The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-27
HANNAH'S VISITOR.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

mart, QrySOOdS emporium anu llIIlc VI
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-smoke and
damp leather boots.
"Nicc weather this, for the time O.
year." said Zenas Powell, staring stead
lily at the sun going down behind Cherry
Mountain.
"Yes; l dunno that I've any fault to
find with the weather." slowly answered
Squire Sedlcy, who had come for his
mail.
He had hardly completed his sentence,
however, when there was a cracking
sound of slipping stones and rending
branches in the steep ravine at 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 catamount9"
grinned Squire Sedley.
"No; only racing the stage. coach, !"
said Dawson. "Iknew I could do it I
took the short cut through the glen"
"Coach is a-comln', eh2" said Leander
Stokes, who kept the store, heavy man
with bilious complexion and soft hat
wedged on the back of his head.
"Yes; and such passenger abroada"
cried Dawson.
"Billy Best, amt it, with the machin-
cry for Diugle's new gristmill2"
hazarded Stokes.
"Billy Best" nodded Dawson. "But
he amt the only one, I tell you. I
jumped when I stuck my head into the
stage window to noller to Billy Best"
"'Taint none O. them Canady de-
faulters, is it," demanded Sedley, with
an air of heavy facetiousness.
"No," said Dawson; SITS the stuffed
grizley for fur store up in Farkersdale.
And fine animal it must have been in
its day. Six feet high it stands at least,
and as fat and sleek as if it were alive"
ga bar, eh:" said Stokes.
swell, I'd sooner meet it dead than
living" observed Sedley. $50 they
took it as Inside passenger, eh2"
"There want no room for it outside, I"
explained Dawson.
II s'pose likely they'll be wantin'
storage space for it here all night2' said
Leander Stokes, all of whose meditations
tended in one dlrection-namely, that
of turning a Eenny-honest or dis
honest, he scarcely cared which. "But
I,.won't store no grizzly bars for nothin',
I'll let 'cm know thatm
''He won't want no board" jocosely
observed Squire Sedley; sam eff he stays
long, he'll bring lots o custom. Folks
must buy something. eff it's only paper
o. needles, eff they come in to get a squint
at the grizzly.
''Yes," assented Leauder; "but grizz-
lies amt in the regular line O. business,
like they was bar'ls o molasses or hun
dred- wei ght o'hogs. Them as stores en-
tras must expect to pay extra"
But eander Stokes's covetous expec.
tations were doomed to disappointment.
When the stage-coach rolled and rum
bled up the steep, sandy hill, careening
like vessel at sea, there was no grizzly
on board. And this was how it hap
pened:
Mr.. William Best, general freight
agent of the Rattleday railroad line, had
stopped tile coach opposite quiet little
red farmhouse in the woods, and knocked
at the door.
Hannah Perry came to answer the
summons-a blooming eighteen year
old girl, with shady blue eyes and hair
of the glossiest chestnut-brown.
"Why, viii" she cried, her whole
face lighting up. II didn't expect"
"No, know you didn't" said Best,
in his driest business way. 81 say,
Hannah, you amt using the kitchen
bedroom since Uncle Silas went away2
There amt nobody sleeps there?"
mo. Why"
''l've got some freight I'd sort O. like
stored there over night if you hain't no
other use for the room."
''I'm sure you're welcome, ," said Han
nah, cheerily. "What is lt2"
"A-grizzly bar"
Hannah gave start.
"Alive?'
'Bless your heart, no, child! As dead
as the nails in Methusaleh's colin.
Stuffed! a fancy front door sign for
Jenn:ngses's new fur store up in Park
ersdale. might leave it at Stokes's; but
the creetur'd get paved and handled
over by all the idlers and ne'er-do wells
that collect around the store, so't mebbe
he woaldn'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 great obligation to me-"
"Mind2 oh, shan't mind in the
least" cried Hannah, the shady blue
eyes sparkling.
And she stood by, greatly amused,
while the stage-driver and Billy Best
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 vel,
coined the sunshiny, spring day, and still
borders of box distilled their aromatic
perfume, and bestowed it safely in the
nearest angle of the kitchen bedroom,
where Uncle Silas had so recently slept
the sleep of the righteous, on stiff little
cot-bed, with husk mattress and a
gorgeous patchwork quilt.
"We'vc never had bear for a lodger
before" cried Hannah, gayly; ''though
used often to say-didn't I, Natty," tc
her little brother, who stood by-'sthat
Uncle Silas was quite as cross as any
bear could be! Natty, do you think this
fellow will give US the nightmare"
81 guess not" Natty answered, sober.
ly.
"Now mind, Nathaniel, you don't
touch the creetur'," said Best, gravely
surveying his arrangements. "Thest
'ere stuffed animals are plumb.full o!