The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-24
MARTA's INTERFERENCE.
.Bs( Constance D'Arey Mackay.

fcopyrlght, 1908, by Ruby Dougias.l
 Heaven deliver me from nefghbors'" grumbled Marta to herself as she dust ed Professor Travers study. From its windows she could look across to the next lawn, where girl in an embroid- cred dress was tending a flower gar den. lace parasol in one hand and q ridiculously small gresa watsrins gan in the other At her. heels parked tiny dog, and 1t would have been hard to tell which Marta regarded with the more dieapprovai. the toy spaniel or it's owner.
 The next door house had been vacant so many years that Marta looked on it's new purchaser, the Gainsboros, n the light of intruders, as the little vili- age of Hampstead was seldom Ire auented by Summer people. For this reason Professor TraveFs made If his retreat the moment college closed in order to escape the festivities of eom' eneen1ent-cheering students, pink ,ce cream and a host of enthusiastic giris had no charms for him. He was bored by the former. and too deeply apsoro ed in his bookssrto notice the latter For this Marta. his middle aged book keeper, was supremely grateful Sh' had taken care of him too many yeari to relinauish her supremacy without struggle
 aBut it will come some time." said John. her husband. Love Is like tho measles. And the older he is when he takes 1t. the harder t VIII go Witn him." M ysis
 He's thirty-five and t hasn't come yet" answered Marta. hopefully.
 She had nursed TFavers through many childish ailments, and felt herself capable of warding off this most dan gerous aiiment of alI. So she guard ed his solitude with watchful zeal She had a horror of intruders especial. ly young and feminine ones. and the nearness of Betty Gainsboro was q positive menace to her peace of mind.
 Running about in high-heeied slip. pers and wearing big, fluffy hats. just as if a freckle or two would hurt her!". sniffed Marta. though 1t was un- deniabie that the face beneath the wide brims was winsomely attractive.
 The professor caught his first glimpse of it one afternoon as ne came home through his orchard after a morning spent in the woods near by One coat pocket bulged with speci' mems, the other contained his notebook and he hurried along the grassy path wondering if Marta had kept luncheon waiting, when from the branches of gnarled apple tree above him came a great rustling.
 
 sought a sweet voice.
 The professor halted. blinking up- ward into the leaves, where a pretty embarrassed face looked out like dryad in distress
 I'm up here. and I can't get down so I'm afraid III have to ask you Tor help.
 To the professor. unused to climbing any tree save that of knowledge, the feat was extremely difficult. Yet he managed 1t skilfully enough and swung himself up to where Betty sat. Then slowly, holding very tight to his hand faS ,S5 @sSS sSS aeF Rsa5i ss iaHsS n
 Y won't do that again." she declar- ed. "It's been awfully good of you to heIp a neIghbor in distress, especially when she's been trespassing on your property"
 would trespass as often as She liked ana side by side they moved home ward through the long orchard grass. He saw her to her own gate, and next dav when they went for a stroll by the Hampstread River, Marta's worst fears seemed realized. Her consterna- lion increased when Travers began to look to his canoe that he had not us. in years humming college Slee as ne worked.
 If he Is drowned 1t will be the fault of that flighty piece next door" wall ed Marta.
 He began. too. to take an alarming interest in hts personal appearance, thing he had never done before. He gave up his somewhat seedy coats. and 1ueer. loose collars, and a box present. ly arrived from New York, bearing the hall mark of a fashionable tailor. And Marta felt that crisis had been reach ed when the loss of some of the finest specimens of flora in Travers collection only moved him to a tempo rary regret. He no longer spent hls days boring over books. Instead, he studied and came to the conclusion that there was nothing on earth more in- comprehensible than a woman. Once, when the canoe had nearly overturned she had shown herself valiant in the face of danger. yet the sight of tiny garter snake made her seek refuge on the nearest fence. where she perch ed in a panic till Travers had Killed 1t.
 One evening when Travers was re- turning from a lecture he had given at the Summer school of an adjoining town. he noted a tall young fellow fair headed. and broad of shoulder, gel oH at the Hampstead station and strike along the village road like cn' Accustomed to the place. The profes' Sor followed a little iu the rear Al