The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-15
THE EVENING STORY
The Little Tin Cottage.

trees.
Yes" murmured her mother, family. |
Peggy looked back at her. ~.
Mother" she protested. you are
that her mother had carried, and thus
weighted with two; she plodded on I'M
til she came to an intersection Of the
path.
Tn not sure which way to turn to
go to our COTTAGE she said doesn't it
sound too good to be true to say our
cottage mother:"
Yes. it does, and the rent Is so
cheap" Mrs. Linton said.
I'VE couldn't have come If it hadn't
been cheap" Peggy, remarked. philo-
sophically.
and again they plodded on.
Presently man appeared among the
trees. He wore blue overalls, and he
was wheeling a barrow.
oh, can you tell us where Miss
Brownlee's cottages are?" Peggy called,
eagerly.
THE tin cottages7" the man in
quired.
''The what?" Peggy gasped.
The man grinned. 1.-The tin cottages
those are the ones Miss Brownlee.
rents. You go on till you come to O.
path toward the lake and you'll find
them
Mother" Peggy demanded. when he
had gone on. what do you suppose he
meant?''
I'm sure I don't know and I dom:
care" said Mrs. Linton, pensively.
Poor little mother, Peggy worried.
you're tired OUT
Again they went on, and; at last they
saw before them a row of diminutiye
houses like inverted bathtubs. They
were painted gray. and they were very
compact and neat, but to Peggy, who
had dreamed of a picturesque rustic
bungalow, they were Nightmares.
oh" she said in dismay, they are
hideous, mother"
And after one glance Mrs. Linton sat
down on the moss and laid her UNI
brella beside her. IT'S the last straw"
she said. dejectedly.
"Oh, dear" sighed Peggy, and her
mother echoed the plant.
But presently they saw a woman
reckoning to them from the porch of
a large rustic cottage at the end Of a
row of tin caricatures.
"That must be Miss Brownlee," Peg
gy said. ct am going to tell her that
think she should have told us that
the cottages were made of tin"
But as they came up to the porch
the beaming face of the rather massive
lady disarmed criticism.
''I thought you would be here about
this time she said. II want you to
have lunch with me-"
"Oh," Peggy demurred, 1--WE don't
like to trouble you
I'm dead lonesome" Miss Brown
lee fastened to explain, land like
company. That's why built the cot
tages.'
AREN'T they a little odd?" Peggy
asked.
IT think they are beautiful Miss
Brownlee declared radiantly. AFTER
the big fair they were for sale-they
-
bought them cheap, and they are nice
and comfortable inside. I have rented
the one next to you to young man,
an artist. He comes tomorrow.
HAS he seen them?" Peggy quav-
cred, not daring to look at her mother.
emo. but I told him how nice they
were.''
"Oh," Peggy murmured, and went
on eating hot biscuits.
A half hour later she said to Miss
Brownlee: 81 have never tasted such
perfectly delicious lunch"
Miss Brownlee laughed. well,
am a right good cook" she said. 81
always wanted to have an opportunity
to learn things, but after mother died
1 was too old to take up painting or
music so just went on cooking. After
all, don't know but it's just as worth
while to be good cook as a bad ar
tist."
Indeed it is" said Peggy heartily:
at paint some myself. But 1 wish
could make cake like this"
ooh, do you paint?" cried MISS
Rrownlee. Some time 1 am going to
get you to make a picture of the cot
tage."
In the morning Peggy set her easel
uo on the bluff, but the magic OF the
lake e1uded her, and when she came
in she had nothing to show but
sketch of Sally.
She gave it to Miss Brownlee.
"weIl, WE'LL" said that delighted
to have it framed. By the way she
added. tits time for that young man
To come. And there he is now and
she hurried to the door.
He was a handsome young fellow
with a gray cap on the BACK OF MS
head.
Where is it?"
pointing to the one next to Peggy's.
ssThat: oh. by George" the young
man calculated, and Peggy laughed
"It's the one I told you about in
NV letter" Miss Brownlee went on.
yes" he murmured feebly. you
told me-
have the one next to It, ana miss
Peggy behind her-Peggy' whose
blue eyes danced wickedly.
The Young man looked at her, TAX
ing in with appreciation the grace
of the slender girlish figure. :, |
al think I shall like-the cottage,
he said slowly, and when they had
talked for a few minutes, Pegsy went
back to her mother.
ale is very nice" she remarked, |
land his name is Meredith and with
that she took her portfolio ana
started for the bluff.
Look here" said some one over
her shoulder two hours later, you
ought not to try that sort of thing"
It was Mr. Meredith why not?"
asked Peggy. :,
II saw your sketch Of Sally" he |
told her. "You do it better than |