Anything else, sir ?' And Ted's sober face was such a funny contrast to his ridiculous reply that the reporter owned himself routed, and retired laughing just as a lady followed by three beaming girls came up the steps.
'We are all the way from Oshkosh, and couldn't go home without seein' dear Aunt Jo.

My girls just admire her works, and lot on gettin' a sight of her.

I know it's early; but we are goin' to see Holmes and Longfeller, and the rest of the celebrities, so we ran out here fust thing.

Mrs Erastus Kingsbury Parmalee, of Oshkosh, tell her.

We don't mind waitin'; we can look round a spell if she ain't ready to see folks yet.' All this was uttered with such rapidity that Ted could only stand gazing at the buxom damsels, who fixed their six blue eyes upon him so beseechingly that his native gallantry made it impossible to deny them a civil reply at least.
'Mrs Bhaer is not visible today--out just now, I believe; but you can see the house and grounds if you like,' he murmured, falling back as the four pressed in gazing rapturously about them.
'Oh, thank you! Sweet, pretty place I'm sure! That's where she writes, ain't it?
Do tell me if that's her picture! Looks just as I imagined her!' With these remarks the ladies paused before a fine engraving of the Hon.
Mrs Norton, with a pen in her hand and a rapt expression of countenance, likewise a diadem and pearl necklace.
Keeping his gravity with an effort, Teddy pointed to a very bad portrait of Mrs Jo, which hung behind the door, and afforded her much amusement, it was so dismal, in spite of a curious effect of light upon the end of the nose and cheeks as red as the chair she sat in.
'This was taken for my mother; but it is not very good,' he said, enjoying the struggles of the girls not to look dismayed at the sad difference between the real and the ideal.