Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-06-12

| oOtioo, why sHOulu III D6 given luG(
such velvet-hke hands as those of Mrs
Abraham, junior.
Perhaps" suggested Maria sweetly
Mrs. Jones would like some hot buttereC
toast?'
''Well, since you're SO pressing, l an
rather partial to it. said Mrs. Jones.
"And," added Abigail, Jealous lest she
should be outdone in these sweet deeds o.
hospitality, ''there's a very good meat pit
in the pantry which 1 made myself, if
''Meat pie" cried the old lady. "Meat
pie is relish for anything going. l dom
know when I've put my teeth into gooC
meat pie before. Bring it ON, youne
woman-bring it on"
The three Ackleys looked on with beam
ing eyes, while Mrs. Jones ate and drank
like half-famished lioness, and afterwarC
they conducted her to the bedroom, where
the fire blazed brightly ON the painted, red
brick hearth, and the patchwork silk quit
\ Maria 8 own wOrk-was laid ostentatious
ly across the foot of the bedS
And then they all came down stairs
closed in solid phalanx around the fire, anc
looked at one another with meaning in theil
speculative eyes.
''Queer, amt she?" said Maria.
"Dressed exactly as if she came out of an
old rag-bag,' commented Abigail.
f'Hold your tongues, girlsp' said Mrs.
Ackley. sGeniuses are always eccentric.
And Cousin Jones is worth cool forty
thousand dollarsr'
Early the next morning, long. before day
light had irradiated the sullen darkness of
the wintry horizon, and Mrs. Ackley was
doing her best, in curl papers and a dirty
flannel wrapper, to make the kitchen fire
burn, an old box-sled stopped at the door,
and in came Abraham, Junior, brown-faced.
good natured and smiling.
''Well, mother, said he, 'hov's all the
folks ?''
''They're well enough - said Mrs. Ack-
ley, who always entertained secret fear
lest Abe should want to borrow some money
of her.
'.Father got home yet ?' said Abe.
'Nop'
Mrs. Ackley was Blowing desperately at q
crumpled bit of paper which absolutely de-
clined to ignite the kindling adjoining to it.
''That's you, mother, to T'' said Abra-
ham, d-humoredly. ''You're too eco
nomieal even to burn enough waste papers!
Goodness knows they don't cost you any
thingp'
"Humpr' said Mrs. Ackley, 'I know
some people as amt economical in any
thing"
"And that reminds me!' said Abe, skat-
ing easily away from the subject, ''I'm 60
ing down arter my boarder."
'fWhat boarder ?'' said Mrs. Ackley,
sharply.
'Didn't you know? said Abe. ''Me and
Jane Eliza, we've bid for one of the town
poor. It amt much pay, to-be-sure. The
selectmen are real close this year, on ac-
count of the Town Hall havin' cost such a
sight O. money But it's better than moth
in And the old woman will be company
for Jane Eliza and the children. It's old
Huldah Jones, you know-Cappen Jones'
widder, down in Frog Lane"
''Ohn' said Mrs. Ackley,
81 expected her up last night, said Abe,
drawing on his blue yarn nittens; shut l
guess she found the weather one too many
for her rheumatic; so now I'm goin' arter
her, with an armchair tied into the box
sled! And, by-the-way," fumbling in his
coat-pocket, 'here's letter got last night
! Guess it was meant for father, but opened
it by mistake"
"Who's it from 9'' sereeched Abigail,
who had just come down stairs, half frozen,
from her fireless room, tying her apron
strings as she came, while Maria was visi-
bic, twisting up her back hair, in the dis
tarce.
"Your rich cousin, in New York." said
Abe. s'She amt comin'! She's made up
her mind to rent furnished fiat in New
York, where she can be near herdoctor and
her fayorite clergymanp'
''Nonsenser' said Maria. "That's prac-
tical joke, as some one is tryin' to come on
US. Cousin Jones is here already"
''Asleep in the best chamber, where I'm
goin' to light a fire at seven O'clock" adj
ded Abigail.
"Wbatn' roared Abraham.
''Girls" shrilly exclaimed Mrs. Ackley,
''it's dreadful mistake as we've all made.
This old woman amt our Cousin Jones at
all. It's the town poor as Abe has took to
boardL-old Cappen Jones' widder, from
Frog Lane
And she struck an attitude in front of the
stovel like Medea before the sacrifcial flames.
"And we gave her cold fowl and raspber-
RYAN," cried Maria, "and the whole of
the meat pie"
"And my choicest linen sheets, and Ere
in the best chamber 20 groaned Mrs. Ack-
ley. ''My goodness mel how could we be
such fools 2"
VO ftu.t WAKE u0T up ttb OuCe, Sdlu hdTld
! 20 Abigail ''Tell her Abe Ackley is here,
to take her where she rightly belongs; and
ask her how she dared to impose upon de-
cent people like us ?'
'Gt amt her fault" sighed 3irs. Ackley.
''It's ours. Goodness what idiots we've
been ?"
! Gwen, you haven't asked me to break
FAST" said Abraham, junior, waggishly
but 1 guess I'll stop for a bite and sup,
and take the old lady up to our home arter
wards. ''Tain't good plan to travel on al
empty stomach such weather as thisr'
And the hewildered Mrs. Jones was
whisked away on the box-sled before she
knew the rights and wrong of the case, leav.
ing the Ackley family disconsolate.
81 never was so mistook in my life be-
fore," said Mrs. Ackley.
But Abe, junior, regarded the matter as g
stupendous joke.
"Old Mrs. Jones got frst-class mea
and nights lodgin' free gratis out o.
mother" said he; ''and I don't remember
when anybody else has done as much.'