The Somerset reporter., 1905-08-24
THEIR MAY
FITTING
By FRANK H. SWEET
Copyright, 1905, by Frank H. s,oeet

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she threw the note from her angrily,
then picked it up at the inquiring look
of her mother.
READ that" she commanded hotly.
Mrs. Brown took the letter aud read
1t meekly 1t was brief:
Ny Dear Miss Betty-I have just left
the house. 1t Is down in the country and
near the seashore and has plazzas and an
apple orehard-in short, is an ideal home
for a young married couple VIII call to-
morrow and go into details more fully.
Faithfully yours, JAMES GRAHAM.
Mrs Brown looked up with pleased
hutter
Il didn't know 1t had-had gone so
far, Elizabeth" she said eagerly. that
you were engaged. When
We are not engaged" sharply. aud
never will be. l have thought Mr..
Graham a very pleasant man and haye
liked him, and he has called on us
quite often lately, but there has never
been a word of-of love spoken, aud
i'now this note! 1t is positively insult
ing! Mother, we must commence pack
ing at once and move this very after.
noon"
"Why, child, we can't" In startled
dismay. at will take a week at least
You know
Il know we shall be out of this house
before nightw vehemently Il shall
go and engage q moving van at once to
carry our goods to the station. and
will have them taken to the little sta
ton just beyond the limits of the town.
1t will cost few dollars more, but 1t
will hide all trace of our whereabouts.
Mr.. Graham will be here tomorrow to
go into details-the presumptuous
wretch. I'm sorry l ever spoke to him
about our plans to hire a quiet place
for the summer. Now mother, you
go and be packing your clothes and
yaluables. l shall tell the van man
to be here in an hour. and we must
be ready
Eyes, dear" meekly, but where
shall we go?"
"Why, Toto Oh, anywhere! 1t
doesn't really matter Suppose we try
that little place where we had two
weeks outing last summer-Orchard
VILE you know. It's real country
there, with solitary walks and gardens
In every yard and country people COM
ing In with things to sell. Rent must
be cheap there, and by Offering enough
we can get some sort of house, or, If
we can't, We'll hire part of one or
rooms. Anyway we haven't time to
engage one ahead now"
"Orchardville is where we first met
Mr.. Graham, isn't itY'
rs it? Why, yes. believe you are
right, mother, but, you know, he told
Us he WAS just down there for few
days fishing and that he didn't get n
bite. SO, of course, we wouldn't meet
him again. Men never go fishing twice
to the same place when they have bad
luck Now, please hurry, mother"
Tile next afternoon they were stand
ing on the front porch of pretty
vine covered cottage, experimenting
the removal of their goods from the
local delivery wagon. The Indignation
still burned in Elizabeths eyes. Mrs.
Brown looked tired and plaintiye.
q do hope we can stay here, Eliza
beth" she sighed, "but the postmaster
seemed slow in giving up the key and
wouldn't promise us the house sure"
well stay all right mother; don't
you worry The house was to rent
and the key left with the postmaster
for prospective tenants. What If the
owner did write to him about an old
maid who was looking after q place
for some young friends and that be
would have her come down and see
this. She hasn't put in an appear
anee yet, nor her young friends, and
we were the first real applicants. Be
sides, we are in actual possession, and
| Vas shreWd enough to force an ad-
vance rent into the postmaster's
hands. Now help me swing this ham
mock on the piazza here and then you
lie down ia it for an hours rest"
Two days later they were settled and
the furniture was all arranged. Mrs.
Brown was lying in the hammock be-
hind the screen Of vines, gazing pen
siyely at Elizabeth, who had stopped
reading and was now contemplating
the closed book in her lap with unsee-
ing eyes There We're solitary walks
about this village, many OF them and
the young girl was facing the fact that
the walks represented the social condi-
ton of the place. The previous sum
mer's outing had been pleasant, but
there had been companionsmp to make
1t so.
The gate latch clicked, and Mrs.
Brown was aroused by a stifed ex-
clamation from Elizabeth Coming up
the walk was James Graham, and be-
side him was an angular, middle aged
woman who was apparently refusing
to be convinced.
"'Tain't the kind of house | want,
Mr.. Graham" she was saying shrllly,
mot in any way. There must be a bay
winder in the end for Dela's plants
an willers In front for her an Tommy
to set under. She said | needn't even
look at a place without the wlllers."
"But let me show you through the
house, Miss Brown" urged Graham.
II am sure you will like the arrange
ment, and there is fine willow In the
back yard which the young people can
sit under There wasn't time to go 10
my agent after the key, but | can get
In one Of the windows and open the
back door from the inside. I'm sure
But the woman stopped short, turned
md CT rfn1 bopty fnvt~orI tho Uato