The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-10-19
HOW THE PLAN WORKED.

bud, Lally," said Aldrich Cone, as he
came in from the garden. Blossom
Hedge is at its prettiest now"
The coffee exhaled fragrant odor, the
fresh baked biscuits were of the most
delicate brown, and the chickens broiled
TO a turn, but Mrs. Cones face wore a
most tragic expression, as she sat with
an open letter in her hand.
"Aldrich, said she, ,hysterically, 'what
am to do2 Here's your Aunt Efiing-
ham coming here next week with her six
children and the nurse They've had the
measles, it seems, and the doctor has pre-
scribed country air, SO they've decided to
iilflict four weeks visitation upon mer'
ooh, said Aldrich, guilty, 81 forgot
to tell you. Haidee Clare wants to come
here this summer. She requires perfect
quiet to finish her new novel, and says
she retains such delightful impression
of Blossom Hedge from her last summers
visitr'
ooh, does she, indeed?" said Mrs.
Cone, dashing the cream and sugar reck-
lessly into the sea green china cups
"And we must remember that your
cousin Falkland has kindly volunteered
to send Andromeda here for the sum
mer, so that she may forget that love
affair of hers with Jack Jocelyn."
"Tm afraid we haven't room for 'em
all, said Mr.. Cone, reaectively.
ooh, yes, you have" said Lally, with
tears and laughter struggling in her
voice. They'll sleep on the hall hat
rack, on the garret floor or the cellar
shelves, sooner than forego the oppor-
tunity of getting good country board for
nothing! And | shall do as l did last
year-get along without new winter
suit and do my own winter housework,
because the housekeeping bills were SO
heavy during the summer All our re-
lations are very particular, you know,
about their eating and drinking, and we
had to get new hair mattresses for the
Johnson-Smythes, and re-carpet Haidee's
room because she perfectly abhorred'
the old pattern"
'It's outrageous" said Cone, carving
the chickens. But l don't know how
we are to help ourselves without being
dreadfully rude
"Tell them plainly that they cannot
come"
"our relations, Lallyy' demonstrated
Cone.
'It's an imposition" said Lally.
cts only for little while, my love.
Let 'em come.2
at will be forall summer, Aldrich."
"No, it won't. I'll see to thatl'
"What do you mean?"
"I've got plan in my head, my love"
ga plany'
eyes You'll see. Only don't ask any
questions"
"But, Aldrich," pleaded the young
housekeeper, with every hospitable i'm
pulse rising up in her heart. "you
mustn't treat 'eln rudelyip
''I'll be as pleasant as Punch to 'em,
my love-see if I'm not.
"Aldrich, what are you going to do?'
Don't l tell you, Lally, that it's a
profound secret"
'But you'll tell me?"
"I'll tell nobodyr'
And to this platform Mr.. Cone stead.
fastly adhered, in spite of Lally's protes.
tations and entreaties.
The authoress arrived, with several
huge trunks, a typewriter and ham.
mock.
Miss Andromeda Falkland came by
the next train-''like Niobe, all tears"-
and Mrs. Effingham, her nurse, and heI
six noisy, troublesome young Gonzales. |
cents, brought up the rear.
"Ten people!" said Mrs. Cone to that
trustworthy and reliable confidant, her
self. "Oh dear! oh, dear l might as
well have taken situation for general |
housework in a summer boarding house. |
81 don't see," said Mrs. Pepper, the |
minister's wife, "what that young Cone
is thinking of to allow his wife to be SO |
overridden with relations. The weather
is very hot, and she is far from strong. |
And am told they sleep themselves on
sofa bedstead in the parlor to make |
room for that swarm of parasites. "
MY dear" said the good parson, care
you not expressing yourself rather
strongly"
I'm only speaking the TRUTH" said
Mrs. Pepper.
But it soon transpired that Mrs. Cones
visitors, like Barnum's happy family,
could not agree.
Miss Haidee Clare could not write
without the accompaniment of perfect
silence. The little Eflinghams could not
divert themselves without the boots and
shrieks peculiar to their tender years,
and both Miss Glare and Mrs. Effingham
took exception to the mournful banjo
notes on which Andromeda Falkland
was wont of an evening to bewail her
blighted love.
"They are quarreling like cats and
dogs sighed Lally to her husband.
Let 'em quarrel" said Aldrich.
"What larks, NAL" said Erskine Eff
fingham one afternoon, as he returned
from a successful raid upon the hens
nests in the barn. "We've got to take
our hammocks and croquet out of the
Maple lot"
"What for?' petulantly inquired his
mother.
"Cousin Aldrich has sold it."
''Sold it? How very inconsiderate of
him!" said Mrs. Efingham. "Sold it to
whom?"
"To the cemetery people,"
"What!"
'The cemetery people," enunciated
Master Erskine. The railroads a-goin
right through the old grave yard, and
they We got to bave new place. heard
Cousin Aidrich tell the carpenter to
bring that load Of fence posts right off,
and / heard him say, too, that it didn't
matter so much because there had al
ready been two or three interments
there"
'nterments" gasped Mrs. bingham
-"under our very windows? Goodness
gracious mel l never heard of such a
thing
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"lf ye phase, ma'am, said Della, the