Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 July 1884 — At the Cream-Colored Cottage. [ARTICLE]

At the Cream-Colored Cottage.

BY SARA B BOSE.

“How do you do, Mary ? I have had it in my mind all the spring, ever since you had bought a place in the country, to come down and stay all summer with you. 1 knew you would want some one to advise you about furnishing, and so on, and I knew I was just the one to do that, so here I am.” Mrs. Holmes welcomed her effusive epusin cordially, although she secretly felt able to furnish her house herself, with no advice but that of her daughters, but Cousin Martha had, ever since she had been a widow, been in the habit of living around among her relatives, and, indeed, levying her tax upon every one who had ever invited her to their house, when the pleasure of her company became burdensome to her relations.

True, some women would have preferred taking up some branch of industry to sponging around upon relatives and friends; but, happily or unhappily for herself, Martha Mason was not one of this kind. She felt that the world owed her a living, and until some unlucky man chose her again for a wife, she meant that the world should pay its debt- “ What a queer-looking house this is, isn’t it? One of the old, old-fashioned gothics; it would have been quite a gem for its antiquity, if some one had not attempted to rejuvenate it by painting it such a sickly cream color. ” “I like it pretty well,” returned Mrs. Holmes, who had the house painted herself. “And Belle and Clara think when the leaves of the ivy come out, the house will look very picturesque. ” “As if their taste was anything. I should have it painted again this very spring, if I were you." “Would you 'not like to go to vour room now, Martha?” asked Mrs. Holmes, who rather dreaded her cousin’s sarcastice tongue, and wanted to be the first to tell the girls of the dread arrival, and to talk them over a little before they met their cousin face to lace. “Perhaps I bad better, but you must 'call me an hour before dinner, for I wish to give the girls some directions, for I cannot say that I exactly fancy siheit cooking. And with a little derisive laugh the lady followed her large Saratoga trunk to her room, and Mrs. Holmes descended to the kitchen in the basement. “Girls,” said she, in a little fear of their reply, “Cousin Martha has come to spend the summer with us. ” “Without an invitation; that is just like her!” cried Clara, in dismay. “I shall not wait on her; if she stays here this summer she will make up her hed for all me, ” was Belle’s comment. “Girls,” said Mrß. Holmes, in dismay, ■“remember your cousin is a widow and has no home.” “And so are you a widow, mother, «nd it would be just as much right for Jen to expect her to support you as for er to expect you to support her.” “Well, girls, I thought I would tell you beforehand, and I expect you to treat her with respect, at least. I must see about the table now. ” “If mother was not so kind to her «he would not dare come around so,” said Clara, when her mother had left ’them. “We would not mind it so much if *he were not continually meddling with 'us,” replied Belle. “She will have a grand time with the boarders now. ” “She will be after Mr. Jewett, won’t -she? I wonder how mamma will like that." And Clara laughed slyly. J* the meantime Mrs. Mason crimped *ll the front of her rather carroty hair, and pulled out the blue ribbon bows of her rather youthful gray dinner dress, and laid herself down for a little nap before donning it; for dress well Martha Mason would, if all the cousins and Imfl-cousins in the world donned sackufofch and ashes, while they toiled for l^lyapport. she dinner was already on the table vrhyp Mrs. Mason came down, for Mrs. Holfoes by some oversight had iorgotQfipp call her until the last minute. fi|e was in her element when she al boarders, engineers from the railroad building near by, at the tattffipe of whom, Mr. Jewett, a man of about 45 years, she began to make eyes it, notwithstanding she had heard that there was an engagement of marriage between him and her corns in,

For was not she, herself, better dressed than her cousin, and a lady? While Mrs Holmes toiled for the bread she ate, besides being two years older than he self? Reason told Mrs. Mason she would win, if she but showed herself willing to engage in a second matrimonial scheme. “How did you leave your brother’s people?” inquired Mrs. Holmes, when her guest was seated amid a great flutter of ribbons and laces. “Very nicely, indeed; it is one of the pleasantest places I know. Sister Lucy has two servants, and they set the most luxurious table one could think of. Have the girls improved any in cooking since I was with you, Cousin Mary ?” “Oh, I don’t know; my daughters are both very good cooks. I can not think what I should have done if my girls had not helped me as they have done.” “A mother’s partiality.” returned the pleasing Mrs. Mason, glancing with a smile at Mr. Jewett. “I can speak of the girls’ proficiency in cooking myself,” said Mr. Jewett, smiling. “Having been here so long, I know what experts in the art they ___ _ 99 &r 6 Mrs. Mason smiled rather uneasily, one of her studied points being the art of making other people feel small, and she had hoped Mr. Jewett would agree with her sentiments in regard to the girls. When the dinner was finished, Mr. Jewett followed the ladies into the parlor, saying: “I cm going to drive five miles this afternoon to inspect a bridge, and I would like the company of you ladies, if agreeable to you both.” Mrs. Holmes gave him a reassuring smile and bow, and Mrs. Mason made him a very polite reply, in a very grandiloquent manner, and the gentleman then departed, after informing them that he would drive around for them at about 5 o’clock. Before the time appointed, Mrs. Mason had made another ostentatious toilet, and joined Mrs. Holmes and her daughters in the sitting room. “What an elegant man Mr. Jewett is, and how kind of him to plan that drive on the very first day of my visit, for, of course, he saw that I would be very lonely here. ” “Mr. Jewett is a very kind man,” replied Mrs. Holmes, while the girls winked at each other behind their elders' backs.

“And lie thinks of all the proprieties, too,” sighed their visitor, “for he thought, of course, that I would not accompany him alone at this very early stage of our acquaintance, and so invited you to act the part of chaperon for me.” Mrs. Holmes found that her thimble wa3 missing at this moment, and Clara attempted to turn the subject by asking. “How do you like our new house, Cousin Martha?” “Quite well, if it was not where it is, and of such a hideous color, and eo very, very old.” “Now, I think the color is very nice,” was Clara’s reply, “a very delicate color for this old gothio stone house. I should feel very proud of it, if it was only a little more out of the way of obnoxious visitors.” Mrs. Holmes gave her daughter a look, but their cousin went on calmly. “I have been overlooking the upper part of the house, but I could not find the third-story stairs, or isn’t there any?” “I believe not,” replied Clara, who was at that moment thinking over a place for her meddling visitor’s benefit. “How odd,” said Cousin Martha, but at that moment the elderly beau drove up, and the middle-aged three departed on their pleasure drive. After they were well gone the girls looked at each other and laughed heartily. “I decl re, Clara, she is worse than ever,”said Belle. “And she thinks Mr. Jewett is after her,” cried Clara, with tears of laughter in her eyes. “1 thought I should die when she told mamma that Mr. Jewett asked her for a chaperon for herself.” “Do you know what I should have done had I been in mamma’s place then ?” asked Clara. “Something awful, I suppose; what would you?” “I should have told her distinctly to pack her trunk and I would send her to the depot in the morning.” “It would be the very best thing to do; but mamma won’t say a thing, so we shall have to put up with her the whole livmg summer.” “She’ll try her best to cut mamma out.”

“And she will talk so about the cooking that all the boarders will leave.” “Now, Belle,” said Clara, solemnly, “if you will promise not to say one word to mamma I have a plan by which I think we can make Madame Martha betake herself to her brother’s, where they have everything so luxurious, and who is indeed three times as able to take care of her as mamma is.” “But you will have to look out what you do, or mamma will be very angry at us both, for she always lays half the misohief to me. ” “Very unjustly, too; but she won’t find us out this time. Let’s make Martha believe the cottage is haunted.” “How could we do that ?” “Easy enough; you know she said she had been searching around for the third-story stair-case, and could not find it. Well, you know as well as I do that there are two, one opening into our room with a curious sliding panel, and the other opening, into hers with another. Now she wi 1 never find out that those panels are doorways.” “I don’t know as she would but mother will tell her. ” “No, she will not, for I told her not to; because we have all our dresses and everything in the attio, and we did not want her inspecting them.” “Very well, but still I do not see the point.” “The point is just this, I am going to appear to her.” “Clara Holmes!” “I’ll see if she will make ns all uncomfortable all summer, without saying as much as by your leave.” “But she will demand another room.” “Then we will exchange with her.” “Capital! it will be lots of fun.” Mrs. Mason was in ecstasies over her

drive, telling the girls how many agreeable thongs Mr. Jewett had said to her during the afternoon, and, as soon as tea was over, she followed him into the boarders’ parlor, where he sat reading by the shaded lamp. “What a fool she is!” said Clara, impatiently. “She is not very far-seeing,” replied Mrs. Holmes. “But I hope you girls will always treat her with the most unvarying courtesy.” Mrs. Holmes had alwiys given the parlor up to the boarders during the evening, but to-niglit, out of courtesy to her guest, she sat down near her while she chatted and talked in a way j that was very embarrassing to her host- ! ess. The girls came to her relief at last, inviting their sociable cousin to see an aquarinm in another apartment. She soon made a move to return. “We never sit with the gentlemen evenings,” said Clara. “You don’t; why what do they think ?” she exclaimed. “Not a thing, Cousin Martha; they are not guests you know, only boarders, and we have to be very particular because they are all strangers, with the exception of Mr. Jewett.” “But I do not think it is treating them well.” “You would find they would soon be laughing at us if they thought we desired their attentions.” “What girls you are,” sighed their visitor, who would have liked nothing better than a flirtation with the whole six. That night Martha Mason was lying awake in Mrs. Holmes’ best bed-room, congratulating herself that she had come just at the right time. “The girls do not care for my company, I know,” she ruminated. “But Mary will not allow them to say a word against my staying here, although I don’t believe she wants me very bad herself. But go back and go to work in James’ kitchen I won’t, especially as Mr. Jewett is here. I shouldn’t wonder at all if I could get him away from Mary; that is, if they will allow me to say a word to him alone. It certainly was a promising move his inviting me to drive the first day. How queer Mary is, and what old maids those girls are. ” The clock here slowly chimed out the midnight hour and close upon it came a long-drawn sorrowful moan. Martha Mason’s blood fairly chilled in her veins, for she was the greatest of cowards, but at length she looked fearfully around her, and there in the middle of the room was a ghastly white figure with a long,slender finger pointed directly at her. “Heavens!” she shrieked, and buried her head in the depths of the bed clothes, not daring to speak or look around her. She remained perfectly quiet until nearly morning, and when she dared to look the terrible thing was no more to be seen. She was one of the earliest risers in the cream-colored cottage, and she would have departed instantly had it not been for the glorious chances for flirtation there. But for fear of the girls’ ridicule she said not a word of her visitant, but during the day she said to Mrs. Holmes:

“Mary, that room you gave me is fearfully damp.” “My other rooms are all full,” faltered Mrs. Holmes. “You could exchange with us,” said Clara, trying her best to control her risibles. “That will be much better,” said Martha, who cared not a whit for the effect of the ghost upon her young cousins’ nerves. Accordingly, that evening, after she had received a quiet snubbing from Mr. Jewett, who persistently read his paper during her most brilliant flights of conversation, the exchange was made. But poor Martha fared no better, for at midnight, when she was quietly sleeping, feeling secure, now that she was not in the haunted room, a cold hand was passed over her brow, and she sprang up to see the same fearful figure standing near her, and to hear a fearful, gurgling sound as of some one choking to death. More frightened than before, she escaped from the room and ran into Mrs. Holmes’, crying: “Mary, did you know this house was haunted?” “Why, what is the matter?” asked her cousin. “I should not like such 4 report as that to get out among mi boarders.” - “It is true; I have Been the ghost both nights.” “Martha, be careful what you say. such a story as that would drive every boarder from the house.” “I can’t help it; it is true, and I shall tell it.” “But you will break up my business.”

“I don’t care; it’s true. I shall tell it.” Clara and Belle had just entered the room, and seeing how angry her mother looked, Clara ventured: “Perhaps it would be better, if you believe such a thing as that, for you to go away quietly, and not attempt to break up mother’s business by telling your silly story.” “Yes, that would be much better,” Baid Mrs. Holmes, who believed it a sham of her cousin’s to attract the boarders’ attention; and was very much displeased. Martha had not expected such a denouement as this, but she was obliged to acquiesce, especially as Clara gave her no chance to tell her story to any of the gentlemen, by keeping constantly by her side, and helping her about, her packing, and even ae'ompanying her to the depot, where Martha gave her a parting shot by saying: “I b. lit'Ve it was all your work, young j lady, just to get rid of me because you I was jealous of me; but you need not be ! so rejoiced; no man in his senses would ' look at such a red-headed,®freckle-faced thing as you are. ” But she believed in the ghost all the same, for she would not attend Mr. and Mrs. Jewett’s wedding, for fear she would have to spend a night under the roof of the Cream-Colored Cottage.

Indignant eater to waiter: “Do you call that a mutton-chop to bring to a gentlemen?” Waited, apologetically: “Beg pardon, sir. Chops is chops with us. Gentlemen and others gets exactly the same. It would be ’ard to make a distinction. ” — Bouton Gazette.