Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-04-06
THE THREE GRANDMOTHERs,

And you would marry this fellow,
said Grandma Won Breeks Won Starch
in her bassoonicst THAT is the onl,
word L can think of with which t.
describe them) tones, IF you could?'
Yes. ma'am.' replied Gertrud,
meekly but firmly.
The idea is simply prepostcrous!'
declared Grandmother Hutloy's fife
like voice.
"Prcposterous indeed" responded
the bassoon "More than prepos
ferrous -disgraccful. A mechanic! ;
common working man. house paint
err
He's "a fresco painter" timilly
corrected Gertrude.
Which amounts to the Same thing
groaned the bassoon.
"Michael Angelo began Ger
trude
Heaven preserve US" shrllled the
fife; she's bringing somc lrishmal
into the discussion now. BE silent
miss Wen not hear another WORD
from you. And understand distinct
iy. once and for all, that if that per
son calls here Tomorrow. which II,
doubt he will havo the impcrtinenct
and assurance to do. you ar" to dis
miss him instantly. or 'ce riH."
And cndeavor to begin the new
year tho bassoon took up the strain
again -''in manner -befitting q
descendant of the illu5trious General
Won Breeks Won Starch, whose uncx
ampled bray cry made him and Ber
I'gen op Zoom the city of his birth =
famous not only throughout Holland
but the entire world, at time when
you were not dreamed Of"
As FOR Great gran Peeky. she had
sat softly rocking to and fro in her
cushioned rocker munching her car
away biscuits-a store Of which she
always carried in n little satchel
suspended at her side-sleepily re-
.garding the group OF takers, and
saying not a word herself. But that
was nothing strange for her She
scarcely ever spoke save in mono
syllables, and never even in them
when Madam Won Breeks Won Starch
and Mistress Huffey were laying down
the law Ia favorite occupation OF
theirs, by-the-bye) to servants. trades
people, or granddaughter Gertrude
And the last thing that could have
occurred to either of the amiable law
makers would have been tho idea OF
appealing 10 the old lady for an
opinion on any subject whatever 1t
sufficed them that she paid without
grumbling the greater part of the
expenses of tho household ont OF the
income which was to cease Mt her
! death. and yet allowed them to man
age all things pertaining to it in then
own way.
Gertrude-so named Ivy Madame
Won Breeks Won Starch in honor OF
the patron saint Of Bergen op Zoom
had lost both lrer parents in her
infancy, and her father having been
reduced to poverty some time before
he died by varions gentlemanly vices
she had been left wholly dependent
upon her three grandmothcrs.
OF these Great gran Peeky wa.
tho mother OF Grandmother Huffey,
who in turn was the mother OF Ger
trudc's mother, while Grandma Won
Brooks. yon Starch held the same
close relationship to her father.
The bassoon grandmother was at
the head Of the American branch of
her family (she had been a Won
Breeks Won Starch herself, and had
married q cousin of the same name)
"A family of great prowess and many
bags of gold in their father-land some
century and a half ago She was
tall, stout and solid, with n round
face, big black eyes. abundant iron
gray hair, and a carriage that imme-
diately suggested to the beholder
the last syllable of her aristocratic
name.
The fife grandmother, five years
her junior, was directly her opposite,
being short, slim and timber, with a
sharp cut, face, extremely thin fair
hair and faded blue eyes.
Great-gr gran Peeky, notwithstand-
ing her eighty-three years, was by
far the best looking of the three
Though she did look, l must confess,
when munching her caraway biscuits,
somewhat like a very nice meditative
old rabbit). Her snowy white tresses
waved prettily above her still dark
eyebrows, beneath which beamed with
n mild. dreamy light her soft brown
eyes, and pleasant winter bloom
fingered on her wrinkled face.
1t was from her Gertrude had re
ceived all the picture books and sugar
plums, almost always bestowed in
perfect silence, that had frightened
and sweetened her childhood, Grand
ma Won Breeks Won Starch supply
ing the lessons in department and
Grandmother Huffey Qet me whisper
it, the punishments, usually inflicted
with slipper or the back of hair
brush. But in spite Of the lectures
and lessons sand other disagreeablC
things, Gertrude led a tolerably happy
! life with her three grandnothers
until her eighteenth birthday From
that day dated such strist surveillance
so much sarcasm, so many seedlings
that even the hair brush and slipper
period seemed by comparison a re
grettable one. And all on account
of the young man who came to frescc
the parlor ceilings. A handsome
young man he was. possessing the
highly euphonious name of EverdeI
Tremlett. But neither his good looks
nor his romantic name availed hin
aught with the two managing grand
mothers, who saw in him only one OF
the workingday race, with which tho
Hutfeys and the Won Breeks Vol
Starches had nothing in common.
And therefore with no more
thought about the matter than il