Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-09-20
A SUBURBAN EPISODE

VI Ten YEARS IluSu LhdIhlcuulu Adu
been Wanderer upon the face OF
the earth Financially speaking he
had been successful, but for all
that period of time he had been liter
ally homeless. Now he was proceed
ing to a home OF his own.
The first road to the left beyond the
bridge" unused Mr.. Markleham to him.
self, land the first house. The direc-
tons are plain enough, l am sure"
And he repocketed his memorandum
book, wherein Moses Gibbs, the house
agent, had jotted down sundry items
regarding his new purchase,
He paused half hesitatingly in front
of low wicket gate, hanging by one
hinge from which Shrub-grown path
wound up through untriInmed woods
to a one-story dwelling.
NONSENSE he mut.ered to himself:
Ill can't be that shed of place. a de-
sirable cottage was what Gibbs said,
situated in the midst of charming
ground And, by Jupiter, this is the
very spot.
He swung open the gilded iron gate
of pretty little Enclosure, where the
graveled paths shone whitley in The
twilight, and evergreens skirted the
path Ike tall old monks wrapped in
serge cloaks. Here and there rustic
seat Of twisted cedar boughs stood be-
meath the elms or naples; and the cot
tage beyonda low-eaved, pictures
que affair, with veranaas on every side
exactly met our hero's ideas of the
desirable country residence" painted
in such glowing terms by Moses
Gibbs, Esq, real estate agent.
Yes, yes" soliloquized Mr.. Markle-
ham, as he strobe up the path Il shall
be as comfortable as possible here.
But what's this? A fire burning, Us l
live! Well, this is thoughtful OF
Gibbs
His countenance expanded into broad
smiles as he pushed open the door and
entered pretty room on the left OF
the main entrance hall, carpeted in
Brussels, and eurtained to correspond,
while glowing fire OF coal cast ruddy
reflections through the whole room.
and a cushioned arm chair stood close
to the velvet rug.
Gibbs told me there was some fur
niture in the house, and an old woman
left in charge thought Markleham,
sitting down in the easy chair, and eX-
papding his chilled fingers to the blaze;
but | hadn't any idea of such snug
quarters as this! Well, well, there is
something in a home of ones own,
after ALL And newspapers and books
on the table! Gibbs is a jewell He
told me / should like the place, and
believe he's determined To make me
fall in love with it at first sight"
Mr.. Malkleham leaned luxuriously
back among the cushions and,
strangely enough, his thoughts went
back ten years ago to the days when
he was a preux chevalier among the
pretty girls in Carristown.
sPshawp he calculated aloud,
what a true saying it Is, that there
is no fool like an old fool! ] do believe
that there's something suggestive Of
matrlmony in this comfortable little
room. Why, I'm over 40, II I'm a day.
AS Mr.. Markleham sat there, bask-
Ing in the warmth and coziness of the
scene, the door of an adjoining room
opened and two ladies' came in, their
faces glowing with the frosty wind
''Why, Lizzier' cried the shorter one.
stopping suddenly in the very act OF
laying her Embroidered hood on the
table, there Is some one in the parlor!
"Nonsenser' said Lizzie, who, al
though she was eight or nine and
twenty was exceedingly rosy and fair
to look upon, and little saney nose
slightly turned up, 'grhe cat and tn
crickets may lie there, but who Oh
earth besidesf'
''Bui | tell you saw him, said Sue,
gripping her cousins arm. A great
big, tall man In your easy chair, sitting
staring at the fire.
"Fiddlesticksr cried Lizzie. There,
let 60 Of my arm. I'll 20 and see for
myself"