The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-23
DELIVERING A MESSAGE.

Office and Elsie longed to go straight
home. She hesitated as she alighted
from the car at the corner near her
house, but she was used to listening
to the call Of duty and she wearily
mounted the steps of her neighbor,
Mrs. Briggs, and rang the bell.
"Well, Elsie" exclaimed Mrs.
Briggs, coming to the door. "I'm
glad to see you. Now you are here,
you must stay to dinner with US.
You needn't say no, for I've been
wanting you to-"
mo thank you, really, I can't" !"
interrupted Elsie. II just stopped
to-
"It's about time you stopped in, ;"
laughed Mrs. Briggs. II was say
ing to Edward only yesterday that
you never come here any more and
you go by the house twice day, too.
declare, it's real unneighborly."
''I am so busy, 1 really don't have
time for visiting. I just came to-
night to-"
"Talk about being busy I guess
I'm busy. Why do you know, I've
had my kitchen and dining-room
cleaned and now I'm going to have
all the wood work in the house paint
ed and three of the bed rooms papered.
1t seems to me we never were so up
set as we are this spring and I want
to put up a lot of early strawberries.
I never think the ones that come
cheap and late are as good for pre-
serving. When your mother makes
Jelly does she strain the juice before
She"
"I don't know, but mother will
gladly give you her rule. To-day
while eating lunch at Merrill's, l."
"Oh, do you go there? I always
thought it was pretty expensive
place. You are sensible, though, not
to economize on your lunches. Now
there's Miss Norris that used to room
here and help Mabel with her les
sons, she always ate cold lunch at
noon and I believe that's what made
her so sallow and L"
"Mrs. Briggs" broke in Elsie with
determination, 81 saw Mr."
"That's the good thing about going
down town every day, you meet so
many of your friends. Now, who
did you see, my dear 4? But just let
me tell you who I saw the other day.
YOU remember that Mrs. Wheaton
who was in the sewing circle with
your mother and me and afterwards
went to the north side, we'll She"
eyes, but wanted to tell you-"
"What do you think, Elsie, her
hair has turned snow white? It's
becoming to her, must say, and
some believe that she put something
on it to make it white, but I hardly
think so. Still, she isn't old, and
she hasn't had any trouble, has she 7"
"I Ireally don't know. Mrs. Briggs,
I met Mr."
"That's so, you were going to tell
me who you met. Was it Evelyn
Bard, whose engagement was just
announced? I declare, I never was
more surprised in my life than when
saw in the papers that she was going
to marry James Hale. Where in the
world did she ever meet him! |
wonder if her aunt got her into that
rich set. Maybe she did, because
you know how She"
Good night" said Elsie, suddenly,
and as she fed down the street she
could still hear Mrs. Briggs voice.
Although very tired, she wrote a
note that evening before going to
bed.
"My dear Mrs. Briggs: When
called at your house today it was
with the intention of telling you that
I met your cousin. Mr.. Wells, this
noon. He was passing through the
city in haste. He asked me to say to
you that he would be back late to-
morrow afternoon on his way home
and he wished you, Mr.. Briggs and
Mabel to meet him at the Union Hotel
at six, for dinner, if you cam"
"I'll send this by boy in the
morning." she sighed, as she signed
her name, "and I devoutly hope that
next time Mr.. Wells will deliver his
own invitation to the Briggs family