Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-12-21

Il
her shoulder in a manner far from false;
the pretty young girl, who wrote on a
typewriter and battled single-handed
with the problems of work-a-day
world, came to the kind little body for
motherly counsel and homeopathic
remedies-the only ones Miss Nellie
gave in paltry doses; the middle-aged
couple, who were known to differ fire.
quently and loudly, brought their quar-
rels to her for arbitration; the gallant
Major, who had been in the army and
loved the ladies', had begged her to
brighten his lonely lot with the light
of her perpetual presence, and when she
had given him a gentle refusal had
taken it nobly with his hand on his
heart, and dogged her footsteps persist
emily thereafter; the poor young clerk,
who had the other attic bedroom, and
couldn't manage to pay for that, and
who borrowed money of her and never
paid it back, but was always meaning
to, came to her in fits of desperation,
when he talked recklessly of ruin, and
revolver as the only possible quietus,
and went away with courage in his
step-and her last dollar in his pocket.
Thus it happened that while all these
neighbors' doors were closed against
each other, they were open to Miss Nell
lie; perhaps the secret of it was that
while she gave sympathy she never de-
manded it. To be sure, there was q
rumor in the annals of the house that
Miss Nellie had a story, but the idea
that there was any element of tragedy
in 1t was secuted as ridiculous-why,
you had only to look at her bright blue
eyes and smiling mouth, and to listen to
her brisk step and CHEEKY voice-to con-
vince you that that was impossible-'ab-
solutely and egregiously impossible, my
dear sir!" as the Major used to say.
While the little old maid sat there
busted with her simple work and kindly
thoughts, sound suddenly smote upon
her lonely silence that made her heart
leap into her throat. 1t was the noise
of heavy body falling, and her first
thought was that the young clerk had at
last carried out his desperate threat
cut his throat, perhaps, and fallen dead
upon the floor; but before she had time
for further speculation there were more
sounds of confusion, which seemed to
take place just outside her door, and be-
fore she could cross the room and open
it. it had burst ajar and swung wide, dis
closing-but no! she was not child to
be hoodwinked with Christmas dream,
for surely she was asleep and dreaming!
surely, surely, pinch her arm as sharply
and rub her eyes as diligently as she
would, she must be asleep and dream
ing! Only to think of an old maid in
her forties, standing there in her own
ten-by-twelve bedroom and thinking
she saw Santa Claus looming up in the
doorway!
But what would you have? Was not
the light from her lamp flooding full
upon him, and was it not an unmistak-
able old gentleman, rotund of figure,
in long fur coat dashed with snow and
a round fur cap set on locks quite as
white, and venerable beard sweeping
downward beneath two ruddy cheeks
and a rubicund nose and-conclusive ev-
idence!-peeping over his shoulder a
bulging bag, from which stuck odds and
ends of toys and irresistible packages
with the most fascinating knobs and
excrescences and bewitching protu-
berances, that would have made one
scream with excitement had one been
forty years younger?
"Sir," said the simple old maid, "you
have made mistake"
eyes, madame, l haze made a mis-
take" growled the furry old gentleman,
fairly bristling with anger, land some
body else has made a mistake! And
next time they leave scuttle doors open
for trap for innocent people they'll
hear from me, or I've made another mis-
takel Bless my SOUL Bless my soulp
This pious ejaculation burst from the
old gentleman's lips with the fury and
explosiveness of a piece of profanity as
he tried to take step, and, in doing so,
fell up against the door-post like child
learning to walk.
'Ive fractured my knee-panr he
cried, querulously, "and I'll sue you for
amages-dam-dam he re-
peated, as though it did him good to fire
it off like SO many peas from pop-gun.
'I'm sorry" said Miss Nellie, in her
soft, little voice. ''Let me help you in
to chair, sir. I'm SO very sorry it hap
penedP'
She took him under the arm and inn
agined she upbore his great frame as it
lunged across the floor and fell into her
roclking-chair, which creaked and
groaned with the unusual burden of
flesh.
"Who left that trap-door openP" de-
manded the irascible old fellow, turning
an angry eye on her.
'Mercy on me, STRIP cried his little
hostess, suddenly clasping her hands on
her heart and looking scared and aghast;
81 just remember that did it'll 1 was
beating out my rug and was unexpect-
edly called away and-I forgot itF'
She felt like two-year-old culprit
standing there before his inquisitorial
eye, and she would have been glad if
trap-door had suddenly opened and let
her down into the next story without
seconds warning.
81 suppose you'll say had no bust
ness to be promenading on your roof"
the venerable gentleman went on with
dignity, conscious of being in rather a
position which might be
taken advantage of. 81 hadn't I'll ad-
NIT. You see, 1 rugged up as Santa
Claus and stole up on to the roof, and |
the nurse-was to bring
the children up into the play-room-
that's the attic-and 1 was to appear
through the trap-door; instead of which |
l took turn on the roof while 1 waited |
and appeared through trap-door that
wasn't in the programme at all"
There was twinkle in his eye as he |
90 "a 4bte that .aaIo 6tr ,.,no.,. II ...., l., |