The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-09-26
From the Omaha Bee
MISS MANDY
BY A. H. GIBSON.


Mandy Mullen, spinster, lived all
lOVeless and alone IN the village OF
Kongsdale. She was alone so far as
human companionship goes, but she
had quite a menagerie of pets.
There was Web, the sweet-vOiced
canary, in his immaculate prison of
painted wires suspended from the cell
ing, and Button the majestic gray and
white cat that always mapped on the
big ChintZ rug before the fire; then there
were COCh and Butfy, the chickens that
Miss Mandy's partiality gave credit
for more wisdom than some people
possessed.
Mandy Mullen was a woman Of
thirty-nine. She had a round face,
made round in its contour by a firm
mouth and pair OF mettlesome gray
eyes. She never wore anything finer
than calico. But her dresses always
made up In neatness and cleanness
what they may have lacked in quality.
For some time the lot adjoining
Miss Mandy's property had been ITO
let" At last it was to have tenant.
The agent had been down, and the
house had undergone a thorough reno
walton for its new occupant.
Miss Mandy watched the ''movin'
in, as she termed it, with no favora-
BILE eye from behind her brown cotton
blinds
1T must 90 and be a nasty man."
she gritted out, scowling very unbe-
comingly upon Mr.. Hardness Bath
urst, who was rapidly transferring
many articles from the dray which had
drawn up before the door OF the little
cottage opposite to his new place of
abode
"Pots OF plants, too" she uttered
with deep contempt. "Weu, | declare
to mercy, if that amt too disgustin'
to see a big man with a hairy face
actin so silly over them green things.
I'll list record it in my alminik that
he's a reg'lar old granny-and / never
could stand a grannymanl Well, if
he lives next to me, I'll show him a
true sample of woman's independence;
III never even notice the critter."
With which charactistic speech she
retired to her kitchen and ragged war
with her household appurtenances
there
Hardness Bathurst was a bachelor
OF fOrty-six, with more eccentricities,
people began to announce, than had
any use for. He had met with some
disappointment in the days of his early
manhood. He had then drifted off
from his native state and had en-
cOuntered good luck. He found him
self possessed OF a large fortune before
he was aware. Hehad wandered off to
foreign lands and had set his face
homeWard, at last, and resolved to
settle in the quiet town OF KOngsdale,
village not very remote from his
boyhood home, which had passed to
other hands.
One day Miss Mandy was out at her
cistern. She was in a greater hurry
than usual; for she slammed the tin
pail into the cistern with such vehe-
ment force as to draw the attention
OF Hardness Bathurst, who sat at his
window reading newspaper.
There's that noisy old maid again"
he began to apostrOphize. "She's try
ing her best to draw my notice, I'll
bet a pill. What a prime old bird she
Is But | wonder why she always
wears that white rag pinned around
her wien pipe F? | wonder if she was
ever in love? No; I'll bet Cupid has
been too sly OF her to ever pierce her
heart. She looks about as sour as
crab apple at a wedding feast.
Well, you might better stay in the
house than to come out there to cap
ture me, Miss Primy Prim I'm too
old a dog to nibble at such hash"
When spring came, Mr.. Bathurst
made quite an extensive garden next
TO Miss Mandy's yard. The beds
were laid out in handsome rectangu-
lar shapes, and received into their
bOsOms the seeds of onions, celery.
radishes beets, peas, etc.
So careful had Hardness been to cul-
tivate every clod OF the garden plot
that he had assiduously raked ali the
dirt away from the paling which sepa-
rated his lot from Miss Mandy's. This
lett an opening IN one place which Coch
and Butfy discovered, and they quick
ly invited themselves to creep under |
and explore those mysterious mounds
that looked so irresistible in their ex-
act smOOthness.
Coch and Butfy went to work at
their selt-appOInted mission OF remod- |
cling by first making woeful depres |
sion right In the center OF the onion |
bed. Next they made duplicates OF il
on most OF the other beds, and were |
vigorously engaged on an ugly scaIlop !
III the margin OF the plot where HarE- |
ness had consigned the celery seed !
there ne found the misChief-doers, and |
gathering rocks. clods, ad infinitum. |
the justly indignant gardener began a |
ROBUST assault. Coch and Bufy. |
taken by surprise, missed the opening |
WniGh mai entlced them into the for |
hloden land, andran about with wings |
din '''9'
Miss Mandy came rushing upon the
scene bare-headed and with sleeves
rolled up, ready to defend her erratic
pets, and all forgotten of her of+-ra-
peated resolution Ito neyer. speak
single word to that grannyman." But
~ Ihe excitement OF wrath, resolu-
Jlons are apt to be forgotten. She be
leEe9 Hardness to be abusing Coch
ana Butfy without provocation. She
Stid not await nor ask anexplanation.
enc used language that was very
threatening and even terrifying to =
man OF Hardness Bathurst's RETIRING
nature.
The poor man stood in his shirt
sleeves, with his right arm raised to
throw a big cIod at the invaders, now
trying frantlcally to find an exit.
for a lew seconds Hardness stood
thus; then something in Miss Mandy's
tones inspired him with courage To
look mp. He gazed with almost in
credible yearning into the woman's
"rath-wreathed countenance. then he
approached the paling and repeated
softly:
..Mandrnt ,