The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-08-03
HIS COUNTRY HOME.

81 have come 10 get the key which I nm.
derstand Mr.. Ames left here when he moved
away" said the young man.
"Oh. yes" said the old lady. "Step right
in and III get il for YOU
large cat made friendly advances. and
was settled in his lap by the time the old
lady came back. She sank ponderously into
her chair aud looked at the young man with
kindly scrutiny
Are You Mr.. John Arnold, the new
owner OF Mr. Ames house,"
Yes. The unhappy owner, should have
said few days ago, but now have changed
my mind"
Indeed" said she. T wonder why you
changed your mind"
well, III tell you about IT," he said.
leaning back comfortably in bis chair and
stroking the purring cat.
Il took the mortgage on the place with.
out having the slightest idea that il would
ever come into my possession. That was
1--we years ago. For some time Ames has
been getting behind on his interest. and I
did not look after him as ! ought, so was
rather surprised and not little disgustcd
when found last week that was the owner
OF the place, and that hmes bad moved
away. | did not remember much about it
except that there was a small house on
half an acre of land. and that it was very
far from salable. So there I was with
white elephant on my hands and no earth.
ly use for him."
The old lady smiled.
well, in day or two had q brilliant
idea. was sick in the winter, don't feel
real good now, and the doctor, every time
! see him, tells Inc ! must get out of doors
more. My boarding place is only five
minutes from the law Office where
work, and when one is tired he doesn't
feel like walking, or even riding the
bicycle. just for the exercise. So it occurred
to me to come out here to live. Get my
own supper and breakfast, you know, and
putter around in garden. | can go into
town on the electric cars till the roads get
settled enough to ride my wheel"
at noon he went to his Old boarding
place, where he was to continue to take his
dinners. lie had lived with Mr.. and Mrs.
Austin for a number OF years, and Mrs.
Austin felt mothery solicitude for him.
She almost overwhelmed him with questions
as to whether he slept well, and if he had
breakfast enough, and wasn't he very tired,
and didn't he think he had better stay In
properly
aired before he went into it,
For the first week Arnold himself was
q little doubtful about his experiment, and
Mrs. Austin's fears and questions rather
annoyed him, but at the end of that time
he began to get used to his new life, and he
became more cheerful than he had been for
months.
by the time the grass began to turn
green he could no. have been persuaded to
return to his old way OF living. His house
seemed more attractive as time went on.
lie tidied the yard, trimmed the rose bushes
and grape vines. and by the middle OF April
be began, with great enthusiasm, to spade
up a garden patch.
Mrs Austin sighed and shook her head
until June came, Then, as she saw no pros
pect of getting him back, and as she was
lonesome evenings, she took school teach
er to board. She was very pretty girl,
Grace Howard by name, and she was quite
laxative. Mrs. Anstin's dinner table was
a very pleasant meeting place.
Arnold was not used to girls, but it seemed
to him that Grace Howard must be different
from most girls, he felt so friendly toward
her, and she seemed such oongenial spirit.
lie tod her oil about his house, his garden,
and of the long rambles he took on Sundays.
She listened with interest TO all he told her
OF his rural experiences.
The summer went by, and Arnold became
more and more caamorcd of his country
home. The Littefeds were a constant
source OF pleasure to him, and the two house
holds were very neighbor!y
Then one night, just on the edge of win
ter o new idea came to him. 'Jlow much
pleasantcr it would be ii Grace were here"
hc thought, and he sat in reverie for
long time. After that he kept thinking OF