Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-07-19
MAUD'S GUEST.

boris, found his sisters and brother on the
wide veranda of their pleasant summer
home, engaged in such an earnest discus
sion that they had not noticed his APP
proach.
"Oh, it's crazy notion of Maud s."
answered Rob, who was perched on the
railing, tapping his foot with his tennis
racket
"Why, you see, Tom," Maud explained,
81 went down to the village to call on Miss
Munroe, that old acquaintance of mothers,
who has come to board at the hotel. She
was not well when she came, and has
taken cold, and now she has neuralgia aw
fully There she is, alone in that noisy
hotel with her head just splitting, and
crying baby in the next room. And so | was
wondering whether we might bring her up
here till she gets better We could bundle
her up so it couldn't hurt her"
"And none of us want her one Bit"
broke in Sue.
81 say it will spoil all our fun" Rob
grumbed. "Shes sure to be cranky if she
has neuralgia, and we'll have to walk on
tiptoe, and i~hstling will be a deadly
eyes, anC we can't even play tennis
with any cc.nfort, for she will have to be
in mothers room, and the court is right
under it. Our singing in the evening will
be stopped, too, l suppose"
'It would be a bore, that's fact" said
Ti:Jm. 81 say, don't let's bother about
.ner; most of us never even saw her, and
she can't expect us to invite her up when
mother isn't here"
''But Just think how you would feel,
Tom" pleaded Maud, ''if you had to lie
there in a little room with only one win
dow that makes a draught over the bed ;
and the piano going, and children racing
through the halls, and no quiet till late at
nightn'
''Oh, well, if you want her so much, go
ahead! can stand it,"
81 don't want her for the fun of it," an
swered Maud. Everybody says am la
zy, and don't enjoy the prospect of car
rying trays and waiting on an invalid.
What do you say, Agnes?"
81 was just thinking" the eldest sister
replied slowly, "that l have heard mother
say there would not be so many crooked
lives if more were laid out by the Golden
Rule"
sob, if you are going to measure us off
by the Golden Rule, I'll give upm Rob
said.
"Good boy" exclaimed Maud, giving
him an approving pat.
"Agnes, do you happen to know whether
this lady is wealthy" Tom asked, with a
twinkle in his eye.
''No, she is not, you mercenary creature
So you needn't cherish any hopes of hav-
ing fortune left YOU Now, are we all
willing? There's no denying it will be
more or less of trial. 1t is not so much
the extra work; it's the having stranger
among us to break up our jolly times"
"And that's a good deal, after being
scattered in school for year." sighed Sue.
"But I'm willing; I'll do the cooking for
the;invalid. We made lot of dishes for
the sick, at cooking school,"
"Rob and | will relieve Maud of that
tray she breads, and we'll try to keep qui-
et," Tom said, springing up. "Come,
Bob, let's have one good game before she
comes"
For years the Harmer family had spent
the summer months in their country cot
tage, about a mile from popular little re-
sort. Each season had made the place
',dearer, and since the boys and girls had
been scattered at school and college during
the winters, they had more than ever
looked forward to their summers together
in the country. This season they were
there alone for the first time Mr.. Harmer
having to go to England on business, had
persuaded his wife that it would be safe TO
leave "the children" at the cottage with
their faithful maid Betty, Almost imme-
diately, however, Betty had been called
home by the illness of her brother, and
the young people were in high spirits at
the prospect of being in sole possession
for two months. After a week spent in
putting the house and lawn in order, they
felt that they were ready, as Rob said, "to
take life easy" and enjoy to the utmost
fl,nV nv II,
filled the summer days. 1t was at this
point that the unfortunate Miss Munroe
was taken ill, and Maud disturbed the Sc
renity of the family by proposing to bring
her to the cottage Having once agreed
to the plan, however, they determined to
welcome the stranger heartily Their
mothers chamber was put in daintiest Or
der, and twelve-year-old May expressed
the feeling of her sister when she said, as
she arranged a cluster of sweet-peas in a
bowl: I'm glad we are going to bring
Miss Munroe here; it makes me think of
that verse about Il was a stranger and We
took me in
That afternoon Miss Munroe lay in her
little room at the hotel. In spite of the
heat of the day her head was enveloped in
fannels, so that she scarcely heard light
tap, and half rose in surprise as the door
gently opened and Mauds bright face APP
peared.
"Why, my dear, come in !" she exclaimed.
"You didn't expect to see me so soon,
did you Miss Munroe? I've just come to
ask you to go home with me and stay till
you are well. You have no chance here.
can put what you need in this travelling
bag. You can keep on your wrapper, and
Rob and will help you down stairs. He
has the buggy waiting, with pillows and
shawls. It's warm, and I'll bundle you up
so that you won't know you are out. We
will drive very slowly. I'm sure it won't
hurt you half so much as to listen to that
cross baby"
Mis- Munroe tried to protest, but Maud
would not listen to her.
"O.l, you must come; my orders are to
bring you with me. l should be sorry TO
have 10 use force on account of the noto-
". Think what heading it would
~ the papers-'Daring case of kid
in daylight"
unable to resist, the half-bewil-