Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-05-13
FINDING A HOME.
BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARK.

! III " hIJNE1 CkIARk.
II tell you what tits, Henrietta, In
a goin' to speak my mind fur once j,
my life, if l never speak ag'in," an
nounced Miss Matilda Fennil, as sh
briskIy bit off the thread with which
she was basting a founce on a skirt O
pearly gray cloth.
| Miss Matilda looked as severely in
dignant as was compatible with he
plump, mild face, which was still fai]
to look upon in state OF her "thirtl
odd" years; while her sister-in-law
Mrs. Henrietta, looked supremely in
different to whatever she might hav,
to say.
Mrs. Fennil was quite the antipode.
of her sister-in-law, being a SNOWY
brunette, with eyes that could lool
demurely coquetish or spitefully
scornfu], according to her mood.
'You're a dom wrong, Henrietta
an you know it," went on Miss NATL
da, "a takin' up with this here stranger
man, an aeshilly goin' to marry him
when you've been promised-an' you
know you haye-to Nat Norroway ful
the last two year."
"Oh, indee,l!" shifted the widow
''Mebbe you can console Nat yourself
SEEM you're so anxious to take uI
fur him."
otis a burning shame, so 'tis," con.
tinued Miss Matilda, without noticing
the interruption. can him away, of
in Maine, or Florida, or some o. them
Western states, where there's Indians
and bears, d diggin' an a delvin' in
the mines, to git money enough to
marry you. You'd orter be
ashamed"
'1ndians an bears! a-diggin' an
delvin'-te-he!" Uttered Mrs. Fennil
aggravatingly. ''Thank you, Tilda
l amt argoin' to marry an Indian
nor bear, neither!"
Now, you know never said moth.
in OF the kind" protested Tilda, in.
dignantly. II said Nat was a diggin
in the mines, an 80 he is; an here
you're a.goin' to marry this Mr.
What s-his-name-"
"His name is Mr.. Theocrastus
Belleville," snapped the widow, tartly
"an' if you've got any more to say
agin him, you kin go some'rs else to
say it This is my house, an if you
don't like my doin's, you needn't stay
under my ruff another day longer
I've give you home here ever sence
Joe died, an / amt a-goin' to put ur
with no preachin' from youv'
"I've done my sheer o. the work
Henrietta" said Miss Tilda, mildly
while suspicion OF tears started in
her gray eyes, IAN / think I've earned
my vittles and clothes; but if you
don't want me any longer, Ikin co."
you'd have to 60, sooner or later
anyhow" said the widow, slightly
Modified by her sister-in-law's pacific
tones. "'Tain't no ways likely Theo.
crastus would want to be saddled
with poor relation at the very
start. As for marryin' him, Pm q
dom the best kin for myself. He's
just bought the incest house in town,
an furnished it complete, from garnet
to suller; and allus did want to live
in town. faint no ways likely Nat'll
ever make a forchin' out in the mines,
anyhow. An, as said before, when
I marry Theocrastus you'll hev to
find another home; an you might as
we'll be a-lookin' out fur it now"
Miss Matilda finished sewing the
fiounce on the pearl gray cloth, which
WAS to be the widows wedding dress,
and then betook herself to her own
room to have a good cry, and think
over her future prospects.
Finding another home was easier
said than done, and Miss Matilda was
naturally OF a timid, retiring DISPOSE.
ton, notwithstanding the bold man.
ner in which she had "spoken her
mind' on the present occasion.
But she was not to be left long to her
own meditations, for Mrs. Henrietta
Fennil was not above asking favor
of her sister-in-law, though she had as
good as turned her out of the house
half an hour before.
II want you to 20 with me to see
the house, Tlda," she explained, trip.
ping into the room in her best dress
and hat bristling with ostrich plumes.
'"Theocrastus wanted me to meet him
and look over it, to see if it suits me;
and of course it wouldn't be proper
for me to 60 alone"
And Miss Matilda obligingly donned
her black and white plaid shawl and
her old-fashioned hat, and accom-
panied her sister-in-law on her tour of
inspection.
Mr.. Theocrastus Belleville was q
newcomer in the little village of Crab
Orchard, but his recent purchase of a
handsome house, and his apparently
ample supply of money, were sufficient
passport to the widows favor, and
the wooing sped on rapidly.
The house was substantial brick,
handsomely finished, with velvet
hangings, a dado, handpainted pan
els and alcoves.
The floors were covered with cush-
iony carpets, the windows hung with
handsome curtains, the mantels COW
cred with velvet lambrequins.
Mrs. Fennil was quite satisfied.
"And now the cage is ready, when
can l claim the bird?" whispered
Theocrastus, tenderly, to the widow,
while Miss Matilda sat at the further
end OF the room, looking forlornly out
of the window. 'Why not right away
tomorrow" persisted the anxious
sutton. ~
The widow looked modestly reluct-
ant, but finally allowed herself to be
persuaded, and the morrow was set
for the wedding day, when suddenly
the hall door was thrown open, and
Nat Norroway strobe imperiously into
the room.
The widow uttered q little scream,
and chung to the arm of her lover,
who looked as if he had seen ghost.
Nat stared coldly at them for a mo-
ment.
$50 it is true, Slippery Bill, he said
at last. "And you have betrayed my
trust and stolen my promised wife. I
wish you Joy of your prize" he added,