Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-12-14

tuCIcu 10 II Ipatler DtlI TpuIu HcI
waist, hung at her side. and supported
a variety Of useful objects: scissors. a
penknife. a lead pencil, n Hat pincush.
ion and n small bunch of Keys. She
had a deep contrafto voice. an eccen-
trio manner, and it was rumored that
she took sruff. But as she only per-
mitted herself this indulgence i'll soil
tude. or in the company of very ,tn-
fidential and trustworthy frieii Is, The
rumor eve was confirmed 10 the
outer world Of Codlington.
Miss Barnasconi. with her foreign
name, and her many-colored attire, and
her peculiar manner, was an ola-cstab.
lished institution in Codlip:ton. No
body stared at her as she went through
the streets. She was accepted n Il
matter of course. The Codliaytoa folk
were distrustful and oontcmptous Of
everything they We're not used In, ard
~distrustful and contemptuous of you ii
You expressed any SURPRISE at what
they were used To. They We're used
10 Miss Barnasconi. The dull little
town-pace the Codlingtonians-might
not seem TO offer Il very favorable
field for her professional exertions.
Yet she managed 10 live. and even to
save a little money. She taught singing
and music in the principal schools of
the place, and in many private fami.
lies of the highest gentility," TO whom
she referred the public in general in
her annual advertisement i'm the Cod.
lington Chronicle.
Her Italian name stood her in great
stead, although. truth to say, Miss Bar
~nasconis Italian was none of the pur-
est, having filtered through two genera
tons of c~ockneydom. Her grandfather
had kept a shop for the sale of plaster
casts in the neighborhood of Long
Acre. Her father-being idle. and hav,
ing a pretty tenor yoice-got into the
chorus ut the Italian opera in London.
She herself had gone TO Codlington thir.
ty years ago. being attracted thither
by the fact that some of her mothers
relations lived in'the neighborhood. The
relations did not help poor Barney
as she was Familiarity called-not being
proud of the connection with the plaster
shop and the opera chorus. They
were pork butchers. in a large way OF
business. and naturally felt that they
had a position TO maintain But Bar
ney helped herself, and made her own
way, after n hard struggle, about which
she seldom spoke.
Such as she was. Mrs. Jack believed
in her sense trusted ner and consult
ed her. And if she did not often take
her advice, she often acknowledged
that she wished she had taken il. which
was as much as could be expected,
Miss Barnasconi was accustomed to re-
fleet.
On the present occasion Mrs. Jack
told her all about the interview with
Mr.. and Mrs. Lilly in the frankest
n Mrs. Jack was always frank.
too frank. her mother-in-law said: and
1 am inclined to think her mother-in-
law was right. But there are natures
which need a pretty sharp discipline
TO teach them the lesson that other
folks are not so much interested in
them as they are in themselves, and
it is not rare 10 see persons 60 through
life without having learned it. Mrs.
Jack always expected sympathy. and
it must be owned that she gave il album
dainty and warmly 10 others.
Miss Barnasconi listened. drinking her
tea the while. TO the young widows
story: and when Mrs. Jack wound ND
WIFI, Il udTe SLY 1t du very true,
and that I'm not a good manager. nj.
though I'm I'LL / buy the very. very
cheapest things.-quite horrid things I
buy.-but as TO going and living in Per.
cival house. it does seem too dreadful
to think of!'-when Mrs. Jack ended
with this vehemently uttered sentence.
Miss Barnasconi slowly opened her
snuff box, took a copious pinch, and
said. in her deep voice:
Come. they're not ogreS at PArcival
house, are theyg They won't eat YOU
cold boiled for breakfast. will they?''
"Oh, but they are SO stupid. Ard.
besides, Popsy can't bear her grand
ma"
'Popsy's objections are profoundly
ser.ous, still they might be overcome"
'Oh. it's all very well. but you don't
know how Mrs. Lilly worries the child.
And then there's Biddy. | couldn't
send away Biddy. What would PopSy
do"
"Popsy, aged three years AID five
days. would clean forget her"
"Oh, l don't believe she would! Pop
sy has a wonderful memory"
Pooh. don't talk like Il fool. my
dear" said Miss Rarnasconi. hluntly.
Cro Be Continued)