Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-07-27

name?" and she went over to the ta-
bic, and began laborious work with a
stubby pen.
"Mr. Ezra Stebbins' house 536
Poplar Avenue"
"All right" said the girl, wiping
the pen on her thumb nail.
"Send her right up,n said Chris
with an important air as he went out
"Phew! wish I'd eaten more break
fast"
As Julian was still asleep, Chris
shut the bedroom door gently and
went down stairs very much elated
with his work, to wait for the cook.
About nine o'clock a person as thin as
Ann predecessor had been fat, rang
the front door bell, and presented
dingy paper on which Miss Higgins
gave her all the possible and impossi-
ble virtues and graces Of womankind.
You can go down TO the kitchen" !"
said Chris ignoring the paper and
pointing to the basement stairs.
Nv here's the LADY," asked the
person with survey of as much of the
interior as she could manage.
WHAT" asked Chris.
"The lady-your mother boy?"
said the new cook. bringing her gaze
to his countenance. "I'd like to see
hern
She's coming" said Chris quickly.
"You go along down to the kitchen
and begin work. And though as
tonished at herself, the thin woman
felt her way over the stairs and enter
ed the cooks domains, Chris wisely
letting her have that pleasure alone.
"She can find out the work by her
SELF" he said, "a woman always does,
now I'll go to school"
/ Julian, in the midst of an exciting
dream of knocking down three wild
men of the desert with table caster,
vas at last rudely shaken to con-
sciousness by band that was not
satisfied with its work until the boy
sat erect and stared at her.
"For the love of the Virgin,
sphake," 3" cried the figure, "and till
me what does this male?"
a don't know" said Julian, as
much in the dark as she was.
leave your hands off me-" he COM
manded crossed, and shaking him
self free.
"Wbere is the bigger b'hoy?" ask
ed the woman, land the lady? I've
been all over this house, and the
ghost of a person. crossing herself.
''can | find al all-at all. Is't crazy
yees all are?"
You'll find out" declared Julian
in passion, "if you don't leave me
alone and clear out" which seeing
that it was oil she was likely to get,
the woman proceeded to do, and only
pausing on her way down stairs, to
pick up Mrs Stebbins' gold thimble,
probably as an amulet to preserve
her from the general witchcraft into
which she had unluckily fallen, she
hastily got out of the house and
as soon as possible into
Miss Higgins astonished precincts,
W here she related to the assembled
domestics by this time gathered, her
experience in the house 536 Poplar
Avenue, all which strange account
speedily went down in the annals as
a warning to respectable females with
unimpeachable testimonials as to
character, against such crazy locali-
ty.
Chris running home from school,
delighted with his executive ability.
rubbed his eyes to see cab before
the door. and trunk marked G. X.
S. on the rack. Yes, it surely was
Charlotte's There was the scrapod
place on the top where he had tried
his new knife; he should know it
among a thousand What could it
mean?
He soon found out, as Charlotte
was just descending the cab-step.
"The children broke out with the
measles" +" she said not pausing in the
act of paying the cabman. "Take
che trunk up into the upper hail."
Mothers gone to Por tlad," an
nounced Chris, Aunt Betty's sick !"
as she?n said Charlotte coolly
She was wholly composed young
lady under all circumstances with
which life life confronted her. "Well,
here she comes now"
Chris whirled, to see, emerging
from the horse-car at the corner, his
mother and her weli-known bag.
He gave feeble gasp, and waited
till she came up.
so ends my preparations for a
nice time" observed Charlotte after
the first greetings were over, "all
because those stupid children must
needs have the measles now"
go Charlotte!" cried her mother
in dismay "Well. Ive been on q
FOOLS errand too. AuEt Betty had
only a fit of the nerves, and Fanny
was scared to death, and pulled me
off from my work" This last was
said as the two women ascended the
steps.
Charlotte stopped and picked up q
letter "From father she said, pas
| sing III on 10 ncE ulOtutI, ulun
know he'd gone to New York"
"He HASN'T" said her mother care
Iessly taking the letter.
"Look at that" said Charlotte.
who never made statements that
could not be proved So now she
triumphantly pointed to a printed
line in one corner-'Ezra Stebbins,
Counselor at Law - and it's post
mark New York; see for yourself,
ma"
"Goodness!" exclaimed Mrs. Steb-
bins, setting down her bag on the up
per step and tearing open her letter,
what does it mean?"
II should like to know why Norah
does not answer this bell !" said Char
lotte, with another pull.
"I'll let you in" said Chris, accom-
plishing the steps, and speedily put
ting his latchkey to use, and forget
ting to enter himself.
HOFFMAN HOUSE, III 80 pm.
"DEAR WIFE"-Mr. Stebbins' let
ter ran-"Have seen Harkins Shall
get through sooner than | thought.
Cousin Eliot and wife Unexpectedly
ran over in the Cephalonia; got in
| Jo,v I'D ,ro tbic bntoI SbalI