The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-04-21
OUT IN THE COUNTRY.
By HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

OUT IN THE COUNTRY.
By HELEN FOREST GRAVES.
"To let?" said the agent. "Ready
furnished? For month? Really, ladies,
I'm very much afraid haven't any prop
erty in my hands-not at present, at
least-that will meet your expectations.
I've plenty of unfurnished houses, and
plenty to rent for year. But for this
month? There isn't any such real estate
in the market-there isn't, indeed"
"We don't want an unfinished house"
said Angela Frost.
+ "And we have no occasion to use
house for a year," added Josephine, her
tall, blooming young sister.
The agent bit the end of his quill-pen.
and looked at them obviously, from be-
hind the ink-splashed rails Of his desk.
"We are school-teachers, Miss An
gela explained, ''and we have just
months vacation; and we want to spend
it in healthful country resort, where l
can botanize, and where my sister can
sketch in water -colors from nature"
"Ah!" said the agent-''ah! Indeed,
Tn very sorry, ladies, but I don't think
there's any property in the market here
abouts that will meet your ideas"
"What time does the evening stage
leave the hotel?" Josephine asked rather
despondently.
"At five, I believe" the agent re-
piled.
And the two ladies went slowly out of
the stuffy little room with its high desk,
| its floor covered with cheap oil-cloth,
and its general atmosphere of stale to-
bacco- smoke.
"Im so sorry, Angel" said the
younger. "The air of these pine
| glens is the very thing for your
| asthma"
"And the little river in the deep gorge
is such an exquisite study for your
paintings, Jo, said Miss Frost, fondly.
"Couldn't we live in barn ?" sug-
gested 10, with comical arch of her
eyebrows.
"Im afraid not" sighed Angela.
| The real estate agent in the meanwhile,
had hardly smoked pipe and read the
local paper before the door burst open,
and short, stout lady, in pink hat and
] feathers came in.
"Mr. Muggeridge," said she, handing
him key, ..you may let Ivy Glen, or
you may sell it-ready-furnished, with a
COW, pOultr -uouSe dAu tuo pOEy y-CualS0
thrown in. 4"
Madam!" said Mr.. Muggeridge, be-
wildered. a
"I'm tired of it" said the lady. "Su-
sic and Jennie are homesick to get back
to the city, and SO am I. I've been with
out servant since Monday, and now
I'm going to take the evening stage to
town, and meet my husband before he
| CT .fc f,,T Txyxy G1ov, r 1oro ,<,su ~
vexed, but can't help it. And I've left
word at the Dairy farmhouse for my
brother Duke to follow u.s."
"You couldn't let it for month ?"
experimentslly hazarded Mr.. Mug
geridge.
"I'd let it for three days." said the
lady. 49, q
| "I could find you tenants for month, !"
said the agent. And, perhaps, at the
end of that time, something else might
offer"
every WELL" said the lady. ''There
is the key"
| And away she went; and Mr.. Mug
geridge clapped his hat on the back Of
his head and set off, in hot haste, to the
hotel, for an interview with the two
young ladies who had SO recently left
his Office.
And so it happened that 10 and Angel
Frost took triumphant possession Of Ivy
Glen, romantic cottage, half covered
with the dark green, glossy leaves Of the
vine from which it derived its name, with
boudoir, piano, and all the pictures
garlanded with pressed ferns and dr1ec
autumn leaves, and a library of novels.
s'Mrs. Fitch must have been a very
literary person." said 10.
''And musical" added Angel.
Gas for a servant, one would only be .
nuisance" said Jo.
''I'l groom the pony myself" said
Angel. stHe's no bigger than New
foundland dog-the darling"
"And I'll milk the COW and feed the
dear little Chickens" declared pretty lit
tie 10.
"It's really an earthly paradise, +" said
the elder sister.
$50 it is, assented Jo.
The two sisters passed three days OF
unmiigated happiness in the deep
ravines and cool, fiower-enameled woods
that surrounded Ivy Glen. .......
Angela made various valuable addi-
tions to her herbarium, and Jo sketche1
leafy hooks, bits of falling water and
sunset effects to her hearts content,
until finally good, old-fashioned rain
storm set in, Of a July afternoon, and
prisoned them in the cottage parlor.
"How stupid this isl" said 10, starting
up from her book, as the twilight shad-
ows brooded darker and darker in the
room. Lets go down to the barn, and
talk to Dick and Frizzle. Poor dears!
they must be as lonesome as we are"
(Now, Dick was the pony, and Frizzle
was the COW; and 10 and Angel were
already upon the most affectionate terms
of intimacy with them.)
It was quite dusk, when Marmaduke
birmingham opened the hall-door and
strobe in. shaking the rain-drops from
his shoulders as if he had been a huge
Newfoundland dog. and finging his fish
ing-creel and tackle on the table.
"Lou!' he called, all over the house,
in CHEEKY, stentorian voice. "L.ouisa!''
But, as might be expected, no answer
was returned; and he went up to GER
tain pretty little circular walled room,
where he had been wont to keep his slip
pers, gun-case, and sundry other mas
culine appurtenances, when soiourninR
with his sister, Mrs. Fitch, at Ivy Glen.
"It's as quiet here" he muttered, un-
der his breath, "as an enchanted castle.
Where is Lou?-where are the children?''
But he paused on the Threshold Even
by the waning twilight, he could per-
ceive that q general transformation had
taken place.
A aaoa1 ck -, L.,