Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-11-09
THEIR MAY
FITTING
By FRANK n. SWEET
Copyright, 1906, BY Frank H. Stceet

il meekly. IL was Drlef
NV Dear Miss Betty-I have Just left
the house. II is down In the country and
near the seashore and has piazzas and an
apple orchard-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
futter.
II didn't know it had-had gone so
far, Elizabeth" she said eagerly, that
you were engaged. When
1--WE are not engaged" sharply, "and
never will be. | have thought Mr..
Graham a very pleasant man and have
liked him, and he has called on us
quite often lately, but there has never
been a word of-of love spoken, and
now this note, II is positively insult
ingl Mother, we must commence pack
ing at once and move this very after
noon"
"Why, child, we can't" in startled
dismay 1T will take a week at least.
You know
81 know we shall be out Of this house
D9IOTe ulkll. NGLeLuellIl 5llSlAl
90 and engage a 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.
II will cost q few dollars more, but 1t
will hide all trace Of our whereabouts.
! Mr.. Graham will be here tomorrow to
no into details-the presumptuous
wretch! I'm sorry l ever spoke to hir1
about our plans to hire a quiet place
for the summer. Now, mother, you
go and be packing your clothes and
valuables. | shall tell the van man
TO be here In an hour, and we must
be ready"
"Yes, dear" meekly, "but where
shall we goT
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 it?'
rs It? Why. yes believe you are
right, mother, but, you know he told
us he was just down there for a few
! days fishing and that he didn't get a
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"
The next afternoon they were stand
ing on the front porch Of a pretty
vine covered cottage, experimenting
the removal Of their goods from the
local delivery wagon. The indignation
still burned in Elizabeths eyes. Mrs.
Brown hooked tired and plaintive.
II 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"
We'll stay all right, mother; don't
you worry. The house was to rent
and the key left with the postmaster
for prospective tenants. What II the
owner did write to him about an old
maid who was looking after a place
for some young friends and that he
would have her come down and see
this. She hasn't put in an appear
ance yet, nor her young friends, and
we were the first real applicants. Be
sides. we are in actual possession, and
| was shrerd enough to force an ad-
vance rent into the postmaster \
hands Now help me swing this ham
mock on the piazza here and then you
lie down IN 1t 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
sively at Elizabeth, who had stopped
reading and was now contemplating
the closed book in her lap with unsee-
ing eyes. There were solitary walks
about this village, many Of them, and
the young girl was facing the fact that
|
ton of the place. The previous sum
mer's outing had been pleasant, but
there had been companionsnip to make
II 30.
The gate latch clicked, and Mrs
Brown was aroused by a stified ex.
clamation from Elizabeth. Coming VI
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 l want
Mr.. Graham" she was saying shrilly
mot IN any way. There must be bay
winder In the end for Delias plants
an willers In front for her an Tommy
to set under She said | needn't ever
look at a place without the willers."
"But let me show you through the
house. Miss Brown" urged Graham
ct am sure you will like the arrange
meut, and there is a fine willow in The
back yard which the young people car
sit under There wasn't time to go t
my agent after the key, but | can ge
IN one Of the windows and open tht
back door from the inside. I'm sure
But the woman stopped short, turned
and started back toward the gate.
"Willers in front" she repeated az
gressively. "Them's the last words
Della said It's no use, Mr. Graham.
I don't want IT,"
Graham watched her through the
gate and up the sidewalk toward the
station and then turned again to the
house
Might as well run through it while
I'm here" they heard him say, then,
why, hello! Looks as if somebody
lived In the house-curtains at the win.
dows, and" as he came few steps
nearer, "hammocks swung on the
piazza, and Great Scott. Elizabeth
Miss Brown. You here! Well, well
| This is luck"