Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-12-06
A sCRUBBING STORY.

/
.Ts she coming to visit your" said
Eric Hale, with slight grimace. THAT
simpering, fine lady, with the useless
white hands and shallow little society
laugh! Oh, Aunt Della. pack my port.
manteau and let me of on a lecturine
tour until Flora Lees visit comes to
an endw
Mrs. Dove looked a little disappoint'
ed. To confess the truth she had espec-
ially arranged this visit with reference
to her nephew Eric.
Hes a fine young fellow" she had
said to herself with true feminine di-
plomacy, with an excellent parish and
fine prospects-and its high time he was
settled in life with wife. And think
Flora Lee would suit him-exactly!"
And here was the young man him
self upsetting this charming castle in
the cir without the least scruple of con-
science. like the modern inconoclast
that he was.
"Well, Eric" said Mrs. Dove, des-
pairingly, I'll write to her not to come.
| OF course 1 don't want to put you out,
Just when you're SO busy, TOO. with
that course of lectures on the Book Of
Revelations but really thought that
Flora would make the house lively"
| "She's a deal too artificial to suit
, me-" said Eric Hale. ASK her to come
in June. when shall be off to Omaha
and Nevada on that conference busi-
ness. But as for a visitor, 1 would
much prefer little Polly Peppercorn's
big wax doll. with the silky black hair.
and the staring black eyes that open
and shut by machinery.
| So Mrs. Dove. choking back the tears
of disappointment 0or she had been
nursing this pet scheme In secret for a
long while,) sat down and wrote let
ter to her friend Miss Lee. postponing
| the proposed sojourn at Cedarbough
farm until roses should be in bloom
. and Strawberries begin to ripen.
| "Adonijah," said she to the hired
! nan, take this letter to the postoffice."
"Yes, en-" said Adonijah, and he
| put the letter in his pocket and straight
| way forgot all about 1t.
| 1t was n dismal rainy morning in
! April, the yellow jonquils beaten to the
|, ground, the very wild violets shutting
at the unpromising state Of the wealth
er. Overhead racks Of gray clouds
| scudded across the heavens, and the lit
| tie sheet of silver lakelet under the hill
was dotted and dimpling all over with
| the falling rain as il pierced with
thousand tiny javelins
Its no use trying" said Mrs. Dove,
! plaintively. 1.-THE fates themselves
| have conspired against me"
| The carpets were up.the pals OF
whitewash stood steaming in the mid
| die of the parlor floor, and Mrs. Dove
| herself, with her grey curls tied up In
a yellow damask pocket handkerchief,
which her great uncle had brought
from China half a century ago, sat cry
Ing on the lower ledge Of stepladder.
For Betsey, the help, had fallen down
the cellar stairs and broken her leg,
, and Mrs. Muloney, the charwOman, had
sent message that her son had just
broken out "wid the maisels, sure
| speckled over like a shower of red pep
! per-an' sorra a bit of clanin' could she
undertake for her until the wakes
over"
"And these three days of all the 9TH
! ers," sighed Mrs. Dove, when Eric had
exchanged pulpits with Mr.. Wash
bYrne. And he so dislikes house-clean-
| Ing; and"
Dear me. Mrs. Dove. what is the
matterY'
Mrs. Dove started to her feet with
little scream-for there exactly as II
! she had rained down out of the grey,
uncompromising zenith, stood Flora
| Lee herself in trim brown travelling
dress. with a neat little handbag. gos-
samer waterproof cloak and silk UNI
| brella.
why. Flora" cried she, ''how came
you hereT'
by the train, of course" said Miss
Lee: land walked from the station"
Il wrote to you not to come" said
Mrs. Dove. in CONSERVATION.
"But 1 never received any such let
ter" said Miss Lee. "Shall 60 away
| again?''
NO, you darling. you shall do moth
ing of the Sort" said Mrs. Dove, enthu-
siustically. "It is only because-be-
Cause we were houseclcaning"
Il am not afraid Of house-cleaning,"
said Flora. 81 see how it is," with a
comprehensive glance around the scene
of confusion, "and 1 am going to help
you through with it,"
"Iou?" said Mrs. Dove.
Yes, L." replied Flora. "Why not?
Jrst lend me one Of Betsy's old dresses.
Where is Retsy, by the way2"
'ller father has just carried her home
! in the wagon. She has broken her leg"
| And your charwomanY'
"Oh, dear! oh, dear"' said Mrs.
Dove. "She's got a visitation of measles
or smallpox or some other disease in
her family. And my nephew, Eric,
is 10 be gone three days, and am sure
l could finish the house-cleaning while
he is absent"
! And we will," said Flora, cheerily.
| "Uow can we|
"Oh, you shall see," nodded Miss
Lee.
And, depressed though she was. Mrs.
Dove began to feel the mercury rise
| in her mental thermometer at once.