Middletown transcript., 1907-09-07

W pl6dS0 LII y CulIuI0ll; Ou5 uSCu
to relax and rest now, I think.
It's going to be stoppedi said
the bishop, with look around
his mouth that his clergymen
knew meant determination.
He went down into the little
town, later in the morning, from
whence came their supplies, and
the mail. There he sent and re-
ceived several kilograms before
he went back to camp.
When he came up bis wife was
sitting on the porch of their rus
tic cottage, dressed in a crisp
white frock, her hair beautifully
done. Her pretty hands held a
trife of embroidery, while she
listened, a little wistfully, to the
laughter that came over from the
tennis court, and looked longingly
at her big boys, who where shoot
ing at a mark.
When the bishop asked her,
with a mysterious twinkle in his
eyes, to walk with him, she arose
with alacrity, and squeezing her
embroidery up in a ball, dropped
it.
They walked toward the spring
and when they came in sight of
the tennis court, Here, sweet
heart, let me get your parasol,
cried Beth, running after her.
Beth's own brown face was
guiltless Of hat or sunshade and
her eyes looked affeetionately at
the mother, on whom unpro-
tected no sunlight might fall.
Once out of sight, the bishop
unfolded his plan.
Next morning when the troop
of boys and girls came gaily up,
fresh from an early morning dip
in the mountain stream, they
found no father and no mother,
but the note that is usually found
on the pincushion. This time it
came in on the breakfast tray,
and it was addressed to "The
Culver. It read thus
We have eloped, dear children, TO es-
cape from you and Mrs. Grundy. | have
taken a cottage that is called ''The
Eyrie, /" and we shall be delighted to hear
from you, or see you, when you think you
can stand the sight of your mother in
camping clothes, and with the tired droop
entirely gone from her eyeiids andimouth-
corners. Meantime, your Aunt Gertrude
is coming.
Your affectionate
Dad, S. 7. D.
which stands for Stern Tyrannical
| Determined !
A dreadful silence fell upon
them all. Beth was the first one
to speak. Why didn't mother
say she was unhappy, or that We
were boring her? Oh, dear, we
thought we we're doing the right
thing, and it seems we were
making her unhappy. | can't
understand it!
You see, explained Anne to the
girl guest, it all comes from our
all being SO big and muscular,
and mother so fine and feminine
We have always looked after her,
and how she must have hated it
sometimes Well, we'll have a
chance for repentance in sack
cloth and ashes now with Aunt
Gertrude, who has firm and well.
developed ideas of her own about
chaperonage and things.
They stood it for long, ted
ious week, and then they located
"The Eyrie,'' and one day they
came to the spot like a party of
ambushed Indians.
A man in his shirt-sleeves and
a woman in blue denim were
shooting at mark.
The sun was shining cheerfully
down on the unprotected heads
of the pair, who were absorbed
in the score.
I think the boys would be
rather proud of their mother S
craftsmanship! remarked the
sharpshooter in blue denim, COM
placently.
Not one of them could have
plugged the bull's-eye four times
hand-running as | have done,
with all their stem winding new
tangled rifles and outfits gen
orally, remarked the coatless one
with equal pride.
It's all very well for them to
put on airs, and laugh at the
equipments Of olden times but
it's results that show, my dear
results! It's worth much to see
the result of our elopment, for
instance you have shed ten
years along with your pearl
combs.
Yees, said his wife, wistfuliy,
and yeti do miss them and
hope their feelings aren't too
much hurt