Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-10-03

or Stolen" In Wins tantrums. and
he had now and then violent tan
trums, he was turned over to Miss
| Louisa. who was steady in voice and
manner, and who. the little fellow
soon learned, was master of the situa-
ton. Miss Gertrude undertook to feed
and clothe him, and did both parts so
well that his rosy cheeks stood out for
fairness. and he was likely to outgrow
| more clothes than he could wear out.
But Miss Patty was his playfellow,
and Mr.. Perine his especial chum and
confdant And ah! how strangely the
staid, somber, unsociable old house
was changed Pets of various sorts
accumulated in yard and stable.
| Every member of the household re-
! signed some cherished prejudice for
| the sake of this little stranger, who
so quickly learned to say ''our's
house. me horsie. Wins Auntie Trude
an Lou and Pat"
On a warm day, later in the season.
one of the few visitors that ever
sought the society OF the Burnside
ladies' might have been seen turning
into. the great lawn in a comfortable.
old time rock-a-way. One, did | say?
| There we're two, as far as Il man and
his wife can be counted two people.
1t was the pastor of the little village
| Presbyterian church which the Perine
family attended, to which they con-
tributed with genteel liberality. but
| with whose members they did not af-
filiate in the slightest degree.
"Now, Ruth" said Pastor Mott,
who had recently changed his widow
erhood's gravity for the cheerful bear
ing of bridegroom, "this visit is one
of the trials of your lot, to be endured
bravely, but fortunately not to be soon
nor often repeated. These queer peo-
pie will invite you into a dull, quiet
house, hand you glass of wine and a
homeopathic bit of cake, talk to you
in gentle, patronizing voices about
their family of past generations, but
| they will not show any interest in you,
or me, Or our work, or our neighbOrs.
You will come back into the sunshine
feeling as if you had paid visit to
some old family vault"
The new wife twisted up her sweet
face into a wry expression, as one
does when swallowing a spoonful of
bitter stuff, but hastily smoothed it
out again as a sudden curve in the
carriage road brought them up to the
front porch.
MY husband must be absent-mind-
3D." said the new Mrs. Mott to her.
self; "this is not the family he has
been describing to me" For the
whole household was out on the front
porch. Vim had turned one of the
carved oak chairs down on its arms,
and was sitting astride its venerable
back, though the short fat legs could
not quite make out to turn the cor
ners. Pat was kneeling in front of
him playing horsie. her long, heavy
plaits of hair serving for reins. Miss
Louisa was pretending to read. and
Miss Gertrude was knitting brightly
striped little sock, but all three ladies
were enjoying the game fully as much
as the young driver.
In some confusion the chairs were
righted. Miss Patty's braids hastily
knotted up, and small William sent
out to James. who was watering flower
beds on the lawn. OF course. the
story of the child was told and list
ened to with deep interest by the Wis
itors.
"Oh, I'm so glad the poor thing got
here before she died. cried tender
hearted Mrs. Mott "Do you think she
knew how good you were going to be
to her children when she was gomez"
.She knew how kind they were to
her. Ruth said the pastor, gently.
"You do not think We are doing
wrong to keep the darling?" asked
Miss Patty. eagerly.
"Wroag?" said the preacher; Il do
not think any thing about it: know
that inasmuch as you have done it unto
one OF the least OF these, you are fol-
lowing your Masters commands"
There was little silence. and then
Miss Gertrude said, rather huskily:
"Of course Brother Middleton put a
notice in the city papers, but we were
sure from the little fellows talk that
they had come a great way. and there
was every evidence that the poor young
woman was in a very friendless condi-
ton"
Then followed eager talk upon a
wide range Of subjects connected with
babyhood, boyhood and young man
hood. until Miss Patty cried with a
merry laugh: well, l don't think We
need set our baby's wedding day YETI
"Our baby had been monarch of
all he surveyed at Burnside for ten
years. when one day faded. grizzled,
unhappy-loaking woman, feeble with
disease. came to the house and asked
to see Miss Gertrude. Burnside was
very unlike the secluded, inhospitable