Middletown transcript., 1908-11-21
We TO take any
than you do for
I guess We can take

7 guess We can take |
hem. 81 Mrs. Peterson, for.
getting her resentment in the in |
stinctof hospitality. How long
will yon folks be gomez
A week or two, | guess. I'm
ever and ever SO much obliged,
and maybe | can do something
for you some day. They'll be
over right away, for We want to
start right after dinner. Good.
by, and Mrs. Peterson was left
to wonder who the boarders were
and why her cousin bothered
with just two girls, and out OF
season at that. 0|
The afternoon proved rainy, 50
Mrs. Peterson sat in the pleasant
kitchen with a basket of carpet
rags while the two girls busted
themselves with dainty bits OF
needlework. Very little,conver-
satlon was carried on, though the
boarders made several attempts
to include their grim hostess in
the general talk about sewing. i
like to keep my hands busy with
something useful, said Mrs. Pet
erson. I've got three barrels OF
carpet rags in the attic this min
ute that I've done off and on dur
ing the last three years. ] was
going to make them up into car
pets for my son, but he's going
to marry a city girl, and they
wouldn't be good enough for her
kitchen.
Did the girl say they would not
be good enough for her kitchen?
asked one Of the young women,
in q perfectly respectful tone.
No, I've never met her, and !
never want to, said Mrs. Peter
son. All city girls are stuck up
and proud, so I'm going to give
my rags to old Mrs. Carter.
I've lived in both city and coun-
try, and have good friends in
both places, remarked the other
girl. I am sorry you have met
only proud girls from the city,
for there are plenty of the other
kind there.
I don't know any city girls,
went on the hostess, but I've al
ways heard they look down on
country people. There's one
thing certain, the young woman
that laid a trap for my John will
| never have a chance to look down
on pa and me. She stabbed her
needle into a calico cushion, and
rose to get supper, thinking she
had settled the question with
| those two city boarders.
I wouldn't try to do anything
with such stubborn, ignorant
woman, Bess, said one of the
boarders, with energy as they
sat in the old-fashioned spare
chamber, with the autumn wind
and rain signing and dripping
| outside. It isn't worth wasting
a whole month on her. You and
John can be happy whether OF
not she ever receives you into
her home as a daughter. Let's
have a sudden message call as
home in a day or two and own
ourselves beaten.
But we'll be happier if she feels
all right, said the other girl, with
a wistful look in her gray eyes.
I feel very sorry for her, and Il
| she could only learn to like me
little bit she would be better off,
for / don't want to rob her of her
son. Wen stay a while and I'll
do my best.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stehbens pro
longed their visit from day to
day, but Mrs. Peterson assured
| them that the boarders were no
trouble to her at all. The city
girls helped with the housework,
trimmed the old house with gay
leaves and vines, admired the
store Of quilts and coverlets Mrs.
Peterson proudly displayed one
gloomy day, and then folded sad
ly away when she remembered
that they would only be castaside
at her death. They sang, read
sewed and walked all through
the golden or stormy days until
their hostess reluctantly con-
fessed to her hus band that maybe
there were scme sensible city
girls after all. Of course, the
boarders knew nothing of this,
and one gloomy day as they pack
ed their trunks to return TO Mrs.
Stebbens O discouraged girl laid
her head in the lap of her cousin
and owned herself defeated.
I'm going right down and give
that woman q piece jof my mind,
said the cousin, when Johns
nromised wife had Sobbed out