The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-09-17

Enlistment doomed big and imposing
200 yards away, but that was no dis
lance at all to active foragers such as
White Leghorns. Moreover, there had
been trouble before-trouble which
had left a residuum Of strained
relations between the big house and
the cottage. The cottage was almost
the Gattys' sole possession, albeit there
had been q time when everything in
sight had been Gatty land.
II don't know what to do. Susanna
would go look for Them" Miss Gatty
said to the clothes post, her sole sup
port and confidant. II suppose ought
to do 1t, but then how can 1? Those
Lalors are so new and so rich they'd
insult newly, they weren't even
afraid to be nasty to Susanna. Ac-
tually the woman told her she had no
business to keep hens If she couldn't
afford wired runs for them-as though
we hadn't right to keep anything we
please on our own place. But / do
wish they'd stay at home. And wish
Susanna were here. That's selfish.
She is having fine time at quarterly
meeting and, patience knows, she goes
seldom enough anywhere"
Miss Gatty was slender and pale and
pretty If she had turned thirty. She
had appealing brown eyes and slim
hands, taper fingered in spite of house
and garden work. She loved the gar
den. Indeed, 1t had been her salvation
after she had worn herself to shadow
wrestling with primary scholars. She
did not in the least mind hens there.
True, they scratched and pecked and
wallowed nightly, and her garden
was, In fact, chaotic. Flowers grew in
discriminatory cheek and jowl with
vegeta bles.
Notwithstanding she understood how
aggravating vagrant hens might be to
more orderly gardeners; also that with
strawberries ripe the flock was bosom
Of destruction. Those at her feet, hav-
Ing eaten their breakfast to the last
grain, began straying lightly and as
they walked preening themselves.
Watching them narrowly, she saw sus-
picious scarlet fecks upon more than
one white breast. They had certainly
been at the Lalor berries. She put her
hands up over her head, thinking hard.
1t was 8 o'clock of a lovely June
morning. Birds sang riotously all
about Miss Gatty listened to them
and said, nodding her head toward the
hens: 81 do believe all this comes Of
going against nature. If you had
broods like the birds you'd be too busy
feeding them to go hunting mischief"
"Humph! They'd be worse than ever.
l say thank the Lord there are no
squalling keepers to whoop them up.
II there were-well, I'd have to move,
that's ALL" gruff masculine voice said
behind her. Miss Gatty turned as
though shot What she saw confront
ing her evoked strangIed cry of dis
may tall man stood glowering at
her and swinging militantly a bunch
of headless white hens. 1--WE brought
back your property, not being thief"
he went on. Nov, let me pay you for
the satisfaction had In wringing their
necks. Let me also warn you the rest
will go the same way as sure as they
cross my fence. Here, take the money.
If SIS Is not enough
"Will you please to go away-in-
stantly?' Miss Gatty said, actually
stamping her foot Keep your money
keep the poor chickens too. Maybe
they will pay some part Of your dam
ages
THANK you. But I'm not in the
poultry line-neither restaurants" the
man said, hinging the dead hens at her
feet. A feck Of blood few upon Miss
| Gatty's faded frock. Noting II, the
man said awkwardly: please excuse
me- I've been acting the brute But
those berries were my PRIDE
you had right to-do as you did,"
Miss Gatty painted. "Only-please go
away! Go quickp
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 cravenly.
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, he 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
1t, stepped forward and set down his
basket In front of her with a resound-
ing thump AS she sprang up startled
he said in an embarrassed voice: May
be you don't know who I am. Ny
names Labor
But did know it. You should not
be here" Miss Gatty painted. your
wife,
''Thank you, but haven't got wife
mot yet" Mr.. Lalor 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.
think I'll let her-and see If l can't
have peace-and neighbors. Don't you
think we ought to be neighbors?
do. So I've brought these" pointing to
the berries. Wont you give me some
radishes to take home for my lunch
eolY