The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-06-26

| SlgnleQ, jumped at once TO Tile conclusion
that this interloper was tramp. She hurl-
ed the tin can rccklessly down into the bud.
ding currant bushes.
Go away" she cried.
Mr.. Hyde peered upward with one hand
back of his ear. "Eh ?" said he.
Cor I'll set the dog on you," squeaked Miss
Briggs encouraged by the shrill bark of the
terrier.
woman" said the scientist, "who are
your" IL
"Ill let yon know" said Miss Briggs, wax
ing more and more excited in her indignation
How dare you trespass on my premises 7"
'How dare you trespass-on miner" re-
t0rted the old gentleman, CURLY.
He's a mailman, )" thought Miss Briggs, and
she remembered, with Il thrill of terror, that
there was no key to the big front door, and
the bolt was rusted into two pieces.
At the same moment the sound of whoop-
ing voices was heard through the wide,
echoing halls, and three chubby lads rushed
hilariously in. tumbling over one another as
they came.
"Hurrah |" they shouted "hurrahl Amt
this jolly old cavern of house My here's
IL fire and here's an old womanm
Miss Briggs, who had drawn her head in
from the window, stared at the three cherry
checked invaders, who returned her gaze
| with interest.
Boys" said she, severely, "what are you
doing here?"
"Why," said Master Bruce Bellairs, etat
eleven, tits our house. And pa and ma are
helping unpack the cart at the south door
And I've got red bird, and Johnny's got a
brood of Brahma chickens in a basket, and
| Pierre has monkey"
but, boys" said Miss Briggs, with little
hysterical gasp, "this is my house."
mo, it AIM" said the three Masters Bell
airs in chorus, cts ours. We've rented it for
a year, and pa and ma are unpacking down
stairs"
"Is that your pa" said Miss Briggs, with
sudden inspiration, as she pointed to the old
gentleman in the garden who stood stock
still, like the Egyptian obelisk.
"No, indeed" said Pierre, contemptuous.
ly.
| Nothing of the sort" said Johnny.
| "Our pa amt such guy as that, chuckled
Bruce.
| 81 think must be asleep and dreaming"
said Miss Briggs, as the door opened and
stout blooming matron entered upon the
scene, with a kerosene lamp in one hand and
basket of carefully packed china in the other,
while from her finger depended bird cage.
My good woman" said the Rev. Mrs.
Bellairs, II suppose you have come here to
see about a situation. Ifyou can bring good
reference as to character"
| You are entirely mistaken, madam" said
Miss Briggs, with energy II am here be
cause"
But at that moment, Mrs. Ripple herself,
with Dorcas, her maid, entered the room
She was tall handsome woman, dressed in
elegant mourning, and she used an eye-glass
| as she talked, and somehow she seemed to
| take up good deal more room than any.
| body else. Mrs. Belars set down the kero-
sene lamp and the bird cage, Miss Briggs
terrier stopped barking and the three boys
instinctively retired behind the starch box.
"Who are you all ?" said Mrs. Ripple, sur
veying the scene through her eye glass land
| how came you to be here?"
II have taken this house." said Miss Briggs,
| with dignity.
$50 have we" said Mrs. Belairs.
$50 have l." declared the bald headed old
gentleman, who had by this time made his
| way up into the ruby light of Miss Briggs
| fire, and stood there closely hugging his flat
| travelling case.
Dear mel" said Mrs. Ripple; "this is very
singular. And have come here because the
house wasn't rented at all"
And then ensued general chorus of ex-
plantations, laughter and depreciation, whose
general effect was heightened by single
combat between Master Pierre Bellairs mon.
key and Miss Briggs terrier.
"What are we TO dop" said Miss Briggs
plaintively looking at the hair trunks stud
ded with brass nails.
Dor" said Mrs. Ripple hriskly-"why,
there is but one thing to do that see, the
house is big enough for lis and half q dozen
families to boot. Let us all live here togeth-
err"
II am sure have no objections at ALL"
said Mrs. Bellairs.
Neither have l." said the old gentleman,
setting down his flat travelling case with
sigh of relief.
"'Birds in their little nests agree" quoted
the Reverend Mr.. Bellairs, who had by this
| time entered upon the scene, with one joint
of q bedstead balanced across his shoulder
And it really seems to me asif we might do
the same thing"
So Ripple Grange was let, in good earnest.
Mrs. Ripple and Dorcas established them
selves in two sunny rooms looking to the
south, where the apple boughs brushed
against the lozenge shaped panes of the
easement. The Bellairs family settled down
| all over the rest of the floor, in miscella
| neous, cosmopolitan sort of way, mixing up
birds, old china, sermon paper, patchwork
| and theology in manner which amazed the
precise soul of gentle Miss Briggs. The
scientific man perched himself on the top
| floor, where he could have good outlook
with his telescope, and set up his specimens
without let or hndrance. And Miss Briggs
herself made home-lke little home on the
second story, and devoted her whole energy
and not without some degree of success
| to keeping the peace between Chico, the
monkey, and Nip, the terrier.
Mrs. Ripple, however, got tired Of rural
felicity, and returned to the city in the au.
| tumn.
Mr.. Bellairs received a call to Delaware
parish, where peaches were thicker than
blackberries, and the climate was soft rs that
of Italy, and he accepted it promptly.
"What shall we do now P" said Miss
Briggs, who was disposed 10 take timorous
view of things.
Mr. Hyde pushed his spectacles on to the
top ofhish head. "Don'ty like the house I"
| said he.
Yes" Miss Briggs admitted, Il like the
| house."
"And don't you consider the situation sa-
lubriousP"
Certainly" said Miss Briggs.
"Then," said Mr.. Hyde, looking at the edge
of his geological hammer, why don't you
stop here?"
"What, all alone by MYSELF" said Miss
Briggs,
NO" said the scientific gentleman with
mep
"Good gracious ~ cried Miss Briggs.
ave both like this place" said Mr.. Hyde,
tive like the situation, and we like each
other. Why shouldn't we settle down here
| for lifc?"
"But / never have thought of such
thing" said Miss Briggs, in trepidation.
"Think oft now" said Mr.. Hyde, in &C.
| cents ofscientifc persuasion, as he laid down
his hammer and took her black United hand
tenderly in his.
And Mr.. Belairs married them before he