Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-19

But Hiram knew little Of the perse-
verance and energy of the Biggges if he
believed that so triiing an impeachment
as a lack of invitation or a delay in
sending addresses would keep out the
INVASION. 1t was Canute and the ocean
over again; and in three days the whole
family arrived, all packed into hack
to save expense, with a perfect Leaning
Tower of Pisa of baggage on the roof,
the driver perchedi in front nobody knew
how, and Mrs. Luke's two little boys
astride of the very apex of the tower.
At the first wholesale grocery store on
Barclay Street a Directory was handed
in and duly studied, and the driver,
changing halfway down, like one who
gathers samphire, dreadful trade" was
hidden to drive to No. 26,012T Thirteenth
avenue.
"H. Biggs," said Mrs. Horatio:
"Book-maker and news agent, added
old Mrs. Biggs, in a high falsetto.
And the man chirruped to his horses
and drove on.
..Humph!'' shifted Miss Josepha, who
had had the good luck to secure a win
dow, eff this is Hiram's elegant city
mansion, it don't come up to my ideas
of style. Brown brick, with dormer
windows, and only two stories high;
and the whole front a store, with the
shutters up. just exactly as if there had
been a death in the family"
s'Dear mel" said old Mrs. Biggs,
chow you do startle one! Butthere amt
no Grape on the door,"
''Mother takes everything so dead in
earnest" said Mr.. Luke Biggs scorn-
fully.
s.Lemme see," said Mrs. Horatio,
crowding across the old lady, and Civ
ing her Best hat a "poke' not intended
by the milliner. aWel, I declare! : I
guess the book-maker's business ain'tso
dreadful full of money after all"
"And a liquor store next door, and a
pawn-broker's across the street!' jeer-
ingly observed Miss Josepha.
"P'r'aps that's the way folks live in
New York." said old MI. Biggs, who
was squeezed nearly fiat between his
wife and Mrs. Luke on the back seat.
"'Tain't what I expected to see,"
said Mrs. Horatio, in accents of scarcely
repressed scorn.
81 don't know how they can accom-
modate us ALL" sighed old Mrs. Bigggs,
vainly en%deavoringg to straighten her
bonnet.
''That's their lookout" said Mrs.
Luke, leaning comfortably back, with
the heel of her boot balanced on her
father-in-law's most sensitive corn.
The driver having by this time tum-
bled off his perilous seat, and rung the
door-bell twice without evoking any
signs of life from within, looked appeal
ingly toward his fares.
"What am I to do?" said he.
"Ring again." said Mrs. Horatio.
And the hackman rang again, this
time with so much energy as to pull the
whole bell-wire out, and precipitate
himself backward on the pavement, like
Hamlet at the first sight of his fathers
ghost, at which the little boys laughed
engagingly, and a hat-box tumbled
down from the Leaning Tower into the
gutter, where it split open like an over
ripe nut, revealing MI. Horatio Bigg's
best black felt hat.
"Boys, boys, do set steady up there!'
screamed Mrs. Biggs. "Look! There's
some n coming at last. Is it Hiram!
J VI is IL EllZaDeCnF
1t was neither one nor the other, as il
!, happened, but a stout old woman in s
flannel dressing-ggown, carpet slippers
and a red nose.
"Mr. Biggs's folks to home?" shrilly
inquired Mrs. Horatio, who had consti
) tuted herself s~pokeswoman for thu
party, without any formal appointment
ooh, yes" answered the old woman
: in a snuffy, confidential sort of tone
s'they're to hum. But p'r'aps the chill
| dren hadn't better come in"
BY this time the hackman had opened
l the door of the vehicle, and the tide 0
: Biggses had begun to flow out on tn
: pavement. But Mrs. Luke stopped
abruptly on the carriage step. with he
father-in-law's bronzed visage peepin!
: over her shoulder.
l "sNot come I'M" said she. "Why
we're their relations-come to visit 'em.
t ''Not but what they're a deal better
and the doctor says there amt no NOR
danger of contagion," re-assuringl,
added the old woman.
'Contagion!" echoed the Biggs fam
lily,
Hadn't you heard?" said the oil
: woman, with the solid satisfaction
which old women generally evince i
communicating any startling piece c
S information. "Well, it amt no secrc
in the neighborhood, especially as pee
pie amt best pleased with the Board G
o Health's concludin' to insulate 'em her
instead Of sendin' 'em to the hospita,
. They've. everv one of 'em had tn
Il smallpox. And that's the reason tn
store is shut up. I'm here to nurse 'en
1 amt afraid of the smallpox, bein' a
t I've had it Already"
|. (Which was a self-evident fact 10 an
one who looked upon her broad smilin
y ~countenance.) :
o "Bless me!n said Mrs. Luke, prompt
ly retreating into the hack. "Ver
q thoughtless Of Hiram's folks not to IL
us know. Mother! Josepha! Harrie
t. Ann! come in at once. Pick up the ha'
box. Tell the man to drive back to til
ferry as fast as he car. P'r'aps we
q be able to catch the four O'Clock trai
back to Biggsvillc.'
E 81 didn't KNOW" suggested the oil
woman, rather disappointed at this sue
den withdrawal of the invading force.
"but you might have come to hel