The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-06-01
Talec f or
. Winter
Evening
The Antiquers
From the "Old Home House"
BY JOSEPH c. LINCOLN
Copyrisht. 1907. BY a. 5. Barnes O Co

N
tVVE the streaks don't all break out
~ in the same place, which Is
mercy when you come to think OF it.
take summer boarders maybe, and
you collect postage stamps. Oh. were
all looney, more or less, every one of US.
Speaking of collecting reminds me
OF the sAntiquers" what Peter
T. Brown called 'em They put up at
the Old Home House summer before
last, and at crank show they'd have
tied for the blue ribbon.
The dowager fetched port first. She
hove alongside the Old Home one
morning early in July, and she had
"my daughter in tow. The names as
entered on the shipping list was Mrs.
Milo Patrick Thompson and Miss Bar
bara Millicent Thompson, but Peter 7.
Brown he had 'em re-entered as 1.-THE
dowager" and my daughter almost
as soon as they dropped anchor.
Thompson himself came poking up to
the dock on the following Saturday
night. Peter didn't christen him, ex-
cept to chuck out something about
Milo's being an "also ran"
The dowager was skipper of the
Thompson craft, with my daughter
that's what her ma always called herr
as first mate and Milo as general roust-
about and purser.
'Twould have done you good to see
the feet run into the breakfast room
of a morning, with the dowager lead
in under full sail, Barbara close up to
her starboard quarter and Milo failing
out a couple of lengths astern. The
other boarders looked like quahaug do
ries abreast of the Marblehead Yacht
club. Oh, the Thompsons won every
cup until the Smalls arrived on Mon
day. Then twas dead heat.
Mamma Small was built on the lines
Of old Lady Thompson. only more so.
many remnants as Barbara. Peter Z.
had 'em labeled the duchess" and
'sIrene dear" In a jiffy. He didn't
nickname Small any more'n he had
Thompson and for the same reasons.
Me and Cap'n Jonadab called Small
Eddie" behind his back count Of his
wife's hailing him as Edwin"
In week the four women was
thicker than hasty pudding and had
thrones on the piazza. where they
could patronize everybody short of the
Creator and criticise the other board
ers Milo and Eddie got friendly. too.
and found a harbor behind the barn
where they could smoke and swap
sympathy.
Twas fair weather for pretty near
a fortni't, and then she thickened up
The special brand of craziness in Well
mouth that season was collecting IAN
tiques," the same being busted chairs
and invalid bureaus and sofys that
your great-grandmarm got ashamed of
and sent to the sick bay thousand
year ago. Oh. yes. and dishes! If
there was one thing that would drive
a city woman to counting her fingers
and cutting paper dolls twas nicked
blue plate with Chinese picture on it.
One noon the dowager sails into the
per bundle.
"I've captured a prize, my DEAR"
says she to the duchess-"a veritable
prize. Just look!
And she dives under the brown pa
per matches and resurrects a pink
plate suffering from yaller jaundice
with the picture of a pink boy wear
ing curls and monkey jacket holding
hands with pink girl with pointed
feet.
"Ain't it perfectly lovely?" says she,
waving the outrage in front of the
duchess. "A ginuwine Hall nappy!
And in such condition! Ii you knew
how I've planned and contrived to get
this treasure. I've schemed- My,
myl My daughter says she's actually
ashamed of me. Oh. no! can't tell
even you where ! got 1t. Ais fair In
love and collecting. you know. and
there are more gems where this came
FROM"
She laughed, and my daughter"
laughed, and the duchess and Irene
dear laughed, too, and said the plate
was so quaint and all that, but you
could fairly hear 'em turn green with
jealousy.
And sure enough, In couple OF days
they bore down on the Thompsons, all
sail set and colors flying. They had q
pair Of plates that for ugliness and
price knocked the "ginuwine Hall
happy" higher n the main truck. And
the way they crowed and Dragged
about their finds" want fit to put
in the log. The dowager and .smy
daughter" left that dinner table trem-
bling all over
Well, you can see how q wage
would end that commenced that way.
The doWager and Barbara would scour
the neighborhood and capture more
prizes, and the duchess and her tribe
would get busy and 90 'em one bet
ter. There was chill setting In round
them piazza thrones. and some Of the
sarcastic remarks that was casually
hove out by the bosom friends was
pretty nigh sharp enough to shave
with. As for Milo and Eddie. they