Gilpin observer., 1909-10-28
How Mrs. Carraway
Went to the Exposition
By EDITH MORGAN WILLETI
Copyright. by J. B. Lippincott Coz

Oh, yes! l expected to go from the
start. The exposition was one Of the
years pleasant possibilities, and what
rice'planter's year does not TEEN with
them THAT is, for nine months out Of
the IL (until harvesD. In the other
three, as a rule, pleasant possibilities
are non-existent.
About the middle of May, when, to
speak figuratively. hope spread itself
in acres of green all over our Run
nymede" fields, we first made our
plans, Dick figuring out indisputably
in the evenings. over his briar.wood
and stub pencil. that the crop ought
to furnish my trip Che couldn't pos
Bibly get off) quite comfortably. in ad-
dition to the new buggy we needed
and the new seed-rice we couldn't do
without.
or course didn't care to talk about
the matter (what rice-planters wife
would think Of making positive
statement more than a week ahead?), :,
SO l only mentioned carelessly to
few Of our neighbors. including Mrs.
Bentley, that l should probably go
to the exposition that summer.
I'm afraid there was a wicked salts
faction in the thought of the nights
Mrs. Bentley would probably lie awake
(she suffers acutely from that trying
mental disease called "Other-people's
affairs-on-the-brainO puzzling over
how we could possibly carry out these
plans without ending in either the
poor house or the penitentiary.
Well. when June came, and with It
the move to the Pine-land settlement,
where we rice-planters migrate for
the unhealthy season, people began
to ask when l was going to the expo
sition; and for the sake of quiet, an
nounced definitely that 1 couldn't pos.
sibly get of before the first week in
August!
When mentioned my plans to Dick
he took 1t beautifully, only asking in
rather forcible way how | intended
to go.
| l outlined my plan as alluringly as
possible. but may as well state that
1t took all my powers of persuasion
to make him consent to 1t. Fortu.
nately for me, Dick has a saving sense
OF humor!
DO you really think you'll get any
fun out of it?" he asked at length, dis.
couragingly. though / saw his eyes
were little squeezed at the cor
ners.
"Oh. yes. 1t will be the greatest
lark" 1 protested, land SO improving!
Seeing the exposition in this way. I
| shall ha ahla fn faE In Ix,
at my leisure. and at the same time
avoid heat. crowds. and noise, which
1 abominate-not to mention ex-
pense.
l started on Tuesday, the sixth, Dick
driving me down to the station in the
blackboard and my mohair suit and
ecru hat.
The neighbors were all out on their
verandas, and handkerchiefs were wav.
ing from each bungalow as we passed.
Mrs Bentley. who wanted to see the
vent the possibility Of escape at the
last momenp. went down to see me
get on the train.
Only few fellow-passengers and
the porter saw me get of again at Up.
ton. Is miles away, where Dick met
me with the blackboard; and oh, the
fun Of 1t. driving home in the dead
OF night through a slumbering, hood
winked village. both Of US chuckling
over how easily and cleverly we had
outwitted them all!
For 1t took just 25 cents-the fare
to Upton-to give every one the i'm.
preston (wrong. admit. but impera.
tive). that had gone to the exposition.
But oh. the courage 1t took to keep
that impression up!
The next day. when Dick drove
away to the plantation. leaving me
alone In a supposed-to be-empty house,
criminal hiding from justice: and yet
with 1t all. l must confess, l felt a
dreadful. guilty enjoyment OF the Sit
uation.
No excitement Of sightseeing. for
instance. could have given me the fas.
cinating thrills with which l watched
Mrs. Bentley rocking TRANQUILITY OH the
veranda. opposite. Just 100 yards away
and realized with an awful delight
that only the closed shutters and q
fimsy muslin curtain were between
me and detection.
l am sure no magnificent hotel
meals could have compared with the
charm Of our tete.a.tste dinner that
night, Amarylys. the cook, keeping
watch and ward at the pantry door
(she was my old nurse and kept many
a secret in counting days): and to
me. the glow OF Dicks cigar. as we
sat happily and surreptitiously on the
back steps afterwards. was dearer
than the costliest illumination any ex.
position could produce.
On the whole, no one could have