The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-16

man said, f1inging the dead hens ut her
feet. \ aeck Of blood flew upon Miss
Gatty's faded frock. Noting it, the
man said awkwardly: "Please excuse
me. I've been acting the brute. But
those berries were my PRIDE
"You had a right to-do as you did,"
Miss Gntty painted. "Only-pleasc go
away! Go quick!
She spoke STOPPING over the hens.
The man looked at her. close enough
to see two tears plash down on the
corpses. He ran incontinently from
the sight. but not altogether cravcnly.
Inside five minutes he was back With a
basket of fine, dewy, scarlet berries.
Miss Gatty had vanished. So had the
slain. He walked around to the back
door searching for her without finding.
Being a determined person, lie stepped
boldly inside. Miss Gatty sat in the
prim dining ROOM. her head buried in
her arms beside the old mahogany ia
BILE. She was sobbing-hard, dry sobs.
The intruder half turned as though to
run away again, but thought better of
it, stepped forward and set down his
basket in front of her with a resound-
ing thump. AS she sprang up startled
he said i'll AN embarrassed voice: MAY
be you don't know who l am. My
names Labor
"But l did know ii. You should not
be here Miss Gatty painted. your
wife,
"Thank you. but l haven't got a wife
not yet" Mr.. Labor said, with a grin.
"You must be thinking of my sister-in-
law. Fanny keeps house for me, but
she hates the place and wants to leave.
I think I'll let her-and see il 1 can't
have peace-and neighbors. Don't you
think we ought to be neighbors? I
do. So I've brought these" pointing to
the berries. Won't you give me some
radishes to take home for my lunch
eon?"
ITO be sure, I'll be so glad!' Miss
Gatty cried, springing up, quite forget
full of tear stains, and darting toward
her dear garden. She meant to go
alone, but Andrew Labor was right be-
hind her. Long before the radishes
were chosen they had buried all griev-
ances, past, present and to come. Be-
fore he left she had told him all about
Susanna-Susanna, who was the young
est, but had sc much a wiser head on
her shoulders. All unconsciously she
had told him many other things-things
that set him meditating and smiling all
the way home. Once or twice, too, he
blushed and gnawed angrily at his
mustache. muttering: "Lord, to think
that 1 offered her money! Took her for
a q%uarrelsome old maid! It's going to
take time to live that down, but I'll do
it as sure as I'm six feet two"
Susanna stayed on for a whole week.
Quarterly meeting had turned out to be
the beginning of a revival, but Miss
Gatty did not mind in the least.
You must not worry thinking I am
lonely she wrote. 81 am quite too
busy, keeping the hens us they should
be kept. And really 1 I'm finding out
that we have very good neighbours
uSann puzzled over tina last SEN
tence, at least until she came home to
find Mr.. Labor established in the priv
ilege of keeping ward " the forag-
fngs of the White Leghorns. Her eyes
twinlled comprehension as he shook
hands on presentation. He caught the
twinkle and answered it boldly with:
"Please may I have your sister Helen?
I knew it would do no good to ask be-
fore you came home"
"Why, yes; I think you may" Su-
sauna said, the twinkle deepening.
But do you think it is quite fair-this
way of playing beggar my neighbour"
you're really responsible. Your
hens have taught me to take what I
want regardless of bounds" he flung
back at her. Susanna laughed out
right and answered honestly, eff they
really did it I'm mighty glad"