Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-01-18
night / should think she had ought to
have something else to do than CAD
ding about all day, and her 4 widow
with her first mourning on her back. Z 4

have something else to do than gad
ding about all day, and her q widow
with her first mourning on her back. 4
CHATTER III.
Mrs. Jack lived in a queer lite nool
of a street leading nowhtther, and
bounded at an end by a high garden
wall. The other end opened out Of q
quiet street behind the High street
The house she lodged in was an old
stone house Of two stories, with q
green door in the middle of 1t and
green shutters, blistered by the sun,
hooked back against the wall on either
side Of each of the ground floor win.
dows. The green door bore q brass
plate with this singular inscriptions:
MRS. 4. PETHERICK, r. N.
Strangers might stare and smile
when they saw it, but did not every
man, woman and child in Codlington
know that AIRS. Petherick was the
widow of Thomas Petherick. master
in the Royal Navy? And did they not
know, moreover, that when her hus-
band died she had the letters M r, s,
squeezed in between the rim of the
plate and the name of T. Petherick?
And was not that measure of simple
and laudable economy, much more to
be commended than the purchase Of n
brand-new door-plate, which would
have been mere waste Of money? To
be sure! and as to strangers-in the
first place, strangers are very rare
birds in Codllngton: in the second, If
Mrs. Petherick, Il. n, had caught any
such staring and smiling at her door
plate it would not have put her out at
all.
The good woman lived on her pen.
sion and by the letting Of lodgings.
Besides Mrs. Jack and her servant and
Ter child, there were two other dodgers
III the house. One was compositor in
the printing Office of the Codlington
Chronicle, who slept in garnet at the
top of the house and took his meals
with Mrs. Petherick and her son Tom
in the kitchen. The other was GER
tain Miss Barnasconi, teacher Of music
and singing, who occupied the parlor
and tiny bedroom behind it. Mrs
Jack lived on the first floor.
1t certainly was a humble place, but
the young widow thought it looked
homelike and cheerful when she went
into her sitting room, where white mus
lin curtains We're futtering at the open
window, and bunch Of buttercups
and daisies were arranged in blue
china bowl on the side table, and there
was shelf full of books-mostly school
prizes, with the name Of Miss Isabel
Parsons inscribed in them in series
Of elaborate fourishes made by tho
writing master, but with one or two
russet-coated worthless Of sterling mer-
it, among the bright blues and bright
scarlets and gliding little old
fashioned upright pianoforte, with scat
tered sheets of music strewn upon it.
and one very small, square toed shoe
that had lost lost strap, lying on the
threadbare carpet.
All these objects, poor and common
as they were, looked pleasant. to Bell
Lilly. The place was her home. She
had found kindness there-more kind
ness than she had ever experienced at
Perciyal House, as she thought with
some bitterness; and then, for I do not
mean to disguise Mrs. Jacks little
foibles, she was praised and admired
and petted in her lodging in Old street,
whereas at Perciful House there never
we're any sugar plums Of fattery forth
coming for her. The widow had two
original and indelible sins in the eyes
Of her husbands family. The first sin
was that she had brought Jack Lilly
no penny of money; the second that,
despite her poverty, she had an as
pect of gentlehood and refinement
which could never be attained by the
daughters of Mr.. John Lilly. Those
young ladies declared that Bell gave
y herself airs. But the airs had in fact
been given to her by Nature, and they
We're very pretty, graceful airs indeed
Mrs. Pctherick was very fond of her
ledger. To be sure, she had neither
married Mrs. P etherick's son nor conf
peted with her In the matter of per-
sonal attractions. Miss Barnasconi, the
singing mis- tress, was her great friend,
and Biddy, the Irish maid-servant,
adored her mistress ind tyranized over
her from excess of devotion, But,
pleasant as the petting and the praise
might be 1t would not stretch out her
income to pay the butcher, and poor
Mrs. Jack came home from her father
in-law's house in very low spirits.
Her little girl and Biddy had not vet
come in from their afternoon ramble.
She sat down and took OF her bonnet
and her heavy Widows cap, and her
pretty auburn hair fell down in ten
drilly curls on each side Of her face.
She pushed 1t back impatiently, and
sat for some time with her bonnet in
her hand, in a melancholy reverie.
TITS no good; ! can't make up my
mind to it!' she exclaimed, suddenly.
And, springing from her chair, she ran
down stairs and tapped at the door Of
Miss Barnasconi's parlor.
Barney! Barney, dear, are you at
homer" she said. : :
Just then latch key turned in the
door, and Miss BarnAsconi entered the
house. want me, my deary' she said.
Walk in. I've only just got back from
Miss Crosby's school. Go into the par
lor I'll make cup of tea, and we can
talk comfortably
Miss Barnasconi was q spinster of
fifty-fve. She had a broad, square fig
ure, a broad, square face and mus
tache. She was very dark, brown
skinned and black browed; and with
immensely thick and coarse black hair,
o little streaked with gray, growing
low on her forehead. She wore blue
muslin gown, q straw bonnet trimmed
with white ribbon and cheap roses, an
imitation black lace shawl, pink silk
handkerchief iaf ho,. <lroof n,,x3 t,.<,x,,,,