Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-10
HANNAH'S VISITOR.
BY HELEN ronnEsr GRAVES.

loungers, collected around the general
store which served rs postofIice, shoe
mart, drygoods emporium and little of
everything else for the Struggling settle
ment of Wrigsville, in the northern part
OF Maine, were congratulating each
other on the chance to sit and smoke
their pipes on the wooden benches out
side the door, instead of around the
whlte-hot stove within, where the odors
OF Goldfish, cheese and red herrings min
gled oddly with tobacco-smokc and
damp leather boots.
mice weather this, for the time O.
year." said Zepas Powell, staring stead
lily at the sun going down behind Cherry
Mountain.
eyes; l dunno that'pvc Gny fault to
ind with the weather." slowly answered
Squire Scdley, who had come for his
mail.
lie had hardly completed his sentence,
however, when there was cracking
sound of slipping stones and rending
branches IN the steep ravinc ut the back
OF the house. and young Dawson, the
hunter, stood among them, his cheek
flushed with exercise, his gun balanced
on his shoulder.
'Runnin' away from catamount7n
grinned Squire Sedley.
NO; only racing the stage coach, {"
took the short cut through the plen.m
coach is a-comln', chi" said Leandcr
Stokes, who kept the store. heavy man
with bilious complexion and soft hat
wedged on the back of his head.
YES; and such passenger abroad pn
cried Dawson.
BILLY Best, amt it, with the machin-
cry for Diugle's new grist. mill3n
hnzarded Stokes.
BILLY Best, nodded Dawson. CENT
ne amt the only one, l tell YOU.
jumped when stuck my head into tbc
stage window to nollcr to Billy Eest.n
faint none o. Thorn Canady dc.
iaulters, is itf" demanded Sedley. with
an ar OF heavy righteousness.
mo, SAID Dawson; ''it's the stuffed
grlzlcy Tor Il fur store up in farkersdalc.
ana hne animal it must have been in
Its day. Six feet high it stands at least
ana MS fat and sleek ms if it were alive i
"a BIT. ehsn said Stokes.
:. wei, IA sooner meet it.dead than
living" observed Scdiey. $50, thew
TOOK 1T as inside passenger, eh?"
There want no room for it outside ~
explained Dawson.
Al s'pose likely they'll be wantin'
storage space for it here all night2" said
Lcander Stokes, all of whose meditations
ecrCaed in one direction-namely. thnt
oiFsss:;nipg penny-honest or dis.
honest, he scarcely cared which. "But
l.won't store no grizzly bars for nothin'
III let 'em know that"
"He won't want no board" iocoscly
observed Squire Scdley; "an' Of he STAYS
tong. he'll bring lots % custom. Folks
must buy something, Of it's only a paper
O. needles, Of they come in to get souint
at the grizzly.
YES. assented Lcander; "but erizz.
lies amt in the regular line O. business
IKE they was barls o. molasses or a hun
dred-weight o'hogs. Them as stores en-
tras must expect to pay extra"
But i.eander Stokes's covetous expcc.
tations were doomed to disappointment.
when the stage-coach rolled and rum
bled up the steep, sandy hill, carcening
like vessel at sea, there was no grizzly
on board. And this was how It han.
pencd:
Mr.. William Best, general freight
agent of the Rattleday Railroad line, had
stopped the coach opposite quiet little
red farmhouse in the woods, and knocked
at the door.
Hannah Perry came to answer the
summons blooming eighteen year
old girl. with shady blue eyes and hair
OF the glossiest chestnut-brown.
"Wby, VIII" she cried, her whole
lace lighting up. 81 didn't expect"
mo, | know you didn't" said Best,
IN his driest business way. 81 say,
Hannah, you amt using rhe kitchen
he'd cin..
There amt nobody sleeps there?"
mo. Why,"
"rye got some freight I'd sort O. like
stored there over night, if you hain't M
other use for the room"
''rm sure you're welcome" said Han
nah, cheerily. "What is lt1"
''A-grizzly bar"
Hannah gave start.
''Alive2"
"Bless your heart, no, child AS
as the nails in NIethusalchs co i'm
Stuffed. A fancy front door SIGN for
Jenningses's new fur store I'D in Park
ersdale. Knight leave it ut Stokes's: but
the creetur'd get paved and handled
over by all the idlers and ne or. do wells
that collect around the store. so't mebbe
ne wouldn't be no use fur sign by the
time we got him safe to Parkersdale.
So, if you wouldn't mind, Hannah, it
would be a great obligation to me-"
"Mind9 oh, shan't mind in the
least" cried Hannah, the shady blue
eyes sparkling.
And she stood by, greatly amused,
whiis the stage-driver and Billy Bssi
between them hoisted the cumbrous.
stuffed monster out of the stage. coach
up the narrow path, where the crocuses
were sleepily closing the lemon and
purple stars wherewith they had wei
coined the sunshiny, spring day, and stir
borders of box distilled their aromat;,
perfume, and bestowed it safely in tn,
nearest angle of the kitchen bedroom
where Uncle Silas had so recently slen
the sleep of the righteous, on stiff littI,
cot-bed, with husk mattress and ,
gorgeous patchwork quilt.
We've never had bear for a lodge
before" cried Hannah, gayly; "thoupl
I used often to say-didn't i, Natty. y I,
her little brother, who stood by-sstba
Uncle Silas was quite as cross as an,
bear could bes Natty, do you think thi
fellow will give us the nightmare4''
flI frraes ,at