Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-01
CHAPTER XIII.
The Lawn Eeta.

The Lawn Fete.
Il was August now. The nice wealth
er held out right along and one day
on Ozone island was a good deal like
the next
And yet 1t seemed to me that there
was little changes. For instance. take
the matter OF reading. When we first
arrived twas nothing but that Natural
Life book, the Heavenly Twins was
at 1t continuous, and such thing as a
newspaper or magazine was what
Van Brunt called an determination.
l couldn't get a paper even 10 kindle
fire with; had to use poverty srass for
that. Blu, now tho Natural Life ser
mon laid on the dining room. mantei
piece most OF the time, with a layer
Of dust on it, and Scudder fetched
the Boston and New York newspapers
every day, And magazines and books
begun to come In the mail.
remember one day Hartley set
reading the New York Evening Post,
that part OF it he called the financial
page" All at once he spoke.
by Jove! Van" he says. "Consoli-
dated Tea Lead is up three points from
last weeks quotations There must
be something doing"
Van looked at him, kind OF sad and
disappointed.
Martin" says he. are you falling
from grace? Get thee behind me-
Satan. Give me that financial sheet"
Hartley laughed and tossed It over,
There" says his chum. crumpliug It
up and showing 1t into his pocket That
disturbing influence Is out Of the way.
Let us discuss the simple and salts
flying subject OF agriculture. There is
an article on The Home Garden in
this months number OF The Rural
Gentleman. which should be instruc-
tive to our friend Mr.. Pratt. plower
of sea and soil, Skipper. lend me your
ears. III return them shortly"
Then he commenced TO read that
magazine piece ont loud to me, very
solemn, and stopping every once In q
while to chuck in some ridiculous ad
vice on his own account. This had got
10 be regular thing. Every bit OF
farm news ! had to hear. The garden
was Vans pet Joke.
what" says he. when the reading
was done. lis the latest crop bulletin
Sol?"
Il have the honor to report" says
I, that from the present OUTLOOK
we'll have two cornstalks, one to
matter vine and three cucumber plant.
really In sight by tomorrow morning
That Ia, II tn. sand don't blow In ant
cover EN- up in the night"
Good" he says. Il move that tn,
report be accepted. Martin, don't le
me see you wasting your time on tn,
frivolity OF the street whom there ar,
such serious matters to claim our al
tention.''
Which was all right, only that YER,
hind the barn. reading that Post f
nancial page ard looking mighty IN
terested.
They werc more anxious to be doin
things than when they hrst come
Hartley's health was improving a.
the time, and that probably accounte
for his liveliness. ! took EN- sailin
most every day and they wanted t
fish and shoot and the like OF that.
Once We went on q cruise after shor
birds. bagged . few. but the Twin
couldn't hit a flock OF balloons with
cannon, 80 they didn't have no lucl
But . little later Van won't ont alon
With Nate Soudder and III be blesse
II he didn't come back with q doxe
peep and ring-necks. Then the wa
no crowed over me and Martin wa
seandalous. TIL. a week later, Hsrtls
himself went cunning with Nate an
fetched home IL, bigger and bette
than his chum's, And after this, I
course, twas nothing but what grei
hunter Scudder was, and rubbing
into me,
Tho hotel boarders and the TOW