Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-04-27
NO. A..

of style. Brown brick, with d0rmer-
windows. aud only two stories high
and the whole front store. with the
shutters up, Just exactly as if there
had been death in the family
."Dcar me - said old Mrs. Biggs,
how yon do startle ole! But there
amt no Grape on tile door
"Mothcr takes everything 50 deal
in earnest! - said Mr. luke Biggs,
scornfully.
"Lemme see,' said Mrs IIoratio,
crawding across the old lady. and Civ
ing her best hat'a "pok not intended
by the miltiner well declare !
guess the bookmakcrs' business amt
So dreadful fun of money after all
And liquor store next door, and
a pawnbroker's across the street ~
leeringly observed Miss JOscpha.
"P'raps that's the way folk lives in
New York, said old Mr.. Riggs, who
was squeezed nearly Hat between his
wifi and Mrs. Luke on the back seat.
"'Taint what | expected TO see"
said Mrs. Horatio, in accents of
scarcely repressed s.orn.
81 don't know how they can ac-
commodate us all sighed Mrs. Biggs,
yainly endeavoring to straghten her
bonnet.
"That's their lookout" said Mrs.
Luke, leaning comfortable back, with
the heel of her boot balanced on her
father-in-law's most sensitive corn.
The driver having 10y this time tum-
hlcd off his Dcrlous at, and rung tn
door-bell twice without eyokng any
3 sign of life from within, looked ap-
pealingly toward his fares
"What am / to do?' said he
"Ring again" said Mrs, lIoratio.
5 And the hackman rang again, this
> time with SO much energy as to pull
i the whole bell wire ou., and precip
. tate himself backward on the pave >
| ment. like Hamlet at the first sight of
Il his fathers ghost, at which the LITTLE
y y boys laughed engag.ngy. and hat
Il box tumbled down from the Leaning
=! Tower into the gutter, where it split
Il open like an overripe nut, revealing
> Mr. Horatio Biggs best black felt hat.
- "Boys. boys, do set steady up there
20 screamed Mrs. Biggs. Look There's
g some one coming at last, Is it HiramF
II Or is it Elizabeth 2"
We 1t was neither one nor the other, as
it happened, but a stout old woman in
= = flannel dressing-gown, carpet slip
81 pers and red nose.
~ "Mr Biggs' folks to home? shrlny
III inquired Mrs Iloratio, who had con
eu stituted herself spokeswoman tor tine
IS party, without any formal appoint
~ ~, ment.
a. - "Oh, yes" answered the old woman,
its in snuffy, confidential sort OF tone
YES They're TO hum. But pEaps th'
-, children hadn't better come IN
iIv BY this time the hacknan Ea(
IT, opened the door of the vehicle and th'
Nv tide of Biggses had begun to flow Out
a. on the pavement. But Mrs. Luke
M stopped abruptly on the carriage step,
ed with her father-in laws bOazed visage
id. peeping over her shoulder.
N " Not come in!' said she "Why,
e. we're their relations to visit
in en- %
IN " Not but what they're deal better,
at and the doctor says there amt no more
We danger of contagion," reassuringly
:" added the old woman.
Id "Contagion r. echoed the Biggs
III family.
)" Hadn't you heard ?" said the old
al woman, with the solid satisfa ,tion
ut which old women generally evince in
Vi communicating any startling piece of
information. Wen, it amt no Sc
, cret in the neighborhood especially as
people amt best pleased with the
D1 board OF health's conclud n to insu-
4 late EN- re instead Of sen lin cm to
V, hospital. They've every on Of 'em
ar hal the smallpox. And that's the
ID reason the store is shut up. I'm here
1t to nurse 'em. | amt afraid of the
smallpox, bein' as I've had it a'readv."
ii Which was a self-eYd mt fact TO
d any one who looked upon her broad
:. and smiling countenance.
Bless me"' said Mrs. Luke. prompt
! ly retreating into The hack. Very
t. thoughtless Of IIiram's folks not TO let
us know. Mother Josepha, Harriet
d Ann! come in at once Pick uD the
hat box. Tell the man to drive back
G to the ferry as fast as he can. Praps
e we'll be able TO catch the 4 o'clock
train back to Biggsylle."
e 81 didn't know, sugg sted the old
woman, rather disappoin ed at this
: sudden withdrawal of the invading
forces, but you might have come to
help nurse 'em"
G " Nothing of the sort" Mrs. Horatio
f answered, as, for ing herself into the
n already overfull hack, she ahmed the
door with an emphatic bang, and
: shouted to the driver to "Go on p
: The-smallpox !" g.oaned Mrs.
: Biggs senior. And no one of the
/ children has been yacc.natcd
we'd b tier stop at the nearest
. drug store and have it done at once"
2 said Mrs. Luke, bceathleisly.
2 It'll be dreadful expensive said
Mrs. Horat.o.
2 :" But it'll. be cheaper than having
5 The smallpox" argued Mrs Biggs
| senior
50, after this important sanitary
ceremonial during which the Biggs
boys bawled as if they were being hayed
alive, the family returned, without
loss of time, to Biggsyille.
And Hiram's folks d not have the
pleasure, then or ever, of entertaining
their 'ations. In fact, they never
dreamed how near they had been TO
that happiness. The BiggsyilIe Biggses
declared over and over again that they
never should forgive their city rela-
tiOns, but as IIiram's folks did not know
it, they were saved from any over
whelming pangs Of conscience. They
wrote letter to the board Of health,
reproaching them bitterly with the bad
management of the varioloid ease in
Thirteenth avenue, but they never got
any answer from that august body. In
short, the Biggs family were very an
cry but they would probably have
been angrier stll if they had known
urith ,r,hnf fort III. IItr.,..,,r IL. -.