The Comings of Cousin Ann

Ann at

was a wail from the depth

re our turn comes again. There's Uncle Tom's and Cousin Betty's and Sister Sue's, and

is too much to bear just when we are going to have a house party! Mother, pl

she after all. Nan, climb up on the railing and see if that could be Cousin

ave to say is

rrected h

he front porch where the ladies of the Bucknor family were wont to spend the summer mornings. Clinging to one of the gre

of grammar I use to express my disgust," and

ather feels about his kin. Better run and tell Aunt Em'

l morning getting it ready for the girls. We've even got flowers all fixed

h fine doings, and this is her first visit to Kentucky. We know you have only three pairs of linen sheet

Peyton in the little hall room? I can't see why she always has

our fa

to Father? He needn't even k

ppeared in the doorway. "Here comes Miss Ann Peyton, and the young ladies want to put her in

' dominick rooster yestiddy when he spent the whole day a crowin' fer

ng for our house pa

ny. Now if I had er wrang his neck he'd 'a' been in the pot, com

you think about putting

eady this year an' it's high time some er the res' of the fambly step up. What's the matter with Marse Big Josh? An' if he air onable what's the matter with Marse Lil Josh? Yassum, put her

!" begged Nan. "Aunt Em'ly thinks it is all right and you know you have al

the oven. The truf er the matter is, Miss Milly, that you an' Marse Bob Bucknor an' all yo' chilluns as well, long 24 with all the res' of the fambly includin' of Marse Big Josh an' Marse Lil Josh, done accepted of Miss Ann Peyton an' ol' Billy an' the ca'i

eek sorrel horses, whose teeth would have given evidence of advanced age had a possible purchaser submitted them to the indignity of examining them. Their progress was

expressed dignity and superiority. He was quite sure that being coachman to Mis

e a monkey than a man in that long-tail blue coat with brass buttons an' his ha'r like cotton wool an

ndow on the porch as the old coach lumbered up the driveway, "Uncle Billy keeps hi

ped Mildred. "I reckon, Brother Jeff

think of any person in the w

nd time since Christmas. It's all well enough for you and Father to be so high and mighty about honoring the aged, a

no!" laug

ed, 26 realizing she was demanding of her daughters something that was difficult for her to perform herself. Being polite

to command the footman to alight and open the door of the coach. With feigned astonishment at there being no footman,

Billy's legs in truth took many inches from his height. But the old man, in spite of crooked legs, worn-out boots, s

e old darkey as he opened the door of the ancient coach. Bowing low

to take the stand they did concerning Cousin Ann Peyton and her oft-repeated visits. Men had none of the bother of company. Of course she would be courteous to her and always treat her w

murmured to her stalwart son, as he e

kin-and the poor old la

re are plenty of them-ve

t to that. Neither would Uncle Tom nor Big Josh. She would hate it and then th

king of the visitor. It was a roomy carriage, and well that it was so. When Miss Peyton traveled she traveled. Having no home, everything she possessed must be carried with her. Trunks were strapped on

ed in connection with a countenance whose every line was aristocratic. As a rule that lady was able so to control her emotions that the uninitiated were ignorant of the fact that she had emotions.

ming a religious rite, Uncle Billy lift

am very glad to see you," said Jeff, although it was imposs

poke from the depths of the coa

by Uncle Billy upon each side of the yard gate like a tri

upposed to drop at the opening of the door but the spring had

suggest that the steps were not safe. Nobody must ever know that he

oorings and crept from the confines of the purple quilted-satin poke bonnet. The beauty which had been hers in her youth was still hers although everybody could not see it. Uncle Billy could see it and Jeff Bucknor glimpsed it, as his old cousin stepped from her dingy coach. He had never realized before that Cousin Ann Peyton had lines and proportions that mus

tured. Big Josh had declared on one occasion when some of the relatives had waxed jocose on the subject of Cousin Ann and her style of dress, that she had bought a gross of hoop skirts cheap at the time wh

Hanging from the rafters like Japanese lanterns! Standing up in the corners like ghosts scaring a fellow to death! I can't

inch its body had been renewed to reclaim it from the ravages of time until not one iota of the original garment was left. Here a tape and there a wire had be