The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-05
t,.ep for rHx ARkAssAw rRAvELxR.
Written for THE ARKAKsAw TRAVELLER. THE PULSE OF CHICAGO
 OR, Annals of the PettiSreVs.
BY DICK STEELE.
The Bosom of His Family.

The Bosom of His Family.
 The night air was mild, for the month of December, when Peletiah Pettigrew boarded a Wabash avenue cable-car en route for that pleasantly conceived desti- nation, the bosom of his family. The bosom was located within stones throw of Aldine square, South Side, Chicago, H., U. s. A.
 The night air was mild, gauged by the elements of mercury, glass, tin and the cabalistic figures which form the compo- nent parts of therm meter, but to the adipose tissue enveloping the human frame, the atmosphere was raw and chilly. There was fog in the air, the gas winked and fickered at the street corners, and a searching wind came in from the lake and drove the fog into the ere ices of cape, and cloak and coat.
 Peletiah Pettigrew had passed the age of6ty by year and some months. But he had held his own in the set-to with old Father Time, and if the said old Father Time had engaged to knock him out in fifty rounds or lose the gate money, the gate-money was surely lost.
 The nose of Peletiah Pettigrew was blue, and his shaven cheeks were rosy. His finn, well-rounded chin protruded just enough to add to his features an air of calm decision and not quite enough to remind the observer of the lower jaw of a pickerel, The car stopped at Twenty second street and was boarded by a young man in shiny silk castor, and brown chinchilla .overcoat. His long, Gothic neck was tied up in blue silk kerchief, and his hands were encased in kid the color of his overcoat. Peletiah Pettigrew moved along the seat and con- densed himself sufficiently to make room for the youth to sit beside him.
 Damp" said MT. Pettigrew.
 Beastly," replied the young man.
 Brewster remitted today"
 "Yes3" inquiringly but with faint tace of interest.
 "Web, Pm bound to get an extension on that Futile bill on account of the weather. They can't expect me to rush of $27 900 worth of undershirts and drawers with the mercury hanging up be- tween forty and fifty degrees above zero"
 We'll, should say not"
 "How's Peacock?"
 "Dunno. Went over into Iowa last week"
 He's chump."
 "Regular lalla-cooler."
 "You still cling to the seductive slang"
 "Yes. Pm triHe chumpish myself"
 MT. Pettigrew chewed an imaginary morsel. The young man smiled lazily and speared lightly at his boots with a silk umbrella.
 Thirty-6fth street :" said the con- ductor.
 Peletiah Pettigrew and the young man alighted and walked to a strikingly at- tractive residence, Queen Anne style of architecture, ascended the steps, the young man produced silver night-key and proceeded to admit them to the hall. Leaving their outer garments in charge of the hat-rack they entered a pair of large, cheerfully lighted and comfortably warmed rooms connected by dark, oaken doors partly opened. Peletah Petigrew sat down before the grate with a round, fat fist on either knee and surveyed the glowing coais with an evident determina- tion to stare them out of countenance.
 We'll, where's your mother ?" he in- quired, chewing and smacking his lips as though he had recently devoured some thing exceedingly palatable.
 Even as Mir. Pettigrew spoke a tall, well-formed and elderly lady sailed ma- jestically into the room with her head ele- vsted at an angle, as though she were trying to look over her gold-bowed glasses and was determined to stand on her tip-toes. if necessary, to accomplish it.
 "Ah, Webfoot," she exclaimed in a high-keyed voice, addressing the young man, "your father is detained down town again, is he2"
 @Pm here," gro~led Mir. Pettigrew, what's the matter with you?"
 "Ah, bless me, 90 you are. 1 didn't see yoa. didn't notice you when en-