River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-19

welcomed him. All the lofty castles
in the air which she had been building
during the past week were shattered
to pieces and tumbled to the ground.
so to speak. by the blow of a broom.
1t was too dreadful! She cast one de-
spairing glance 1T the wrecked hat and
the red face, ana then, sobbing out:
''Oh, mamma, thought he was the
tramp | thought lie was the trd-d-
ampin buried her own face in her
mothers dress, and cried as if her
heart would break The other chill
dren Joined in the chorus, Bess lOudest
of all, and il seemed as if Bedlam had
broken loose to the distracted Mrs.
Milham.
She finally got voice enough back to
begin: ''Well, really, Uncle Patterson,
don't know how to apol-" but at this
point she was interrupted by a new
demonstration on the part of their pc
culiar guest. At Lizzy's cry: II
thought he was tramp" his angry
and surprised expression had changed
to grin-a new light seemed slowly
to dawn on him, and finally he broke in
upon Mrs. Milham's confused excuses
with tremendous ''Ha! ha! har' that
fairly shook the little house. Even
Lizzy stopped crying in wonder at the
sound. The old mans amusement was
irresistible; even Mrs. Milham, in all
her modification. could not help join
ing in. The children began TO think it
all very funny when their mother
would laugh, and made almost as much
noise this way as they had before in
their alarm. At last Uncle Patterson
gathered himself up slowly from the
floor, and said: Don't We say another
word, Betsey. don't We say another
wordi Thought | was tramp,
did she? Haw! haw. Never mind,
little gal, we've got right good spunk,
and | like spunk wherever | see it.
Coin to knock me on the head, was
she? Haw! haw! Never mind, don't
yc cry; served me right for comm in
on We that way! And there amt any
harm done, except to the hat, and
guess it won't do me no harm to git a
new one, anyway.
Eye see, Betsey," he went ON, taking
a chair in the kitchen, Il got chance
to ride over with one of your neigh
bOrs by the name o johnson, and
walked over from his house. Thought
I'd save the stage the trouble. But
when | got here it was so hot that it
seemed as if / must git in somewheres
or roast. So, thinkin' nobody was to
home, | made free to climb in your
window, but got caught in my bur-
glarizin' here he looked with a
twinkling eye at Lizzy, who hid her
face-''and good enough fer mel"
What a merry time they had to-
gether that EVENING" Their peculiar
introduction took away all stiffness be-
tween them. The children played
about in their usual way, and Mr.. Har.
wood Patterson softened and warmed
to them to degree that astOnished
even himself And at last, when Carry
and Bess had gone to bed, and he and
Mrs. Milham and Lizzy sat in the
moonlight together, he said:
d al, Deusey, guess we InlgnJ az
well settle it about your comm to live
with me before we sleep. If you're
agreeable. / am. Really, / don't see
how I've got along without your com.
pany so far And hain't the least OBJ.
lection to the children. The other two
is nice little gals, but want Lizzy
here very especial. Because, We see,
when she's around every thing'll be all
safe. At least / can be sure that there
won't never be any danger from
tranlps SIR. II. StearRS, IL Christiah
Union.