Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-04-07
THE THREE GRANDMOTHER.

>Af'
in her bassooniest THAT is the only
word / can think of with which to
describe them tones, ''if you couldY'
Yes, ma'am.' replied Gertrude
meekly but firmly.
The idea is simply preposterous.'
declared Grandmother Hutfey's fife
like voice.
"Preposterous indeedr' responded
the bassoon. "More than prepos
acknowledgement! A mechanic! a
common working man. house paint
err"
Hes a fresco-painter,' timidly
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 some Irishman
into the discussion now! Be silent,
miss. Well not hear another word
from you. And understand distinct
ly, once and for all, that if that per
son calls here to morrow, which ne
doubt he will have the impertinence
and assurance to do, you are to dis
miss him instantly, or ICE iCitt."
And endeavor to begin the new
year"-the bassoon took up the strain
again lin a manner BETTING a
descendant of the illustrious General
Won Breeks Won Starch, whose unex
ampled brav cry made him and Ber-
gen op-Zoom-th 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 a 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 the 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 the household out of the
income which was to cease at her
death, and yet allowed them to man
age all things pertaining to it in their
own way. ...-
Gertrude-so named by Madame
Won Breeks Won Starch in honor of
the patron saint of Bergen-op Zoom
had lost both her parents in her
infancy, and her father having been
reduced to poverty some time before
he died by various gentlemanly vices,
she had been left wholly dependent
upon her three grandmothers.
OF these Greats gran Peeky was
the mother of Grandmother Huffey,
who in turn was the mother of Ger
trude's mother, while Grandma Won
Breeks Won 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 Won
Breeks Won Starch herself, and had
married cousin Of the same name)
"a family of great prowess and many
bags of gold in their father-land some
century and half ago. She was
tall, stout and solid, with 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-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,
oOlncWAot 1ihC a NCiy hiSO hiVNituei'O
old rabbit. Her snowy white tresses
waved prettily above her still dark
eyebrows, beneath which beamed with
a mild, dreamy light her soft brown
eyes, and a pleasant winter bloom
fingered on her wrinkled face.
It 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 Get me whisper
it, the punishments, usually inflicted
with slipper or the back of hair
brush. But in spite of the lectures
and lessons and other disagreeable
things, Gertrude led a tolerably happy
life with her three grandmothers
until her eighteenth birthday. From
that day dated such strict 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 fresco
the parlor ceilings. A handsome
young man he was, possessing the
highly euphonious name of Everdell
Tremlett. But neither his good looks
nor his romantic name availed him
aupht with the two managing grand