The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-26
Two Summer Boarders.

The house might have been ~ very
pleasant one when it was opened,
but in time it was virtually
closed, because of the flies and heat
and dust and sun, Mrs. Fries said.
In the morning the bed in the sum-
mer boarders' room was nicely made,
the furniture all busted and put back
against the wall lts:s,ssa the furniture
was solid mahogany; the blinds were
shut, and indeed the windows too,
and coming i'll out of the sunlight
one had to grope ones way I'LL over
the house. So Miss Hetherington
went out upon the veran,la immedi-
ately after breakfast, and remained
there, il she remained near the house
nt all, till l,e.ltime.
She had just left the
breakfast table, but by the lit
tie watch that hung from her
girdle it was already nine o'clock.
All through the meal there had been
Il pleasant clickety music from the
neighboring field, John had told
Miss Hetherington the night before
that lie would about reach the mid
die of the field with his moving m,-
chine when she left the breakfast
table the next morning, and sure
enough there lle was. What u Her.
cules was this young farmer Fries!
anda handsome, stalwart. fellow, and
a gentleman witllal.
The Fries had always sent their
sons to II sort of college for few
years. to polish them up; then, if
they chose to go on with ~ profess.
ion, the money was found for it. In
fnct, several of Johns cousins were
students of divininy, of medicine, of
law; but John chose to he ~ farmer,
of his own free will, his mother said.
She was IL nice, quaint, wholesome
little woman; whom Miss Hethcring-
ton liked very much, and Mrs. Fries
seemed to return this affection, until
John
But That was II matter of course.
Miss Hetllcrington felt sorry that
these little hobbies ofmothers always
interfered with their happiness. She
had begun by liking Mrs. Fries bet
ter than her son. She amused her
and Interested her; the old lady llad
ail that native ingenuity, vigor, sim
1-plicity, and hoycsty OF expression
which the few years at college had
cured for John. But of late Mrs.
Fries had bccn very busy. 1t was
haying time, and she went to bed
hut not Miss Hetllerington who dis
liked going to bed more than any
thing in the world, unless it might
he getting out of bed after she had
once gone to it. As for John, lie
liked the moon.
The vcrundn faced the road, run
ming the whole length Of the house.
Some fine old llorse-cllestnutss shaded
the lawn, then across the fence w:,s
the field ofl,ay where John was now
ing. Miss Hctllcrington put up her
glass. Without her glass, John and
the mower looked one. All at once
the music of the mower ceased, and
The fine figure at the helm, or what
ever the governing power of u mower
is called, took of his wide -brnmed
straw hat and waved it in the sweet
summer air; and Miss Hetlleringt on.
not to be outdone, took from her
belt IL little trifie oflace and linen,
and also waved it. And heaven
knows how long this little puntomi-
me might have gone Oh il Miss liet-
hcrington had not heard behind her
peculiar cough. 1t came from Mrs.
Fries, who was looking ut Miss Ilrt-
herington, hut not like John or the
many well-known ways OF looking at
~ pretty woman. There was some
thing in the gaze of Mrs. Fries that
went to Miss Hctllcrington's heart
without clating it.
Good morning, said Miss IIcthcr-
ington-You tell me without speak
ing that must not Interfere with
the shining hours Of lnnying-timc.
aad you see that it is just ts if |
went within-tlOors-not IL bit OF il is
to he seen, and 1 promise you won't
be till the tedious sun goes down.
Miss lictlerington had put herself
and her drnperies quite behind Il
huge Japanese honey-sucklc, and
now sank into one OF the bigred-casy
chairs, and reached u book from u
convenient and sheltered nook which
was crammed with paper literature.
She yawncd slightly. The compact
mass of summer reading took Il
somewhat wcnrisomc shape.
"And how long does this trouble
some haying-timc l;lst?" he said.
Miss ietherirgton looked up, and
w;,s surprised tn see that Miss Fries
had turned into an old woman.
From a comfortable middle age she
had shrunk and faded into some