The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-06-17
A NlIDNTCFiT
~. SURPRISE.
By Elvira Floyd rroenecke.
sGGGGGGGGG,

7 LIE in our family has always been |
IL sgitated by unexpected happenings.
Proper, well-regulated superstitions
have way of reversing results which is
humiliating and depressing. When AL
gernon bought new tan-colored coat
under the impression that 1t would
please his sweetheart and give him q
smart, fashionable air he found that tan
was unbecoming, that his sweetheart
preferred gray and that the latest hue
for spring coats was striking shade of
plum.
Clarisse, too, had the same well-de-
veloped propensity; for on presenting
q young lawyer (of tender heart and
intellectual tendencies) with book by
Mr.. Hall Caine she found that he had
read all that gifted mans works and
was eager to learn something Of the
brighter light, Zangwill.
Poor Aunt Polly fell i'll with grippe.
She suffered long and recovered slowly.
1t left legacy in the shape of nasty
cough that refused to be quieted. One
fine day she took courage and went to
call upon some dear friends. The old
ladies were in. They were delighted
to see her, but were very much dis
tressed about her cold. During the
shifting conversation, which covered
the broad field that lay between ora
torios and home soapmaking, they rec
commended numberless cures. Towards
fveo'clock Aunt Polly rose to go. There
was flashing eye signal between the
kind old hostess and importunate "Oh,
don't go's!" from both.
Aunt Polly sank gracefully in her
chair as one of the ladies disappeared.
Throughout the period Of waiting
most pleasant thoughts were borne in
her mind. How kind they were! How
delightful to again visit old friends!
What would the coming rejection be?
Probably tea; maybe coffee. No! More
likely cocoa, and possibly elderberry
wine or bouillon. She finally arranged
the probabilities between elderberry
wine and cocoa, while apparently deep
ly engaged in conversation with her
entertainer.
A slight hustle at the door. A click
Of q spoon. She turned her head to see
the apparition Of female figure ad-
vancing, which held in one hand a large
bottle Of cod liver oil, in the other the
hugest silver tablespoon ever made.
Aspoonful was poured out slowly and
handed to the unfortunate guest. She
gulped down the dreadful dose and
hastily made her escape. Aunt Polly is
q Christian, and nothing transpired
that was disastrous to friendship or
good breeding. But, oh, how she did
think!
We were all bit chsry Of supersti-
tions, because Of our peculiar expert
ences. There is that one Of black cat
bringing good luck; but when Eloise
scratched her dainty hand on wearing q
black-cat pin for the first time, and
when Cousin Bellies story was sent fly
ing back as unavailable" by the editor
Of the Black Cat magazine, we were not
eager to welcome the tremendous
black-coated, yellow-eyed pussy, that
Gerald assured US would make happi.
ness for all the family.
Still she was lady, and had some pre-.
tensions to beauty, SO we adopted her
and baptized her Devil" She certain
ly acted as If about to change condi
tions, for nothing serious occurred
and beyond a propensity for lying on
the most comfortable bed she could find
or dipping her dainty paw in an ink bot
tle-imitsting the writer-she was mos
exemplary.
Sometimes 1t annoyed us that we hat
not good terrier in DEVILS place. Sh,
could kill rats, of course, but could Civ
{. no alarm in case thieves entered tn
house. We tried adding q bright littl'
black-and-tan terrier to our family
This would not do at all. Devil mus
reign supreme, and the dog was ban
ished.
Burglaries began to be frequent in tn
neighborhood. The pater and mate
were going abroad, and we home guart
were on our mettle. We were taugh
and retaught pistol practice until WI
were sure of our man, did he dare otfe
his body as target.
The gunsmith had never sold SO man,
pistols, nor such quantities of animuni
ton, since he had taken his shop. H
was queer little man with bent bacl
and deep-set eye. His grimy hands
greasy knee-caps and odor o
gunpowder were his trademarks
He looked as harmless as
pearl-handled revolver; but tn
way his prices rose to meet this de
mand, and the fables he concocte'
about his antique stock, showed hi
capability for improving opportunities
Still with paternal solicitude tn
household head was 10th to leave u
without further precautions for ou
safety.
A burglar alarm was added to th
household attachments. It was Of a
electric constructions; and there wer
numerous dynamos and endless elet
trio wires flying around the house fo
Q week or more.
Finally all was complete. Each be
had n formidable row of wires and bat