The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-02

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second time, loud and long, and Mrs.
Crayfsh was obliged to hurry up stairs
once moro.
This time it was an old lady, stout and
rcd-faced, with pufs of gray hair on
either side of her face, aud her portly
figure shroudcd in a waterproof cloak.
'Aunt Pamela, as true as I live" cried
Mrs. Crayfsh, who never had met her
husbands aunt. 81 declare if you are
not just in time! My cook has Como and
my w~asherwoman hasn't come, and I do
believe that Providence has sent you to
M. If you don't mind I'll give you u
cup of tea and set you ritgh to work
picking the chickens for dinner. Yes, 1
know the house looks f~orlorn, " rs the
lady glanced obviously around, ''but it's
blue Monday and everything is in a tan
gle. This is my room; yours is all drip
ping, from the leaky roof. My bed isn't
made, and tho dear childrcn's clothes are
al over the floor; but you'll excuse all
deficiencies, Aunt Pamela, until Leander
comes back. Good gracious! if there
isn't the bell again! 1 do believe it IS
bewitched to-dayl But you will take off
your things, and presently I'll bring you
up n of my big bingham aprons, and
tell you what is to be done first"
Down she hustled to the door for the
third time. A grimy-faced parsonage
,k~-J x1~z-z 1se
ference.
"Who arc you?" said Mrs. Crayfsh.
"Piummer's man, mum. Mr.. Crayish,
he"
"But why didn't you come when the
other young man did" irritably de-
handed the lady.
CANT no other young man, num-"
"Yes, there IS, tool" said Mrs. Cray
fish. "Aud he's at work down in the
kitchen now"
"Well, if you've got some one to work
on the job, you don't want me-" said the
independent citizen, shouldcring his bag
of tools.
eyes, I do" said Mrs. Crayish. II
want all the plumbers I can get. Make
haste down stairs and expedite the other
man all you can. Why, Mrs. Ponson-
BY" as a smiling matron skipped out of
a coupe and hurried up the steps, 'it
can't be possible that this is your
Mrs. Ponsonby, the president of
The Social Circle for the Elevation Of
Women" shook the rain-drops from her
bonnet-plume and smiled graciously.
II am so sorry to take you by sur
prise, dear!" said she.
"Oh, not at allw interjected Mrs.
Crayfsh.
"But Mr.. Ponsonby's mother is very
ill" added the president of the Social
Circle for the Elevation of Women; $50
of course I could not receive company.
And l knew you would be so glad to
welcome Lord Earnest Elberon, anu to
answer Mrs. E~dgeworth's Inquiries on the
subject OF French Amelioration."
"Eh7" said Mrs. Crayfsh.
"Where are they 2" asked Mrs. Pom
sonby, looking around her.
"Where are who ~ gaspcd Mrs. Cray
fish.
lord Ernest, to-be surer' said Mrs.
Ponsonby, "and Mrs. Edgeworthr'
Mrs. Crayfsh gave a little shrek of
dismay as the full truth broke in upon
her mind. She seized Mrs. Ponsonby's
arm, as a drowning woman might grasp
at a straw.
81 will tell you where they are" said
she, with the stony calmness of despair.
~ pushed Lord Ernest down stairs be-
foro me, and set him to pulling the kitch-
en- range to pieces. And Mrs. Edge
worth is at this moment sitting up stairs
in probably the dirtiest and most untidy
bedroom in Philadelphia"
1t was some time before Mrs. Ponsonby
could be brought to quite understand the
position of affairs. But when she did,
she was even more per,urbed than Mrs.
Crayish had been.
Let us go up stairs-I mean down
stairs-at onccl" she cried. ooh, how
could any one possibly have made such a
blunder9 Oh, what will Lord Ernest
think7 And what sort of account of us
will Mrs. Edgeworth put into her hus-
bands Chicago newspaper 9"
Lord Ernest Elberon, sitting on the
edge of the wash-trays, was meditatively
watching the operations of the plumber,
when they came down.
He wanted to fight me at first" OBJ
served the sprio of English aristocracv