Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-07-01
WRs. mgBERLY's AEIGHBOR|.
BY MARY A. DENIsON.

+" confess like that long yeranda,
said Paul, ''and those beeches and
chestnuts on the roadside are simply
superb.
''Yes, they are very beautiful, and,
let me see-two cherry trees, one
peach, one pear, and six apple trees,
all in good condition, in the side and
back yard" said the young wife,
reading from the slip of paper she
held in her well-gloved hand-pretty
shaped hands she had.
"And the view is not half bad,
either. think more of that than OF
the fruit, which, like the peach OF
emerald hue, can do some harm. Re
member, we have a two-year-old boy
who is very ambitious where climb
ing is to be considered. I'm afraid
these fruit trees will tempt him too
sorely."
"How very ridiculous, when am
around r. was the laughing response.
ernest is scarcely ever out OF my
sight, and he is very obedient. l like
this bay window, it commands such a
pretty view; the parlor just suits me,
it is exactly what one needs in a
country home. My lace curtains will
fit the windows; there is just enough
room for the furniture. 1 can see
just where to put everything. The
floors are oiled, and our rugs will go
down nicely. The people who lived
here have taken good care OF the
house."
"The people who lived here built
the house," her husband said, and
evidently took great pains to make it
comfortable, but something happened
that caused them to break up"
He did not admit that the something
was a forgery, and that the man had
fed, leaving his helpless little wife
and children to go on as best they
could. Why should she know it i? 1t
might lessen her pleasure in living In
the place if she did.
They went upstairs, down cellar,
and found all the appointments per-
feet. Mrs. Maberly was in raptures.
If they had built it for themselves, she
said, it could not have been more to
her liking; indeed, she had planned a
house exactly like it.
The veranda went round two sides
of the building, and there were still
hanging from the beams overhead,
baskets of last years plants, some of
them yet thrifty. Vines had been
carefully trained over the lattice-work
and thick mass of foliage rendered it
almost impossible for wind or rain to
get in.
The next house on the right was
but few rods away, bright-looking
stone cottage against which chung
English ivy, the suns level rays
turning the leaves to crimson and
gold.
Ct wonder who lives there?" Mrs.
Maberly asked.
"The name is Warren" said her
husband. 81 have seen him once or
twice, but have never spoken to him. ="
"Warran; it is good name, and it
seems to me have heard it in connec-
ton with some of my friends, but l
forget. 1 hope they are nice one has
sometimes to depend upon neighborly
offices. They certainly show good
taste. 1 can see from here that the
garden is beautiful, and the baby car
riage in the yard is very pretty and
costly. The nurse wears cap, too.
How trim she looks-andw well dressed!
That speaks volumes for the mistress
of the house. OF course none but
nice people would live in cottage
like that, or" she added, laughingly,
''this."
"That goes without saying" said
her husband, "but hadn't we better be
going? The horse is getting impa-
tent"
go, yes, and the boy will be fretting
for me, poor little fellow! I'm SO
glad there's barn on the premises
don't you think we could afford COW
/ could make such delicious ice cream. y
"We'll see about it," her husband
said, smiling.
In less than week the house was
ready for occupancy, and Mrs. Maber-
ly was as happy as the day is long,
settling things. Of course it took
weeks to get everything in place, and
then a Encouragement was often de-
cided upon, but at last the piano was
satisfactorily disposed of, the furniture
and the bric-a-brac set out to advan-
tage, and the little woman felt very
proud of her house, which really re.
fected great credit upon her taste and
ingenuity. As for the boy, he lived
out of doors. His quarters in the city
had been rather limited, but here he
had, as his father expressed it, "al
creation to roam in"
Often as Mrs. Maberly sat on the
veranda, the white-capped nurse came
by, drawing the exquisite baby CARR
age, in which sat fairy princess, sc
white and sweet, so wrapped in fine
fabrics, rich laces and lovely carriage
blankets, that the little woman won
dered more and more who her neigh
Dor could be. One day she met the
nurse and child on the road. She had
been to the unpretending cottage or
her left where she occasionally bought
eggs and cream of the good farmers
wife who lived there, and she stopped
ms the carriage came towards her.