The Springdale news., 1907-12-20

Stufing my shoes into the raincoat pockets, I grappled with the agents enormous cotton umbrella, calculated, as he observed with pride, to keep Il ten acre rot dry under a cloudburst.
 Now" he directed suceinctly from the door, just follow your nose IT the road spell till you come to io of lights. That's the Pines. Go in and hang them boots over the kitchen fire to dry out while you tell Betty that send a merry Christmas and would De darned glad to send her something more if dared
 1 promised and started out on roat beset by as many difficulties as eve encountered Bunyan's Christian. in that wind my great umbrella acted like tie sail b Il rudderless ship. If top pied me into mudhole one moneHi and tumDled me over I projecting stone the next, the ballasting boots De ing at no time able to keep ill line with my head. Moreover. I discovered presently that the statement concern ing the ten acre lot was pure fiction the umbrella containing as many hole as the agents conscience.
 Also l discovered after half henr tramp that the Pines did not conta' a .lot of lights" There was only one visible and that but a faint glow il the rear of the gabed porticoed pii, which loomed up before me, shutte1e and dark. just as had proved beyonS a doubt that the curious sucking soa&s which arose at every step came ffaf water inside rather than outside those boots
 "A pretty reception this to give 1T invited guest" l muttered wrathfufi9 thinking of Harold, well groemed, drf and comfortable. by this time in May. vile and-perish the thought t-takins dinner it might be. with the Days
 Jerking the gate open with unneces. sary vigor I sought the kitchen hz way of the back walk and HI invisible wire clothesiine. This instrument of mutilation took me on the point of tbe chin. knocking my teeth shut before could remove my tongue to place c. safety and. scraping backward violent ly. came to rest against my Adam s als pit. " litH tlSulto ny oF'i hiht made sundry remarks appropriate to the clothesline and soothing to my wound ed feelings stumbled ID the back steps and applied my knnckies to th" door with force which evidently startled the inmates of the kitchen
 For an instant silence greeted Ill. demand for hearing then hearty voice with Hibernisn aecent arests from within: And sure. me darin. " needn't be afraid to open th door Be dad. with tn hammer I'll attind to his case
 Some one approached the door and T faint aud tremulous voice asked "W-who Is it:''
 blast ef snow laden wind whirled up under the cotton umbrella boxing my numbed ears aud clustering safi application on the nape of inx neck
 .,I an4 Mrs Smiths eonSitt.2 shouted
 "Arrsh he is. is he:'' cried the Hi bernian voice. Lave him give il. color of his hair. thint.
 The other voice was upliftcd i'll tht strange inquiry. preferred in weak tones What k he color of your hair please"
 Under ordinary circumstances tH stead of replying 10 such inpertineaee I would not have stood upon the oftle# of my going but with that storm as sailing mv back and the brim of ths derby directing q gentle stream inside my collar swallowed my ire and an swercd meekly. Brownish. Yergn@ if to q golden red.
 'Arrah,s came Brdgct.s trinmplfst1f tones. He ain't th' wan shes looisla