Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1909-08-27
CUPID AND GHOSTS.
A Vacation In the Country That
Didn't Effect a Cure.
~ DONALD ALLEN.

Press
II had been decided In family con.
cIave to send Hilda to the country
for the summer
Hilda was not In decline. Her ap-
petite was good. What troubled her
father and mother was to find that
Hilda was In love.
John Wayne. her father, was law
yer of note. and when the case" was
put into his hands by the mother he
handled It like a lawyer. In this In
stance be constituted himself counsel.
Judge and jury, and the verdict was
that Miss Hilda was to be packed OF
to the home of "A maiden aunt In the
country for three months.
The mother doubted. but the father
was confident. Hilda had only reach
ed the childish age OF nineteen. This
affair was only q triie. Aunt Judith
was an old maid and had no sympathy
with such nonsense and would give
the girl sage advice. That conclave,
consisting mostly Of the father. set.
tied things In half an hour. There Is
popular complaint about the laws de.
lay, but there are times when 1t moves
very swiftly.
Hilda was not told In so many words
why she was packed Off to summer
with the geese and bumblebees and
milkweeds. but she had her suspicious
She knew nothing whatever Of law.
but she at once set to work TO beat
the lawyer. Aunt Judith was grim
and watchf'il and unsympathetic and
held Cupid IN contempt. and that was
where her case was weak. Within q
week of Hilda's arrival. by means OF
the towheaded boy on the next farm.
the girl was receiving and sending let
ters.
The aunt had figured 1t out to her
self that her niece would sulk for
about four weeks and sthat she would
have to read her at least dozen lee
lures. She was thus agreeably dis
appointed when Hilda did not suk.
Out In the orchard. under an apple
tree. rested an old soap box. Twice d
week the towheaded boy came skulk
ing across the fields to leave letters
under that box and take away those
he found there. He was receiving II
cents letter. and he had career be
fore him. The soap box was not quite
as romantic as a silver chest would
have been. but II was fairly safe
postoffice
BY and by letter told that Walter
Allen would have his two weeks vaca
ton beginning at certain date and
that certain event might be expected
to happen. This letter was worth an
extra dime to Hilda. and she conscien
tiously left the same under the box
when she replied. She also sang sc
often and was so cheerful IN and out
Of the house that Aunt Judith held q
conclave with herself and amusingly
announced to the audience that wasn'i
there:
~ have iei;y eli only three lecture:
on the foolishncss OF calf love and tho
duty OF children to their parents. but
they have been sufficient to open the
dear girls eyes and make a different
being OF her"
An hour before dark one summer even
ing Hilda was asked II she wanted &c
carry berry pie to poor old woman
living In cottage half mile down the
road. Hilda did, and she was hum
ming to herself as she set out. II wal
by this very road that within day oil
two she might expect -. But she
had to carry that berry pie very care
fully and not expect too much.
Between her aunt's home and the old
woman's was deserted farmhouse
standing close to the highway. Win
dows and doors were gone. the ROOT
falling In and the yard grown up t.
weeds. The towheaded boy could have
told Hilda that II was haunted house
and that ghosts had been seen troop
ing In and out.
One can't simply hand In a berry plt
to a poor old woman and then rust
away. She must be questioned abou
her rheumatism and other ailment,
and cheered up to live another twenty
years. By the time the good Samaritan
was ready 10 say goodby II was dark
She hadn't paid any attention to tn.
sunset and the gathering clouds. ant
she had hardly gone ten rods when {
big raindrop struck her cheek. She be
gan to run. but the drops came fasfel
and faster. and by the time she hat
reached the deserted house she wa,
drenched and thought only Of finding
shelter unit the worst OF the storm
was passed
Hilda thought OF ghosts as soon al
she was under shelter. but. owing L
the leaks In the roof. she had to NOV,
back until she was against the wall OF
what had once been the large from
room Of the house. There she covered
and trembled and shook and wept. II
she was heroine she didn't know II.
Ten-twenty-thirty minutes passed
and then ghost walked. Despite th,
noise of the downpour. HiIda hearC