The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-08-24
How Joan Took
the Country
BY BELLE MANDATES
Copyright, 1906, by p. c. EASEMENT

near the farm where they intended to
spend the summer, they at first saw 10
one waiting for them.
Joan's quickly moving eyes covered
the whole scene in appreciation. The
colliding and jOstling of incoming and
outgoing passengers, the frantic haste
of belated travellers contrasting with
the exasperating leisure of the ticket
agent, the jogging pace of the man be-
hind the baggage truck, the vociferous
voiced driver of the bus, besieging pas
sengers TO ride to the Pullet House; the
passive miened driver of the one shah
by hack, formed a series Of most real
istic pictures which made Joan touch
the button many times.
A peculiarly fashioned horse attached
to q two seated democrat now drove
up. Joan was somewhat In doubt at
first as TO the genuineness OF the ami
NAL, which seemed to her to have a
homemade aspect. The driver was gaz-
ing into space, with no manifest inter-
est in the arrival of the train.
Again she touched the button, while
Lucille, who had spent the summers of
two years in this vicinity, went quick
ly up to the newcomer.
"Why, how do you do, MI. Bates?
This is my friend, Miss Williams"
The girls occupied the back seat of
the vehicle. Mr.. Bates uttered a mild
"Geed-apw and the horse made a for
ward movement, tearing away in clum-
I,a hY.iI of hn
end of which he settled down into a
nippy little gait.
"Old Hundred didn't omit his usual
bridge sprint" observed Lucille.
"Old Hundred, He doesn't deserve
such cognomen," observed Joan.
"You will think so. He hasn't set
tied down into his smallest pace yet"
"Geed-ap" reiterated Mr.. Bates,
reused to effort by this insinuation
and smartly slapping the relns across
the steeds ample back.
"He doesn't 'geed-ap' very fast"
commented Joan.
"Do you earn your own living, too?"
asked the old man, turning to her
quickly.
81 hope to-" she replied modestly. II
take pictures. l expect to take your
whole country"
II hope it brings you more than writ
ing poetry" he said, with glance at
Lucille. 1.-The Hedgeton Gazette only
pays for it in subscriptions and trade"
Joan gave an ecstatic laugh.
But Lucille writes for big maya
zines. She is paid by the word"
"You don't tell me! She must be
awful rich"
"But sometimes I sit for hours and
can't think of word" confessed Lu-
cile.
'Words are plenty enough" he de-
clared scornfully. you can get them
out Of dictionary"
81 never thought of that" she re-
piled naively.
At nearly every farmhouse en- route
Mr.. Bates "whoaed" to deliver pur-
chases. Now it was the farmers wife
who came out to the wagon and again
1t was Il bashful boy or a gggling
girl. In every instance Joan's camera
was active.
The last commission was not deiv-
cred at house or in person. Mr.. Bates
stopped in front of q barn near the
roadside and there deposited q sus-
picious looking package. Farther on
they met a farmer who looked at them
inquiringly.
''Put it in the barn, Fred" said Mr.
Bates significantly.
"All right" Bestowing q knowing
wink upon his purchasing agent, Fred
fastened forward.
'How are the Locke girls?" asked
Lucille. "And do you all help them as
much as you did,"
Mr.. Bates then related q pathetic
story of the misfortunes Of the Locke
girls" who had lived together for
seventy odd years in the little tumble
down house with It's sparse garden
patch. The mortgage had been fore
closed. Roxy's sight had failed her,
and she was unable to do the 'pecing'
and quilting by which they had helped
exc out their living.
The poorhouse was looming up in
their horoscope, though the neighbors
were preparing to give a harvest ball
and bestow the proceeds therefrorfi to
the averting of this calamity.
BY the time this narrative was fin
ished they had reached the farmhouse
Of the Bates household, and Mrs. Bates
came out to greet the "city folks" who
were shown to their bedroom off the
sitting ROOM"
"The live stock seem to be making a
grand entrance" said Joan presently,
parting the curtain. Through the hole
In the screen door some chickens are
entering. On the stairs are q multi
tude of cats, and stray sheep-I think
1t Is sheep-bleats on the back steps.
Mrs. Bates Is sending the dog for the
cows. VIII he bring them into the
house?'
Her thought was still of n menagerie
when she awoke the next morning. COZ.
scious of slight motion of the house.
accompanied by most peculiar sound.
She awoke Lucille, who sat up to listen.
"1t's an earthquakew asserted Joan.
unless the house is portable. should
not be surprised If we were all en-
route to the barn to do the chores"
MRS Bates" called Lucille. "What
ais the bousef"