The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-05-10

Il know you didn't specially invite
EN-, Sarah Ann" said she, but the
dears will so enjoy the museums and
the park and the Brooklyn Bridge,
and all that sort of thing and they
won't be more trouble than three kit
tens. There never were such good
children ~
The three young Grubbs were some
thing worse than a pestilence. Mrs.
Grubb was nearly as bad. And, at
the end of a week, Mrs. Wildwood felt
herself fully qualified to enter luna
tic asylum.
But Oh the last day, while George
was smearing himself with bread and
butter and honey in the kitchen, and
the two Misses Grubb were pounding
desperately away on the piano, in imi-
tation of the hand organ man outside,
Mrs. Wildwood ventured to put the
Hateful question which had so long
trembled on her lips
The old ditchnery ~ said Mrs
Grubb, who was not over particular
regarding her pronunciation. La
me What would any one want o.
that old trash -
We'll, nothing much" hesitated
Mrs. Wildwood. But Mr.. Wildwood
is rather Il bibliopOle-''
"A which - said Mrs. Grubb, with
one hand back of her ear.
"A collector of old books" ex-
planned her hostess.
"Humphr' said Mrs. Grubb, scratch
ing her head with IL knitting-needle.
IF | was going to have books at all
Id far and away rather have new
ones.'
TASTES differ" said Mrs. Wildwood,
with pang, as one of the piano
chords snapped resoundingly and
Master Georges voice was heard be-
low in loud alteration with the cook.
But where's the old dictionary ~
''Lesbia Field has got it," said Mrs.
Grubb. Mrs. Walkers grandniece-
don't you know LEOPOLD Fields
girl. She's a factory hand, up to Poke
Hollow-a dreadful likely girl -? Soon
to be married to Zeke Hamersley."
Are you sure of it = said Mrs, Well
wood.
About widdin'? Oh, yes Zeke' S
folks, they set a deal of store by Les
bia"
No, no. interrupted Mrs. Well
wood-''aboutt the dictionary"
"Sartin sure" said Mrs. Grubb. Il
see Lesbia pick it off the floor herself,
when | was a-paclkin; the wooden
blankets that Mrs. Seeder bought at
auction. Says she, i amt goin' to hev
the ditchnery that Aunt Hammer
thought such deal of sold for old pa
per, says she. 'Ill keep it myself,
JUS to put Inc in mind of Aunt Han
ner and Uncle Samuel And she
wrapped it in II bit of old calico-I re-
member the very palm-leaf pattern on
it-and took it away, under her arm.
What is it, Georgia, darling? The
hired girl won't give you no more
honey? Never mind! Mrs. Well
wood'll give you some danrson pre-
serves, l know"
AS soon as Mrs. Grubb departed-a
period of time which Mrs. Wildwood
began to fear would never arrive-she
packed little travelling satchel to go
to Poke Hollow and see Lesbia
Field, relat with whom she had
hitherto very little acquaintance.
Lesbia was at home-a blooming
lass, with cheeks us pink as roses, and
sparkling black eyes-and she was
evidently much puzzled to account for
this unexpected notice Oh the part of
her city relation.
But Mrs. Wildwood, while making
herself as agreeable AZ possible, kept
her eyes vigilantly OH the alert, and
was rewarded at last.
For there, on the top shelf of a little,
glass-fropted corner cupboard, was
the old dictionary itself ,bulging leaves
missing cover, and all.
oh, that darling old relic of antiq
uityn' cried she, neryQuSly feeling of
the twsptEnaujf{ j her pocket