Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-02-20

bled of his perilous seat, and rung tho
door-bell twice without evoking any
signs of life from within, looked appeal
ingly toward his fares.
''What am L 10 dop" said he.
"Ring again. said Mrs. Horatio.
And the hackmap rang again. this
time with SO much energy as to pull the
whole bell-wire out, and precipitatc
himself backward on the pavement, like
Hamlet at the first sight Of his fathers
ghost, at which the little boys laughed
cngagingly and n hat-box tumblcd
down from the Leaning Tower into the
gutter, whore IL split open like an over
ripe nut, revealing Mr.. Horatio Bigg's
best black felt hat
"Boys. boys, do set steady up there!'
screamed Mrs Biggs. Look! There's
some one coming at last, Is IL HiramP
Or Is II Elizabeth"
II was neither one nor the other, as il
happened. but stout old woman I'm n
flannel drcssng-gown, carpet slippers,
and red nose.
"Mr. Biggs's folks 10 homcp" shrilly
inquired Mrs lioratio, who had consti-
tuted herself spokcswoman for the
party, without any formal appointment.
"Oh, yes, answered the old woman,
in snutiy, confidential sort of tone,
they're to hum. But p'r'aps the chill
drcn hadn't better come in"
by this time the hackman had opened
the door of the vehicle, and the tide Of
Biggses had begun to flow out on the
pavement. But Mrs. Luke stopped
abruptly on the carriage step. with her
father-in-law's bronzed visagc peepng
over her shoulder.
"Not come in!'' said she. "Why,
we're their relations-come to visit EN-"
mot but what they're deal better,
and the doctor says there amt no more
danger of contagion," re-assuringly
added the old woman.
"Contagion!' echoed the Biggs fam
lily,
Hadn't you heard?" said the old
woman, with the solid satisfaction
which old women generally evince in
communicating any startling piece of
information. 'Well, it amt no secret
in the neighborhood, especially as peo-
pie amt best pleased with the Board of
Health's concludin' to insulate EN- here
instead of sendin' 'em to the hospital.
smallpox. And that's the reason the
store is shut up. I'm here to nurse 'em.
| amt afraid of the smallpox, bein' as
I've had it Already
(Which was q self-evident fact to any
one who looked upon her broad smiling
countenance.)
BLESS mel" said Mrs. Luke, prompt
~ retreating into the hack. Every
thoughtless of Hiram's folks not to let
us know. Mother! Joscpha! Harriet
Ann! come in at once. Pick up the hat
box. Tell the man TO drive back to the
ferry as fast as he can. P'r'aps we'll
be able to catch the four o'clock train
back TO Biggsville."
Il didn't know" suggested the old
woman, rather disappointed at this sud
den withdrawal of the invading forces,
"but you might have come to help
nurse en-"
Nothing of the sort" Mrs. Horatio
answered, as forcing herself into the
already overfull hack, she slammed the
door with an emphatic bang, and shout
ed TO the driver to "Go on!'
"The-small poxr' groaned Mrs.
Biggs, senior. ''And not one of the
has Dttll
WED better stop at the nearest
drugstore and have it done Mt once"
said Mrs. Luke, breathlessly.
eth be dreadful expensive" said
Mrs. Horatio.
But it'll be cheaper than having the
smallpox, argued Mrs. Biggs, senior.
SO, after this important sanitary ccre-
monial, during which the Biggs boys
bawled as if they were flayed alive, the
family returned, without loss of time, to
Biggsville.
And Hiram's folks did not have the
pleasure, then or ever, of entertaining
their relations. In fact, they never
dreamed how near they had been to that
happiness. The Biggsville Biggses de-
clarcd over and over again that they
never should forgive their city relations,
but as Hiram's folks did not know it,
they were saved from any ovewhelm-
ing pangs of conscience. They wrote
letter to the Board of Health, reproach-
ing them bitterly with the bad manage
ment of the varioloid case in Thirteenth
avenue, but they never got any answer
from that august body. In short, the
Biggs family were very angry, but they
would probably have been angrier still
if they had known with what fortitude
Hiram's folks endured the deprivation
of their society. Bazaar.