The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-07-21
LUCY'S BURGLAR.
EY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

ta's-lonesome, even though l had just
come from the wilder1esses of New
Hampshire mountain home into the
crowded streets Of New York.
had had my dreams of career. ]
had fancici that this city expedition of
mine was a sort of mission to Aunt Jo-
casta, whom 1 had pictured to myself a
palli1, delicate woman, much needing
an active, sympathetic yOung niece like
myself.
But the first sight OF Aunt Jocasta,
standing with her arms akimbo under
the 6uttering shadow Of whole grove
of second hand gowns and polonaises-
in which useful articles she dealt-dis-
PEELED these visionary ideas to the four
winds of heaven.
She was simply fat. vulgar old wo-
man-neither more nor less.
ooh, it's you, is til" said Aunt Jo-
casta, as l alighted from the cab in the
sultry dimness of the August twilight.
YOU'D ought to hev come in the horse
cars. 'Twouldn't hev cost near so
much. Or I'd hev met you if you'd let
me know, and we could hev come down
in the elevated. So you're Maria's dar-
ter, be you2 Don't favor her much, l
calculate. No, cabby; don't you be
tryin' to come no such games one me!
Sevcntyfve cents is your fare, and
you'll not get cent more" (snatching
from my hand the silver dollar which,
in obedience to the demand OF my
Jehu, l was timidly proffering him.
The cabman muttered some very IN
complimentary remarks, but jumped
on his box and drove away. while Aunt
Jocasta led me through stuffy little
store, filled with different varieties of
secondhand articles, from a sofa pill
low to pair of brass fre-dogs, into
dingy back parlor smelling strongly of
blue-mold aad yesterdays gridIle-
cakes, and beckoned me to take a slip
perry, horsc-hair- covered chair in the
corner.
$50 you've come to stay, hev your
said she.
cliff l can be of any comfort to
you" said !, feeling ready to burst into
tears.
ooh, faint that" said the old lady,
lifting the lid of fat, black tea-kettle,
which was singing on the stove, and
peering curiously into its depths. 81
don't need no comfortin'. / s'pose,
though, there was lots o gals to home,
and your ma was glad to get one of 'em
Off her hands,,
81 assure you that was not the
reason" l burst out ~ camel
came---"
"Well, it don't matter what you came
for!" said Aunt Jocasta. you're here,
and there's an end of the m atter.'
She RECALLED me on boiled lobster and
lettuce for supper, during which meal
she was frequently summoned to the
shop by sharp, peremptory rings of
the little bell on the door, and l was
rendered extremely nervous by hear
ing the details of one or two of the
sharp bargains which she drove across
the counter
~ do hope, if you're going to stay"
said she, returning after one of these
verbal battles, you'll be able to take
some of these bothers off my hands.
It's dreadful tryia' not to be let to take
ones tea in peace. And fresh lobster
at that, and salad fit for the queen"
1 said nothing, but secretly calcu-
lated in my own MUD whether / had
money enough to take me back to
Gooseberry mountain the next day.
1t was painfully evident to me that
my Aunt Jocasta and had our being in
altogether different spheres.
After supper, Aunt Jocasta went to
sleep and snored, until she was reused
BY the appearance of pert lady's-maid,
with a package under her arm-one of
her mistress cast -ofI ball dresses, which
she was commissioned to sell.
Afterward, slim-legged little boy
arrived on the scene, with a copper tea
kettle to dispose of; and, last of all,
little old man came in, and, after
prolonged siege of chaffering, carried
of more than third of the stock in
trade, lied into a compact bundle.
After this, there was lively chase