Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-11-26

ooh. stop, stopv CALCULATED the bride.
eThey don't all live with your"
"No," Josiah answered. "Not all"
"Dear me, Josiah" said Mrs. Black,
chow dead and alive you seem: Nobody
would realize that you had been only
three hours married"
II don't seem TO realize II myself,
said Mr.. Black, leaning his head against
the cur window, with thoroughly dis
couragcd mir.
But If you spose I'm going to turn
my house into refuge for all your re-
lations," added Mrs. Josiah, with energy
"you are yery-dear me! Blue Point,
Already? This can't be the place, can
it? Why. we hain't-"
Just then the relentless conductor,
swooping through the train. bore MIR. ana
Mrs. Josiah Black off to the platform,
the latter still demonstrating loudly.
MIR. Black was silent and moody as
they walked up the steep hill leading to
the village street. Mrs. Black was Sc
cretly resolving that, husband or no hps-
band, she would not be captured by the
Goth and Visigoth horde of relations who
doubtless were waiting to pounce on her
hearth.
II must assert myself" she thought,
Eat the very first, or shall be oyerrun!
Here is the house," somberly re-
marked Josiah.
A long, low, red building faced them
at the top of a hill, with fence draped
with morning-glory vines, trailing hops
aud wild vetches, and two or three gnarled
ounce trees leaning up against the
south end.
There's lights inside" said the late
Miss Pamela. " And fire! There's
somebody there
my folks" briefly remarked Josiah.
"Your folks !" repeated Pamela; and
there was world of unsyllabled meaning
in her voice. Walking valiantly forward,
she flung open the door, and stood facing
the little group which was gathered amic-
ably around the blazing fire. And Josiah
Black. following, pushed her, in rather
an undigni6ed manner, into their midst,
with the Introductory speech:
My wife. Here she is ! y
Chow d. ye do, Mrs. Josiah?" said an
elderly woman. Z" I'm your husbands
step-ma."
:. And I'm his sister" said blonde
Z" And I'm his other sister, spoke up
q short, sharp, little female with a black
and-tan-terrier sort of face and a rust
ling black silk dress.
Brother Simeon" announced Josiah,
as u stout man with profusely pomat-
umed head rose and ducked it toward
her. "And Uncle 'Lijah and Aunt
Nancy" motionimg toward a solid-look-
ing couple in the background; land my
cousins, Heber and Stratton," as two
tall, awkward young men emerged from
behind a calico-covered screen in tho
rear.
81 hope you allIfnd yourselves pretty
well?" said Mrs. Josiah Black, with the
geniality of an arctic iceberg. but
sha'n't find it convenient to entertain
you here"
The herd of relations stared. and Mr.
.Josiah's step-ma bridled, and said:
"We wasn't a-calculating to stay t.
tea"
: "Tea or dinner, it makes no differ
ence." said the bride. IF we're to ge
-l~-1 .---~e--.-Lia toeati'nr oil +Hes'
things has got to bo understood at once
: amt goin' to keep free hotel for m.
husbands relations, and l don't want i
to be expected of me"
There was an indignant buzz anon!
D the relations at this remarkable piece o
plain speaking they all rose up in con
> cert.
"Well," said they, addressing Josiah
: "step-ma," us if she werethe representa-
]. tive of the mass, eff Josiahs wife don
:, want nothn' TO do with us. we certainl
IL
y don't mean to trouble her"
! "Don't be in hurry" family uttere
= Josiah; but none of the relations took tn
: least notice of him, as they seized upo
: their hats, bonnets, shawls and other al
= ticles of outer wrapping with precipitai
= haste.
!. "Of course" added Mrs. Josiah,
- little alarmed ut the result of her ow
peneralship. Il shall always be happ
to have YOU call in a friendly way"
!. Josinai's step-ma. who had taken
package from the table, stonily remarke
!, as she held il up:
= MY icc- pitcher-bcst triple plate an
!. porcelain-lined-as i had intended Tor
n wedding present But if folks don
= want me, they don't want my present
- so I'll wish YOU goodbye, Mrs. Black
!, One of the sisters took up II cream-ju
- of chased silver-the other put a plate
- caster back into its box, and on tho
m marched.
:, :, "Our simple offerings" said they, ga
- hardly elegant enough for one so e
n cloosive in her tastes as our brother
=, wife,"
~ Simeon Black swung heavy wicke
10 basket across his shoulders.
:. IA tea-set of real Ingy china that b
:. longed 10 a Chinese sea-captain, ga
- he, "and got at bargain-but que
n il nin't wanted" and he, too, departe
y banging the door.
3 One by one the others took q has
~ leave, each carrying some little otterlI
." of more or less value which had be-
!, brought thither for the delectation
~ ".Josiah's wife, while that lady hcrss
v v stood gazing after them in blank disma
=, n' with an agonized consciousness that 8
{. had committed an awful political blu
~ der in this, the first term of her MARI
bo life.
ne .sThere! said Josiah, grimly, "n'
~, you've done il, Pamela. Every one
ne 'em well-to-do and Twin in their o'
'o' places. And, as sure as you live, they
never forgive you in this mortal world
DO IL thought they was comm here
,uo livev gasped the bride. IL only want
;th to protect myself" =, /,
~ ~ .'Well, you've done it now" said \
nv Black. There is such thing as be
~ ~ too beforehanded."
IA And he sat slowly down, too spiritl'
-" ~ even to upbraid his wife. While Pam
~ felt that her wedding day had not b'
- altogether n success.