Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-03-18
THE END OF GRANDPA's STORY.


THE END OF GRANDPA'S STORY.
swell, I'm sure!" said Mahala t.
herself, as she drew the plaid muslin
curtain quickly across the lower hal
of the kitchen window. "What impu
dence!"
Between Mahala's kitchen window
and the principal road of Elmtown lay
only strip of garden glowing with al
the bright autumn flowers known tc
nature, and set between box border:
and tiny paling fence. The house
itself was olive, picked out with Indian
red; and on the fence hung a small sign
bearing the inscription, "IsRAEL CANT,
M. D." In fact, it was the doctor {
house, and Mahala was the do tor s
daughter. and managed wonderfully
the neigh ors said, with one little col.
ored girl from the Orphanage. At pres
ent she was making a roly-poly fol-
dinner, and had been greatly aggravat.
ed, for, naturally, she desired to see
what she was doing, and had drawn the
curtain back-and wagon full OF
boarders from Captain Feeler's had
driven past, every one turning his head
to stare. And then man in a gig with
a lady, who had said aloud, in such q
condescending tone: "What pretty
cottage!" And then young man, in
dandy sportsman costume, with a gun
on his shoulder, and followed by boy
with game-bag, had sauntered by,
never taking his eyes off the window.
ACTUALLY glaring at me-" said Ma.
hala. ~ declare it is too bad. / wish
the house wasn't right in the middle OF
the road, so that everybody that goes
past can glare right into the kitchen, q"
she added, in a temper. "It's like
living in peep show"
"Why, Mahaly," piped the old grand
father, from his splint-bottomed chair,
tilted pre- ariously on its hind legs on
the porch-"why, Mahaly, you wouldn't
like to be sot back in the middle of a
grove, like the Cappen's folks at the
Hip"
Eyes, would" said Mahala, with
emphasis.
"Why, Mahaly," repeated the old
man, mildly, rs one addresses deliri.
Gus person, "you couldn't see no teams
60 by. Don't you admire to see teams ?
l do. I've seen Jones' and Balls and
Peters and Pecler's since l sot here. ~
"Oh, well, grandpa" said Mahala,
recovering her amiability, an smiling
over the huckleberries, II suppose il is
interesting to those who like it, and /
don care until those great droves OF
summer boarders rush down here, and
keep flying by, all rugged u. glaring in
at the windows, with their white feath-
ers and red parasols and black mus
taches, when Pm cooking at the win
dows in my calico frock. You'll own
that S trying"
This speech, incomprehensible as it
might have been to n foreigner new to
the language, was quite ineligible to
the erson to whom it was addressed,
who answered, slowly:
"Well, those folks up at the Cappen's
do dress fine, must allow, but YOU re
prettier than any of 'em, you know, Ma
haly."
Flattery, even from ones grandfath-
or, is sweet. Mahala laughed, and two
dimples came into her checks.
"You favor your grandma, Mahaly,"
continued the old man, 'and she was
called the belle of Elmtown when
courted her. She had forty-two offers
of marriage, and l was the worst and
she had me-"
1--WE never had one yet" said Ma.
hala, rolling up the dumping in its
cloth, and looking into the boiling DO,
as she carefully dropped it in. "What
is more, there's no one to make me one.
Not single young man in the place.
perhaps one will pass by on team.
Then you won't despise 'em So" said
the grandfather. II know gal that
lived away up on mounting, and not
Twin soul came by once year, and
one day one of them civil engineers, n
they call 'em, was sent to measure of
the mounting, and he saw her milking
the COW, and"
Here he paused, and Mahala gave o
shrek.
A painting. trembling boy, with hi,
eyes sticking out of his head, had sud
denly dashed into the garden, and stood
before them painting and calculating
"He $ killed himself He's killed
himself ~
"Is it fatherp" gasped Mahala, trem
bling so that she could hardly stand.
"Hush. child. No. You've come fol-
the doctor haven't your" asked the old
Its Mr.. Archer. He's shot," painted
the boy. Hes all blood guess he.
dead. Send the doctor. Don't let then
hang me; didn't do it purpose. He
gave me his gun to hold, and it went of. y
"Ef he'd knowed you as well as do
Bill, he wouldn't hev given it to you t.
hold" said the old man; "but yot
won't be hung. Where is he ? Mahaly
go hunt up your father. Here, come
aong, show me where he is"
Away went the old man and the boy
In minute more the doctor, who hat
been turning his pumpkins in the littl,
field behind the house, was seen to lear
10 the fence and run up the road aftel
them, with his glasses on his forehead
and straw in his hair, and Mahala, sit
ting on tho porch to quiet down, soor
saw n sad procession advancing: tn,
doctor, his father-in-law, and two farm
laborers, bearing amongst them shutte
on which lay figure in dandy sports
mans attire-all bloody and bemfred-
Billy following behind with game-bag
gun and cap, and other portable prop
erty.
is it serious, papap" asked Mahala
"Go open up the bed in the spar,
room, and go over to your aunt's an,
stay until 1 send for you, IL you feel lik,
fainting," replied the doctor.
Mahala obeyed the first behest, bu
did not go to her aunts. She sat in tn,
kitchen watching her dumping, an,
feeling remorseful.
That was the young man who stare,
SO. All he is not staring now, poor fel
low! And how handsome he was; and