The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-07-03

. Origen?'
The crooked old man sheltered his
candle-hame with one hand, and stared
as if he were gradually being trans
formed into one huge eye.
Land sakes alive!" said he. Didn't
you knowP He was buried yesterday"
Here was cheerful welcome for q
city visitor!
"But what can dop" said Marryatt,
with helpless gaze down the darken-
ing hillside. a came to visit him. /
had not heard"
walk in, walk in!' said the old
man, holding the flaring candle high
above his head. and fattening himself
against the whitewashed wall. "It's
pretty lonesome here; but there's the
deceased's chamber you can sleep in,
and | trapped rabbit in the pine
wood this morning that Isabella's just
stewing up, and"
"lsabella?" repeated John Marryatt.
"She's the old woman in charge
my sister," explained the ancient
warder of the castle. "Ain't much to
look at, but proper good cook"
But, said Mr. Marryatt a don't
think | care about sleeping in the room
where-Uncle Origen diedn
The old man stared at him with dull
CLASSY eyes.
"Eh?n said he. "Why notP You
don't b'lieve in sperritooalism, do
youP"
"Nonsense!n cried Marryatt.
Then why amt one room as good
as anpher?" asked the old man stol-
idly.
Nevertheless, | would prefer to 90
on to the nearest hotel, impatiently
uttered John.
"Ain't none short O seven miles, -"
said the old man. "And that's only a
summer machine. They don't run it
after the waterfalls friz up. But there
is a freight train, with a passenger ca
boose hitched on, that stops at Cutting
Corners at midnight"
where is Cutting Corners?"
Eight miles away"
"And how the dickens do you sup
pose am to get eight miles from here,
when it is pitch dark already?" cried
Marryatt with not unnatural Irritation.
There's Jenkins one-hoss wagon,
mildly suggested the old man. I'm
goin' to jenkins directly, arter a box
O stove blackin', paOund O. taller
dips, and quarter Of paound O
green tea for Isabella. can tell Jenk-
ms to come raound and cart We to the
station, eff ye don't grudge crown"
by all means" said Mr.. Marryatt
hurriedly. "And while you are gone,
Isabella, as you call her, can give me
some supper.
He sat down in the old low-ceiled
room, where the rag-carpet seemed
neither brighter nor DINNER than it
had done twenty years ago, and
warmed his chilled feet before a blaze
OF swapping logs; while old Isabella,
who might have appeared creditably
at any tableau as the witch of Endor,
crept around an iron pot which swung
from prodigious crane, and got sup
| per, after a slow and inefficient man
| ner.
Pretty gay in town this winterP'
said old Isabella, brandishing her
spoon over him, in the manner Of an
incarnation, as she watched him eat
the rabbit-stew, after it was dished
Il suppose So"
I'm a-thinkin' of goin' there my
SELF" said Isabella, mumbling her
toothless jaws.
80 take a situation?" asked Marry.
att, inwardly thinking that he could
not conscientiously give her recon-
| mendation as cook.
BLESS your art, no!' said Isabella
Il know sea-captain there as ain
married; and they tell me the gals is
all pickin' and choosin for themselves,
now that Leap Year has come round.
Anyhow, Pm tired O this place, and ]
don't see why my chance amt as
good as another S. ="
Mr.. Marryatt stared at her in mute
amazement, while he secretly deploret
the sad case of the unsuspecting sea
captain.
"P'raps you wouldn't mind keepin
heye on the fire." said the gentle
Isabella, "while jest 60 over anC
look to see if Simon has locked thu
? hen-house. Simon's dreadful forget
full"
And she hobbled away.
At the same moment there came
: loud and emphatic knocking at tn
| outer door, and stout country cir
0 with cheeks of that peculiar red whic
n shines as if it had been vanished, yer
It black eyes, and coarse black hail
| walked in, well wrapped up in rec
and-green plaid shawl, and a fearfr
@ felt hat, which looked like q damage
10 helmet
70 1--WE come for Mr.. Marryatt," sal
Of she, without any ceremony or intr'
duction.
ad Instinctively our hero backed again
Al, the wall.
of "WhatN' cried he.
You're Mr.. Marryatt, amt youi
~ said she.
IT. That's my name" retreating ST
va farther behind the stiff wooden back,
at chair, where Uncle Origen used to
ref and smoke his pipe.
"Well, I'm come for you. You air
"a. deaf, be youp Im--come--for-you
70 Eyes; but II"
rv There amt no time to lose," baw
il. ed this daughter of the solitudes, SCI
70 ing him by the arm. "This here
your baggageP' grasping the valise