Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-09-16
The Lawn Mower
By Barry Pain.

|
But little pr ,gress this month, l am
afraid.
And yet il seemed so promising at one
time Saturday afternoon-the first Sat
urday--was fine. and | thought it would
be good opportunity to run down and
see Miss Hallorer and her mother. As
siduity in courtship is great thing. l
saw no reason for staying away in the
fact that neither Miss Halloner nor her
mother ever appeared particularly glad
| to see ME.
In Miss Halloners case it is naturally
sort OF shyness. She feels that she
must conceal hpr real sentiments. I'm
doubtedly, too, her mother has much the
same delicacy. She does not wish TO ap-
| pear to be forcing her daughter on any
man, however desirable he may be rs a
husband. / can see through a thing of that
kind pretty well, | think. So | said TO
myself, Stick to it, Lionel; stick to it,
There was Il very unpleasant and noisy
crowd at Waterloo station. The railway
| carriage was packed, and l was not sorry
that my journey was short--,i matter of
| Is minutes. 1t is astonishing how much
rudeness and vulgarity there is about.
| For instance | have slight tendency
| inherited-tO what may be called embon-
| point. The other clerks ut tie office have
| in consequence given me some silly nick
| name The allusiop TOTO that feature
| is in pad enough taste in them. but for
| an absolute stranger in railway car
| riage to ASK me- if / wouldn't put it up in
! the rack is positively inexcusable ] said
| coldly. Il have not the honor of your ac-
quaintance, at which the fool laughed
heartily. But any unpleasantness on the
| journey was more than made up for by
| the warmth os my reception.
Tins is good of you" said Mrs. Hal
loner We're So glad you've cOme!'
| said her daughter.
I was quite surprised. Never before
had the prospect of Miss Halloner be-
| coming Mrs. Hicks appeared so roseate.
We've quite little occupation for
YOU
81 am ready for anything under the
sum-" replied.
''That's good of you." said Grace. "The
fact is that the Batesons have lent US
their lawn mower, and, as it's Saturday
afternoon, we can't get man to push it.
thought I should have to do it myself" :"
81 could never permit that" I said de-
cidedly.
Thanks, so much. We must have the
lawn moved today. 1t won't take yo1
more than an hour or so. You'd like tn
begin at once, wouldn't you? The ma
chine is all ready on the lawn. Come
along, and I'll show you"
81 did not at all like the looks of the
machine, and said so.
".Im afraid there's some mistake here"
I said. ''This is a two man machine"
"The Batesons' gardener is 65 and
works it easily"
"Ohr' / said. Hell put that strain
on himself once too often. However, I'm
a younger man. 1 don't suppose a three
man machine would be too much for
me-"
"No? Well, you can't work it like
that. Take your hat and coat off, l
took off my coat, but said that l would
retain my silk hat, as there was abso-
lutely no shade.
But you're ready for anything under
the sun. You said So" Considering all
that l was doing-or was about to do for
her-that remark seemed to me a little
uncalled for
/ got the machine along slowly for
about 10 feet and then paused to ask il
it had been oiled.
yes" said Miss Halloner; lit will 90
more easily when yon have run it up and
down one or twice.
l pushed it along few yards farther
and then paused to say that I could not
help admiring those poppies.
Lock here said Miss Halloner. 81
can see my chattering interrupts you.
u N fn hn hon
up for a cup of tea when you've fin
ished"
She would not listen To my protests.
but ran off. laughing. then went to
work seriously.
the lawn and back again, with occasional
rests. 1 suffered considerably from short
ness Of breath. 1t was fools game.
and / am no fool.
Mind, ] was sorry for the Ratesons.
l have always heard that they are nice
people. Still, there was only one way
out Tor man Of tact. | took one of
those iron rods that gardeners use for ty-
ing up their plants and put the end OF it
between the two cogs. Then l gave the
machine three short, sharp jerks. The
third did it. | put the iron rod back
u6uh al Us pidCc Welt up 10 the
house.
"I'm sorry" 1 said. "but the lawn
mower has broken down. | was running
1t merrily along when something went
snap"
I'll go and look at it," said Miss Hal
loner. She seemed angry. She seemed
still more angry when she came back.
In the interval her mother had limited
her conversation to telling me how an.
noyed the Batesons would be-
"Why," said Miss Halloner to me very |
quietly. didn't you tell me that you
couldn't do it? Then | would have done
1t myself. There was no need to break |
the chain of the machine and to cause q |
great deal of unpleasantness."
mo one" l began, could possibly |
be-
And then, somewhat rudely, as I |
thought, she interrupted me, However,
we must not waste the whole Of your