Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-05-18
CHAPTER I.
THE NEWCOMERS.

at either side of table, sprang to thei
feet with ejaculations of interest anf
rushed to the window of the sitting room
"Take care, Monica, dear" said one
shrouding herself in the lace curtain
don't let-them see u.s."
No, no, Bertha. We must not Civ,
them reason to say that their neighbort
are inquisitive. But think that we are
safe If we stand like this"
The open window looked out upon 9
sloping lawn, well trimmed and pleas
ant, with fuzzy rosebushes and q stal
shaped bed of sweet william. 1t was
bounded by low wooden fence. which
screened it off from broad modern new
metaled road. At the other side of this
road We're three large, detached, deep
r bodied villas, with peaky ewes and small
wooden balconies, each standing in its
own little square of grass and Of flowers.
All three were equally new, but Nos.
ana were curtained and sedate, with
human sociable look to them, while
No. ., with yawning door and unkempt
garden, had apparently only just received
lts furniture and made itself ready for
Its occupants. A 4-wheeler had driven
up to the gate, and it was at this that
the old ladies, peeping out birdlike from
the curtains, directed an eager and cues
tioning gaze.
The cabman had descended, and the
passengers within were handing out the
articles which they desired him to carry
up to the house. He estood red faced and
blinking, with his crooked arms out
stretched, while male hand, protruding
from the window, kept piling up upon
him a series of articles, the sight of
which filled the curious old ladies with
bewilderment.
My goodness mel' cried Monica, the
smaller, the drier and the more wizened
of the pair. "What do you call that
Bertha? 1t looks to me like four batter
puddings."
Those are what the young men box
each other with" said Bertha, with a
conscious air of superior worldly knowl-
edge.
"And those?".
Two great bottle shaped pieces of yell
low, shining wood had been heaped upon
the cabman.
"Oh. | don't know what those are"
confessed Bertha. Indian clubs had nev-
er before obtruded themselves upon her
peaceful and very feminine existence.
These mysterious articles were fol-
lowed, however, by others which were
more within their range of comprehen-
sion-by a pair of dumbbells, purple
cricket bag, set Of golf clubs and a
tennis racket.
Finally, when the cabman, all top
heavy and bristling, had staggered off |
up the garden path, there emerged in a
very leisurely way from the cab big,
powerfully built young man, with bull
pup under one arm and pink sporting
paper in his hand. The paper he |
crammed into the pocket of his light
yellow dust coat and extended his hand .
as if to assist some one else from the .
vehicle. To the surprise of the two old
ladies, however, the only thing which his
open palm received was violent slap,
and "A tall lady bounded unassisted out
of the cab. With regal wave she mo-
toned the young man toward the door,
aud then with one hand upon her hip she
Stood in careless, lounging attitude by
the gate, kicking her toe against the
wall and listlessly awaiting the return
of the driver.
AS she turned slowly round and the
sunshine struck upon her face, the two
watchers were amazed to see that this
very active and energetic lady was far
from being in her first youth, so far that
she had certainly come of age again since
she first passed that landmark in life's
ITar Ena1xy nhiga1al ,1o
face, with something red Indian about
the firm mouth and strongly marked
showed even at that dis
tance traces of the friction of the passing
years. And yet she was very handsome.
Her features were as firm in repose as =
those of a Greek bust, and her great,
lark eyes were arched over by two brows
so black, so thick and so delicately
curved that the eye turned away from
The harsher details of the face to marvel
1T their grace and strength.
Her figure, too, was as straight as a
lart-a little portly perhaps, but curving
nto magnificent outlines, which were
l9lf concealed and half acc entuated by
Ne strange costume which she wore.
Her hair, black but plentifully shot with
gray, was brushed plainly back from her
nigh forehead and was gathered under
mall round felt hat, like that Of man,
With one sprig of feather in the band as
concession to her sex. A double breasted
acket of some dark friezeli1e material
tilted closely to her figure, while her
traight blue skirt, untrimmed and un-
was cut so short that thelower
.urve of her finely turned legs was plain
y visible beneath it, terminating in a
,air of broad, fiat, low heeled and square
oed shoes. Such was the lady who
ounged at the gate of No. under the
'urious eyes of her two opposite neigh
,ors.
Buff her conduct and appearance had
lready somewhat Jared upon their linn
ted and precise sense of the fitness of
hings, what were they to think of the
Iext little act in this tableau vivant2
The cabman, red and heavy jowled, had