Connecticut western news., 1886-09-22
VOL. XVI.

lady glanced dubiously around, "but it's blue Monday and everything is in tan gle. This is my room; yours is all drip ping, from the leaky roof. My bed isn't made, and the dear children's clothes are all over the floor; but you'll excuse all deficiencies, Aunt Pamela, until Leande1 comes back. Good gracious! if there isn't the bell again! I do believe it IS bewitched to-day! But you will take of your things, and presently I'll bring you up one of my big gingham aprons, and tell you what is to be done first"
 Down she hustled to the door for the third time. A grimy- faced parsonage stood there in an attitude of utter iudif- ference.
 "Who are yous" said Mrs. Crayfsh.
 ''Plummer's man, mum. Mir. Crayfsh, he"
 ''But why didn't you come when the other young man did?" irritably de- handed the lady.
 "Ain't no other young man, num-"
 ''Yes, there IS, tool" said Mrs. Cray. fish. "And 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, shouldering his bag of tools.
 ''Yes. do," said Mrs. Crayfsh. '1 want all the plumbers can get. Make haste down stairs and expedite the other man all you can. Why, Mrs. Ponson- by" as smiling matron skipped out of coupe and hurried up the steps, 'it can't be possible that this is youp'
 Mrs. Ponsonby, the president of ''The Social Circle for the Elevation of Women," shook the rain-drops from her bonnet-plume and smiled graciously.
 q am so sorry to take you by sur prise, dear!' said she.
 "Oh, not at all!" interjected Mrs. Crayfsh.
 '.But Mr. Ponsonby's mother is very i'll" added the president of the Social Circle for the Elevation of Women; ''so of course could not receive company And I knew you would be so glad to welcome Lord Earnest Elberon, anu to answer Mrs. Edgeworth's inquiries on the subject of French Amelioration."
 'Eh2" said Mrs. Crayfsh.
 "Where are they p asked Mrs. Pon- sonby, looking around her.
 "Where are who ?" gasped Mrs. Cray fish.
 'Lord Ernest, to-be sure!" said Mrs. Ponsonby, ''and Mrs. Edgeworthr'
 Mrs. Crayfish gave little shrek of dismay as the full truth broke in upon her mind She seized Mrs. Ponsonby's arm, as drowning woman might grasp at straw.
 q will tell you where they are!" said she, with the stony calmness of despair. 'T pushed Lord Ernest down stairs be- fore 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
 It was some time before Mrs. Ponsonby could be brought to quite understand the position of affairs. But when she did, she was even more perturbed than Mrs. Crayfish had been.
 ''Let us go up stairs-I mean down stairs-at onceyn she cried. ''Oh, how could any one possibly have made such a blunder2 Oh, what will Lord Ernest think? And what sort of account of us will Mrs. Eigeworth put into her hus- bands Chicago newspaper ?"
 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" cb. served the sprig of English aristocracy ''But he was quite peaceable when con- vinced him that I did not come from ar opposition establishments; and really he seems quite an ingenious sort of fellow And there is more complication in one O those baking and roasting concerns thar l had any idea of. Pray, ladies, make no apologies. It was the most natura mistake in tho world. And assure 70, I regard it as capital joke"
 Mrs. Edgeworth of Chicago, however was not so placable.
 They found her sitting in the middl of Mrs. Crayfsh's rather disorganizet bedroom, with face like that of th Sphinx; and nothing but an introduc tion to Lord Ernest Elberon pacifed he in the least degree. Mrs. Ponsonby carried off the whol party, Mrs. Crayfish included, in he coupe, to lunch at Damorette's. And when the luckless housekeepe reached home again, the plumber wa gone, Aunt Pamela had arrived, and ha
 strengthened up" everything, a goo l dinner smoked on the board, and Mi , Crayfish welcomed her with broa smile.
 'Its all right, Carry," he said. ''Blu r Monday has come to an end at last!"
 'I should think it might" said Mrs } Crayfsh, hysterically. :With an Eng fish lord in my kitchen, Chicago It : former in my bedroom, and nobod t knows what elsel I declare, Pm sick ( e the Sociaty for the Elevation of Woman and everything that belongs to it!"- S 1T, len Forrest Grdces.