Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-03-07
An I'LL Wind.

They say it's an i'll wind that blows
nobuddy any good, and this must be
the very one! I'm that cut up about
it, / dunno whether I'm standing on
my head or my heels.'
E'I'u go an see Almiry Pepperidge,
an talk it over with her, an mebbe
then I'll hev to go to the poor house,
though l hate to. But Almiry has
been askin' me to come an make her
a visit this ever so long. An, I'll go
there firs.t'' And having at last come
to a determination, little Mrs. Beebe
finished her cup of coffee, gave the
remnants Of buttered toast to George
Washington, the big Maltese cat, and
proceeded to write letter to her
niece, Almira Pepperidge, announc
ing her intended visit.
1t was a laborious task to Mrs.
Beede, who was a retired milliner,
and was better at trimming a hat
than writing letter. But it was COM
pleted at last, and ran as follows:
1Iy Dear Niece:-A great misfort
une happened to me, an feel so up
l.
see you, an stay a few weeks, meb
be, till / can look round a little.
The Stringtown Bank has busted,
an Sary Ad'line has run off with the
cashier that defaulted. I feel power
full bad about it. To think I'd raised
her from a scrap of a girl, to hev her
cut SIGH caper as that.
AM now I s'pose I shall have to go
to the poor house. But I'll go and
GOO Won first Won look for mo
in about a week.
From your affectionate aunt.
MARGARET BEEBE.
The week rolled away, and Mrs.
Beebe was locking her door, prepara-
tory to setting out on her journey,
when the postman, happening along,
handed her a letter and hurried away.
Mrs Beebe turned the letter over
in her hand and scrutinized it care
fully, but finally slipped it in her
pocket.
EEI can't read it without my glasses,
an, I amt got time TO get 'em now"
she reflected cpl wait till [ get on
the train" and she hurried along,
reaching the depot just in time to Sc
cure her ticket and take her seat as
the bell rang, and the train steamed
rapidly away.
Having arranged herself as comfort
ably as possible, with the window
partly up and the blind partly down,
with her shawl and satchel in the
rack overhead, and her covered bas-
ket on the floor under her feet, she
carefully adjusted her glasses over
her nose, and taking the letter from
her pocket, examined the superscrip-
ton.
f'Why, it looks like Almiry's hand
write,' she declared to herself. cts
post-marked Pipp1nville, too" and
without more ado she broke the seal
and read:
Dear ALntie:-I was sorry to hear
of your loss, but you know we are
poor ourselves, and | don't see how
we can help you any; and besides,
we are expecting a house full of COM
pany this week, SO it would really be
quite inconvenient for us to receive
you at present.
With best wishes Of your niece.
ALMIRA PEPPERIDGE.
s'Well, well, 1 must say Poor 'em-
selves, an not convenient to receive
me at present. What on earth does
that mean 1 wonder?'' And taking off
her glasses, the old lady rubbed them
with the corner of her handkerchief,
and readjusted them again, as if pos
-sibly she had not read the missive
correctly.
D,,+ \ L L. -
and with mystified look on her face,
she sat silently bordering the situa-
ton.
''To think my own niece should
write me such letter, after all I've
done for her, too"
cam what am going to do when
L get to Pippinville, I'd like to know,
with no place to go, an no train back
till eight o'clock to-night.?"
And quite worn out with all her
troubles, past and present, poor Mrs.
Beebe felt strong inclination to cry.
t'Be you Mrs. Beebe? I thought So
Let me carry your basket, an your
shawl. Ketch hold of my arm, if
you like, you look tuckered out, an
Almost ready to drop. But my wag
on's out here under a tree, am you'll
soon hev chance to rest"
And poor, forlorn Mrs. Beebe, look
ing up at the broad shouldered young
farmer, with his honest gray epes and
sun-tanned face, felt perfectly safe in
taking his arm and letting him carry
her basket and shawl, stranger though