The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-03-06
HUNTING A HOUSE.

HUNTING A HUUSE.
BOB BURDETTE TELLS HOW BE AS
SISTED HIS LADY COUSIN.
And She was Sweet and Lovely But She
Made Him Wish He had Died when He
was Teething.
Frs~, the Nev York Sun
I believe I always did admire my
Cousin Celestine. She was pretty
when sheouas a schoolgirl. She had
the softest brown hair, fine and sheeny
as corn silk, and the eiest blue
eyes, and such a confding. trustful,
timid way with her. She was such
girl as any boy might fall in love
with. She married George Andover,
a young Presbyterian preacher. l
saw nothing of them for nearly FIVE
years, when they came to Crmhntslwlln,
little town down in Pennsylvania,
where I lived. 1t was called by
Welsh name, because there were no
Welch people within thousand miles
Of it, so far as / was able to learn.
Still, it had to be called something,
and Crmhntslwlln was pronounced as
good a name as it deserved. 1t was at
least an Improvement on Jinkinvilie
and Thompsontown and Snyderburg.
George and Celestine we're going to
live in the city, few miles distant, or
near, rather. George had to 60 right
away and attend presbytery or synod
or something or other that was going
to burn a hereto or something, and
would 1 60 to the city and help Celes-
tine hunt a house? Wouldn't L? Il?
l would GO and find house for them
myself. and Celestine could stay at
home and rest. But she hesitated, in
her timid way, and then said she
would 20 with me. How glad l was.
She was prettier than ever, and seem
ed SO grateful that l was going to take
care Of her. How glad l was. re-
peat it. How glad l was.
1t didn't take me twenty minutes to
find the very house she wanted; just
the one she described. Eleven rooms,
hot and cold water in every corner.
Philadelphia window shutters four
inches thick. and parlor 80 respect
ably dark that the boldest cat would
fall over the furniture and break its
head against the piano limbs every
time it ventured in there. But Ceies-
tine didn't like it, because Mr.. Congo,
the agent, wouldn't paint, paper, put
in new range, build on a bay win.
dow and add another story. never
saw that timid, appealing, con6ding
expression on Celestine's face look
quite SO sweet and appealing as it did
when sne refused to take that house.
We rode about six miles on nine
different street car lines that morning,
and visited dozen houses. l was
charmed with every house, but Celes
tine would look So .appealingly at me
every time, when we Consulted the
agent, and state her objections 80
sweetly and timidly, and say "Ob.
cousin, won't you decide for me ?"
And then we would start out after an
other one. We f,uhd new house.
just c,mpteted. Just scrubbed and
oiled and vanished from garret to
cellar; agent just putting the card in
the window when We got there. We
went all over it, and Celestine said
she would take it if he would have it
repainted and papered and a new
heater put in. The brute looked into
that pleading, timid, gentle face and
refused.
Somewhere during the next mile
Celestine suddenly stopped.
There" she said, SO decidedly I
was frightened, II would take the
house."
She Was looking at a handsome
mansion Of stone, situated in beauti-
full yard and bursting into bloom and
and blossom from every window.
"Yes,"I said = little uncertainty,
"but isn't it little larger than you
want ?"
l Judged that It contained possibly
not more than twenty rooms.
Eyes" she said. "but we could close
a portion of the house. Suppose you
run over and see what it rents for"
didn't believe it was to let.
you cant tell until you find out,
said Cousin Celestine, timidly.
1T looks like a very expensive
house." / said.
"But, maybe the man is embarrassed
in business" she said, 'sand would be
glad to find good tenant. Don't fail
me, please" she added, and / said
would 60
I did gn / rang the bell and stat.
ed my business The liveried servant
shut the door in my face without a
word, and 1 returned.
well 7" said my Cousin Celestine.
l looked into the sweet blue eyes
and calmly, without blush, said
"The man said he owned the house
and did not care to rent it this sea
son" She sighed and said in low,
tremulous tones that she believed she
gould have got it if she had gone
over.
| That afternoon, while we were
somewhere on our ninth mile, Celes
tine found another house that suited
/ her exactly, but the rent was $24O 1
month. and she didn't want to 20 bey.
oEd 500 As we walked now she
leaned heavily on my arm and / tot.
tered along on blistered feet, eagerly
scanning the horizon in every direc.
tion for street cars, while CelestiDs
could see ITO Let" card with tbs
ilnaked eye further than could think
Her timid, trustful way grew upor
i her nntil she linked 4 ner rferf snirsnl<