Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-01

mic boats from the OIo Com1ort mouse
generally sailed close to our point to
give the passengers a chance to look
our outnt over Sometimes tho boats
stopped, and then the Twins would
take an observation from an upstairs
window. and. II they liked the looks
Of the crowd, would come down and
keep what they called open house"
Open house always meant more
work for Eureka and me. Lucky for
us. twas pretty seldom that the Heav-
enlies liked their callers looks we'll
enough 10 orel UP.
The Baptist minister and his wife
came over to call. There was going
to be lawn fete and sale" at the
church pretty soon, and the Idea was
to get the Twins 10 donate" some
thing. Van Brunt was :ull Of his high
links that day, and he took that poor
parson and his wife In tow.
First he carted EN- out to the hen
yard. He paraded up and down In
front OF the coops, pointing out the
scraggly Plymouth Rocks as II they
was some Kind Of freaks, like os
triches. He ra!d they ate bag Of
corn day and laid one egg q week,
30 he fingered that every egg was
worth Ave dollars or so. What did tho
parson think OF donation Of half a
dozen OF them eggs
Not 10 eat, you understand says
Van; but as rarities. as curiosities'
The minister was young Teller, not
long out OF college, and pretty straight
laced But he had some fun in him.
III might suggest" he says, Il
think one OF the hens themselves
would be more acceptable and profit
able. Among our GUNNER people there
10 q great demand for antiques Now
one OF those hens"
That tickled Van. He told Hartley
afterwards that the minister was a
trump. He donated liberal--not with
eggs nor poultry neither-and prom.
Used that he and Hartley would attend
the sale.
And they did And SO did Eureka
and me. The lawn fete was held In
the meeting house front yard, and
twas all rugged UP fine with fags and
tissue paper and bunting There was a
a grab bag and cake table and a
fancy goods table. and don't know
what all. All the summer folks was
there, and most OF the town women
and girls, and the prices charged for
things would have been highway rob-
! berry II It hadn't been a church that
was charging EN-.
The Heavenlies bought and bought
and bought. They bought everything
the foolishest things. Van bought
three pair OF embroidered suspenders
and a crocheted tidy and a pin cush-
ion. and Martin got worsted afghan
and a handpainted soft pillow. SO
fresh that the paint come of on your
hands when you touched 1t. And
want any quiet colored paint Meth
er. And when you rubbed OF one layer
! there was another underneath. LII
retta Daniels daughter HAD painted
1t; she was taking lessons and her
ma said that she'd painted that pillow
over much as a dozen times, because
the colors want blending right or
the subject didn't suit her Twas 80
stn with paint on top that twould
have been like ramming your head
into fence to lay on It.
We stayed TIL most everything was
sold but a log cabin bed quilt that
the Christian panpers at the poor
house had made Nobody seemed to
want that, although they was gay
rags enough In 1t to build a rainbow
The ministers wife said she was SC
house had worked so hard.
You wait a minute" says Van. "I'l
get rid OF IT,
He took out his vest pocket memo
randum book and tore about ten pages
into little squares. Then he made
numbers on these squares with a pen
Gil Half Of these no put into his hat
and, the next knew he was standing
on = chair. waving the bedquilt with
one hand and the hat with t'other.
Ladies and gentlemen" he shouts
Here Is positively the last chance q
secure this magnifcent--sr-er-
brykin, made by the deserving poo
to cover tho restless r1ch. Competi
ton has been so strong that no ON
person has been able to buy II. Tn
only solution would be . syndicate
and the almshouse is opposed 4
trusts. Therefore I am authorized to
then he bent down and whispered
"Mr. Morton, kindly give me whatevo
small change you have left"
, The minister looked puzzled. but h
handed up a half dollar. Van Brun
, reaches into the hat and takes out on
, Of the folded slips Of paper
Here you are STR" says he Treat
ure that as you would your life. Nov
, then. ladies and gentlemen. this Is
rafie. The minister starts II. Ticket
are anything yoL please, provided IL
enough. Come early and avoid tn
rush"
z There was kind OF gasp from a
!. the church people. The members {
| the sewing circle looked Mt each oths
4 with the most horrifed kind OF face
z The parson. Mr.. Morton. run forwar,
o Just a minute. Mr.. Van Brunt.
you please" he sings out.
a But Van waved him away. The sur
4. mer folks come after them tickets I'LL
a a whirlwind, laughing and shoutir
|. and passing up dollar bills. TWAIN
a hardly any time afore the hat ",
A empty and the Twins Jacket pock