Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-03

thing
And then he took his departure.
1t was quite dusk when Mrs. Tyson
came in the hall half an hour afterward
and tho servant maid was lighting the hall
gas.
"Please, ma'am, there's gentleman in
the sitting-room to see you, said the lass,
as Mrs. Tyson entered.
"Who is it p asked the widow. -,
But the lassie of the blue ribbons did
not know, and when Mrs. Tyson entered
the room nobody was there but puss and
the plants. +,
sail the servant maid.
"He'll come again, / dare say, II he
wants to see me very much, said the
widow, and, quite unconscious oil the
billet. doux awaiting her glance, she tum-
bled all the papers together into the port
folio, and put it on the top shelf OF the
library.
"Kitty," she said to the servant, come
and help me clear away all these things.
Mrs. Flanagan is coming early tomorrow
morning to clean house, and we must be
ready for her."
Hapless John Merton ! Here was the
shadow of house cleaning once again
darlily breeding over his life
Mrs. Tyson came to Mrs. Grimshaw's
to tea the next evening, looking very be-
witching in her shining black silk dress,
hair to match, with cherry checks and
velvet brown eyes, Merrion's brow
frightened as he walked up to her. Did
she blush He thought she did, little
but she put out her hand quite uncon-
cernedly. What elegant actresses these
women are
Don't you think it's pleasant eve
ning?' said Mr.. Merton, with fate trem-
bling on the tip of his tongue.
mo, l don't" answered the widow,
lifting her long eyelashes. 81 think we
shall have rain; and I'm sorry. for we
have Just commenced house-cleaning !"
Mr.. Merton dropped the little hand
suddenly as if his own hand had been
stricken with palsy Mrs. Tyson's an
swer had killed the two birds OF his
hearts hope with one stone He had go'
his quietus, and he might as well &c
n about his business mt once
"Thev're all alike" pondered our hero
? modify. "They would any one of them
|. immediate mans heart upon the point of
a carpet tack, or submerge his soul in q
!, pail of whitewash, and think they had
accomplished the whole duty of woman.
And the worst of it is that Mrs. Tyson
never looked as pretty in her life rs she
does tonight"
Mr.. Merton went up stairs to pack his
valise for journey to the South; he fell
that he could not endure the possibility
: of seeing Mrs. Tyson perhaps daily.
= Like the delicious pink-cheeked apricot
C that hangs on the sunny wall just be-
You'd the schoolboy's reach, the pretty
F.; widow became precious in his eyes III pro-
!; portion as she became inaccessible.
/, Cora Tyson cried n little when she
= heard that Mr.. Merton was gone. House
= cleaning is not elevating to the spirits
i particularly in damp weather, and Mrs
n Tyson had an ldea-women do pick up
e strange whimsies.-that Mr.. Merton was
I! beginning to be fond of her.
$ at serves me right for being SO ridicu
# lous," she said, dashing away briigh
t drop from her cheeks. "Im sure he''
t nothing to me.
: Mrs. Tyson tied handkerchief round
e her head, shouldered n gigantic feather
i duster, and climbed up a step-ladder tc
c dust the books on the library shelves, be
fore the ubiquitous Flanagan should per
e wade The premises with scrubbing- brushes
g and mop.
n Here's my portfolio said Mrs. Ty
1t son, seating herself on the top step ant
l. mechanically opening it, "and here is
my goodness me ~
e For she saw Mr. Merrion's Inflated low,
Il letter for the first time, and her heart
;. gave little spasmodic hutter behind til,
;, handle of the feather duster.
l. She was sitting there, in position ele
Il waited rather than romantic her blacl
Il hair tied up behind handkerchief, an.
It her flushed cheek resting on one hand
e while with the other she held the letter
T. when Kate, the maid, opened the door t.
e a guest
is "Surc it's here she is, " said Knte. An,
Merton walking in beheld Mrs. Tyson il
Is the act of reading his own love-letter.
l. Cora jumped up, and then sat dow
IA again dropped the feather buster, blu
IS held tight to the letter, while the ros
ID blossomed redly out on her cheeks.
Mr.. Merrion had been south, but h
tie found that the southern atmosphere wa
1t no medicine to n mind diseased. And h
had come back to try his fate over agai
lie at most suspicious moment, as it seem
n ed.
i'd "Wcll," said Mr. Merton, CHANGING a
the letter, "do you think you can &c
D. along with grum old bachelor Xix
me?"
es 81 shall try, at all events said Cor
T. demurely.
"Why didn't you say go Lefore ?" ask
W ed Merton, reproachfully.
"a because you never asked me"
b. 81 wrote that letter week ago.
lie "But [ never saw it until this.moment.
a "Ah p said Mr.. Merton, little bite
ly. II might have known better than
H. propose in housekeeping time !"
"You ungrateful wretch p cried Cor,
W, with smile that took off the sting froi
i'd her words, "don't you know that if
hadn't been for house cleaning nevt
y. should have found your letter at all?
er "Well, said Merton, relenting SOM
or what, 81 won't insist ON the postcriI
part of it,"
g. "You had better not" said Cora
a And then she came halfway down IL
ld step-ladder to give him the first kiss.
Ist OF course they were married ; and
he course they lived happy ever afterwart
er Mr.. Merton has even been heard rash
ed to boast to friend that ''his wife new,
cleaned house" But Cora promptly il
to terfered.
>" "What nonsense ~ said Cora.
he course clean house twice year, bl
y, dear old Jack can't believe that bous
ny cleaning can go on unless all the carpe
are up at once and the whole hou
III. steams with soapsuds and kalsomine.
ed thing can be done well and quietly ut IL
I'd same time"
til "That wasn't Mother Grimsbaw's n ct
n 3D."
ty Gas if Mother Gtimshaw was repr
nd sentative womap," said Cora little scor
fully.
ur
ho SPORTING NOTES.
'as
Id ~ ""'''P ''"'" 81"