The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1907-09-21
An Unusual
COurtship
By ELIZABETH ROBBINS.
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowies.)

women IN the rusty buggy, n the
stumbling horse fell into a slow walk
I'VE are nearly there, mother. OuI
new home is in sight" said Elinor.
Mrs. Fairchild looked up apathet
ically and a faint light came into her
faded eyes.
as it that beautiful little place at
the top Of the hill, with the elms
about it?" she asked.
"Oh, dear, mother-nol That is Mr.
Flints," Elinor fastened to say. I'VE
never could afford a place like that
Look nearer"
This next one, l suppose Mrs
Fairchild said YEARLY, glancing with
out interest at an old-fashioned farm
house lea at hand.
mo, mother, no." Elinor answered
unhappily. The brakes live there.
Look again-you remember l said 1t
was very tiny"
There was but one place between
the brakes and the Flints', a shabby
BIT of a house half way up the hill
with a small woodshed and an old ap.
pie tree for company.
Mrs. Fairchild looked at it, then in
her daughters face, and began to cry
heart-brokenly.
Why couldn't have died when
your father did," she sobbed. why
can't die now? l never would have
believed you conld hiring ycG- mcthSr
to such a place"
Elinor bit her lip and had hard
work to keep her own tears back. She
turned the horse into the yard and
stopped close beside the front door.
81 cant live here, Elinor," walled
Mrs. Fairchild, making no motion to
leave the buggy. Let us go back to
our old home and stay there till we
have to go to the poorhouse. Perhaps
| shall die before that"
I'VE can't go back" Elinor an
swered miserably. Some one else
owns 1t now. Please, mother?"
After much coaxing Mrs. Fairchild
allowed herself to be helped from the
carriage and led into the house. Elinor
made her mother comfortable, and
then went to return Mr.. brakes horse
and buggy.
On the way back she met a mar
whom she had not seen before-a
man under 30, in shirt sleeves, and
trousers tucked in his boots, who held
himself erect, walked easily and had
an air of perfect self-possession
Elinor glanced at him as they neared
each other, and met his eyes. He was
looking at her so searchingly that she
colored and looked away quickly.
A little farther down the hill she
heard Mrs. Drake call to him, John
John Flint" and then she knew that
he was the bachelor owner of the
house among the elms at the top of
the hill.
Mrs. Fairchild remained the com
planning semi-invalid, but Elinor could
not be unhappy in her new home.
Their affairs had looked so hopeless
after her fathers death, their income
suddenly cut off, their only property
a large house with two mortgages on
1t, that she seemed well off now, in
contrast,
To be sure, the long vacation would
soon begin, but in the fall there would
be the singing in the quartette at
church, the promised music scholars
and the sewing, and these occupations
would bring her enough for herself
and her mother to live on comforta-
bly,.
The house and the land about 1t
they owned clear. When Elinor, walk
ing home from church the first Sun
day, caught sight of it, she felt a little
thrill of pride in its possession, and
then laughed at herself for the feel
ing.
IF it was only painted and blinded"
she thought.
Beyond her division wall was a
large field that had been set to straw.
berries. 1t belonged to John Flint,
and he was cultivating there with a
horse. Elinor liked to watch them as
they worked, or stopped to rest at the
end of a long row., They did every
thing so easily and both looked so
strong and seemed to understand each
other so well, the horse showing no
nervous fear, the man no temper.
The blinds were ordered and in due
time came. Elinor painted them in
the weodshed, and thought it fun.
Now, mother, I'm going to paint
the house she said. Mrs. Fairchild
sighed, declared it needed it badly
enough, hut made no objection.
So the paint vas bought and a lad.
der borrowed from the brakes.
Il will do the back side first" she
decided. Somehow she had a nervous
dread of being seen at It. and more
than half wished she had left paint
alone. Once up the ladder. however.
she became so interested in seeing
the dingy clapboards grow white that
she forgot everything else.
When she had painted as far as she
could reach each way, she carefully
descended to the ground.
A voice at her elbow mada har