The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-04-12
By Annie H. Donnell.

OS%V%V%V%V%V%V% %V%V%VSV%V%V*Vo
I'D oN:r !r,.. ......., ..
kfETt1 He had come back for
SsGlzU another goodby kiss and
loomcd above her impressfvely. She
put up her fragile finger and caught
his coat lapels.
You won't make a mess of it, dear
boy: You'll keep your whole mind on
Cousin Agatha? Keep saying Cousin
Agatha, Cousin Agatha, Cousin Aga
tha, over and over, so you won't for
get you're going to meet her."
"Cousin Agatha. Cousin Agatha
"Oh, no: yol needn't begin now! Oh,
Tom, it makes me have the cold shiv-
ers- If l could only go instead of
your
The face of Heartsease against the
pillow was wistful and distinctly anx-
ious. Professor Pomeroy Pettingill
Lee regarded it with whimsical ten
derness.
'Don't worry, little woman" he cried
cheerfully, Pm on my good behavior
tLlS lllllC IOu ScC AOW L IL dlS-
tinguish myself. Hope l may die if
don't!'
''Well, I'll trust you, Tom. Now let
me review you once more. She's little
like me-
Little like me-" murmured the big
man meekly.
"And doesn't wear glasses-most ev-
erybody does, you know-and has light
hair and smiles When we went to
school together, she always smiled.
should know her just by that. Now
say your lesson after me-"
He repeated it gravely.
"There, now you may go, dear boy.
If he only doesn't get things mixed" )"
she thought, following the big, square
figure across the room with loving
eyes. "If he only does it right! Pom,
Pom!"
"At your service, m"
"No, don't come back. Are you cer-
tain sure you read the letter all
through?"
"Hope l may die if 1 didn't, little
woman"
ooh dearn' still worried Heartsease
softly. IF I'd only read it! Why did
have that nervous headache just when
it came? And then why did Pom lose
it! Oh, dcar!'
Meanwhile Professor Pomeroy Pet
tingill Lee was swinging down street
with painful alertness in every motion
of his big figure. He was leepng his
mind on Cousin Agatha. Wild horses
themselves could not drag it away.
The city clock changed loudly, insist
emily, in his ears and reminded him
of the flight of time. He hailed a
passing car and settled himself COM
fortably on one Of it's cushioned seats
Might as well ride and reserve all his
strength for Cousin Agatha.
There was a trifling hitch in his
complacent self resignation when the
conductor came around for fares.
Where in the world was that change?
Confound it, a man had as many pock-
cts as a centiped had feet! All, there
it was, and something else, too-Cousin
Agatha's lost letter.
"I'll review it a bit, now it's turned
up again so handy" thought the pro-
fessor, smoothing out the crushed,
| sweet scented sheet on his knee.
MY dear cousin-m- m m m-m- m-and
reach you at about 3:45 in the after
noon Chats all right side up
m-nl-m-what!'
The professor Strengthened himself,
aghast with horror. He had never
seen that part before-heavens, no!
He didn't read that to Heartsease.
Now, why by all that was mighty
must woman tack ON a postscript to
everything she wrote? And this post
script
The poor man groaned aloud in his
extremity, and the meek little man
beside him was moved with pity.
Are you in pain, sir?" he inquired
softly in his ear.
pain? Pain? I'm in the last extremi.
ties. I'm nearly gonev'
And he was obliged out of sheer
gratitude for the little mans compass
sion to accept one Of the tiny white
lozenges he proffered with nervous
agility.
'P. ST. shall bring baby with me.
OF course could not leave him, and,
besides, know he will amuse you. He
is so cunningr'
She was going to bring the baby
with her! Cousin Agatha was going
to bring the baby! And Heartsease
hadn't known it, to tell him what to
do!
He half rose to his feet, with wild
idea of going back to little Heartsease
for direction. Then he sank back on
his seat again, for the city clock was
changing $50! Too late!
"You lave had bad news, STRIP
crooned the little, meek mans kind
voice again.
''Yes, oh, yes, certainly-confounded
bad news! Cousin Agatha's going to
bring-that is-er-I will bid you good
day, sir. l will get out here"
No need of imposing Cousin Agatha's
baby on everybody else; but, con
found it, the little meek man didn't
look as If baby would throw him into
4 panic. He probably had plenty OF
'em at home. And they hadn't known
-Heartsease and he hadn't-that there
was any baby in Cousin Agatha's
quarter of the world But Of course
they might have imagined 1t. Well
there was nothing for 1t now but to
accept the inevitable-and the baby
| One to make ready two TO start three