes iiks him. Bot how
conId ye?