The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-22
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had distinguished Skinner. Hopkins pos
sessed such a dilapidated and melancholy
exterior that one might have doubted
whether he could buy land enough at a dol
lar an acre to secure q comfortable burial.
For that reason his negotiations were not
suspected by the Greenlawn avenue people,
ana he bought the place quietly for cash,
before they were aware of his intentions.
He could afford it, for a life of Manifested
economy and an unexpected inheritance
had made him rich.
When the golden wind-fall came Mr.. and
Mrs. Hopkins decided that it was time
their two daughters left off washing dishes
and leaned to play OF the piano. Mrs.
Hopkins favored moving to Fifth avenue,
because New York society was gay and the
girls were of All age when they naturally
liked going into COMPANY. But Alphonso
objected. He said that the moral atmos-
phere of New York was impure; and, more
over, the Fifth avenue houses had almost
no grounds around them. He did not want
to be obliged to scrape his boots at the gate
every morning for fear of carrying away
his entire front yard.
Bacillusvilie was the result of a compro-
mise. The Hopkins took their new neigh
| bors by surprise and the first intimation of
the true state of the case was derived from
the sight of Alphonso in a suit of faded blue
o~veralls sitting on the front steps of his
residence, loading a clay pipe with plus
tobacco. The gentle zephyrs of early May
waited the smoke to the aristocratio nos.
trils of Mrs. Roche-Jones. mistress of the
mansion On Alphonso'st left, as she was pre-.
pairing to enter her carriage for an after
noon drive. She turned and o at AL
Ihonso with horror; he nodded pleasantly
and called good day, ma'am,'' in a voice
which made the cultured air of Greenlawr
avenue shudder.
Pm afeard them folks below us aim,
| rOiu3 -, hn r,ai~hlo , > he ,n;I A Mo-
Hopkins when she appeared on the porci
shortly afterwards.
"Oh, l would not borry no trouble abou
that, father replied Mrs. Hopkins. 9TH
women folks can most generally fix thos'
things up quickest. FIJI kind o make M
errand over there in the mornin,' maxim
out as If | wanted to borry a fiat or a it'll
yeast. lcan alters get acquitted with
women best in her own Kitchen
Mrs. Hopkins did not find Mrs. Roche
Jones IN her own kitchen, which may &C
count for the failure of her pacific mission
Neither did a similar visit to the residenc
of Mrs. Van Alpine. their neighbor on tn
right, result in the establishment of soci;
relations, Then A%lphonso tried the expert
ment OF smoking his after-supper pipe sit
ting on the little ornamented fence whic
separated his grounds from those of tn
RIGHTEOUSNESS. He assumed an easy atti
tude, calculated to draw Mr.. Roche-Jone
iito iiicllbif oiSSuootOl VI pOllJlC5 OF u
weather, but that gentleman only glance
out of the parlor window and scowlae
The pipe of peace was equally powerless o
the other side of the house. and Farmt
Hopkins began to feel sighted.
"They shan say't | amt doin' my dut
as a good ~neighbor," he said; and he cor
tinued to bow cordially to everybody VIII
came within range.
But time began to hang heavily on h
hands. For the first few days he ha
enough to do looking aroun the place an
"slickin' it up.,' This occupation could n
be p%rolodged indefinitely, for the place W.
slick enough when he began; and he vi
soon at his wits end for an %occupatio
Bred to a life of perpetual toll, he cou
not be relieved of the primal curse by II
accident of an inheritance. His daughte
found practicinR on the piano an agre
able substitute for household wor
than their neighbors did, for VIII
they lacked in skill they made up in o
ergy. But their horny-handed sire was I,
old to get his exercise in the requirement
graceful accomplishments. He need,
something searching. Trimming up Il
trees around his house afforded him a r
ief which was small compared to the mi
cry inflicted upon Van Alpines n Koch
Joneses By the spectacle of their n,
seated on a limb and chawing n lar
moutntui OF tobacco in time with the m
ton OF his saw. When all his own tre
were trimmed, he volunteered to do
mucn Tor those in the surrounding eroun,
but ms offers were refused, and he "
= forced to console himself by joining t
ag laborers employed by the town to care
N the snade tress along the highways.
Thus he whiled away a few days,