The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-04-17
IA HOUSE TO LET"

this fashion; "a biiou residence,
suitable for small family, charmingly
situated on one OF the loveliest
reaches OF the Thames. A house Of
unique design aud exceptional sani-
tary arrangements; aloping garden to
river, boat, boat house, stabling, fruit
garden, etc"
Yet despite the alluring character
OF this announcement, the bijou resi-
dence went through two seasons unlet
Its notice boards leaning lower aud
lower as the seasons went on over the
stone box-fringed garden walls, with
pathetic responsibility.
At length, simultaneously, one
morning in late July, two people
caught the glow OF that announce
ment from opposite corners of Eng
land the one man, the other a
woman, and they bent their faces in
its direction.
A geographical as we'll as a railway
time book, dispensation decreed also
these two people should make their
debut simultaneously at the little way
side station, situated some mile and a
half from the bijou residence in ques-
ton. After that, how much fate or
destiny had to do with it? How much
man How much woman? Remains
problematioal I defy two people of
the opposite sexes to walk for mile
and half along boxed-in country
lane and not be oppressively conscious
of each other. defy man possessed
Of the slightest moiety Of taste not to
pick out the various beauties of that
woman if she have them, and briefly
tabulate them on the retina of his APP
probation as he walks. defy her, if
she have grain of that coquetry which
is said to be innate in woman, not to
display those beauties to the best ad-
vantage for his especial delectation.
And what woman ever walks along a
country road rich in wild flowers with
out stopping every five minutes to
pick some.
Finally, the two drew up at the
garden gate, if not simultaneously
almost SO, the man pushing the gate
wide for her and waiting, and they
arrived face to face under the trellised
porch.
The woman had put a bunch of
scarlet rowan berries in her hat, a
corresponding bunch in her waist
band. She held sufficient wild gras-
SEES and fora in her arms to decorate
a font at harvest festival Her dark
gypsy face had caught a glow from
these berries; her dark eyes shone /;
she was not young, the man thought,
'Dub O4t40LuVAJ htOLaSbANOs
The sound of advancing footsteps
footsteps presumably of the caretaker
reused him from his temporary
alteration. 1t occurred to him that
speech was the only thing possible to
save the situation. He raised his hat,
displaved a QrizZled but pstrician
head, and smiled.
''Is the house let thenP" he asked.
The woman showed a CLEAN of teeth
under the rich undulating curve Of
her red lips.
"Thst was just the question I was
going to put to you" she answered.
emo" he said have merely come
from Dorchester to look at it."
Sand I have come from Cromer.
In the pause of which announce
ment, a woman, in sun-bonnet and
clogs, with that reticence which the
Caretaker exhibits when she does no
want to let the house, slowly opened
the door. She moved back, making
room for them to enter, making a
the same time a depreciatory move
merit with her bare arms. "Its al
very nice an convenient like" sh,
said, indicating the tiny drawing-roon
on the right, the tiny dining-room or
the left. the Liliputian Kitchen in per