The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-01-28

Presently the telephone rang a6A1M
The message was for Irene. -
That wasn't your folks" chuckJoM Il
Phineas, as she hung up the receiys
How did you guess?" NJ ~ ~
Your tone was so different. ~
Wasn't 1t your beau2" asked HAmas;
nah timidly. ~ y
Yes no--almost my beau" iau9n
ed Irene. He asked me to wait HERE
tomorrow until he rode over and 49,
could ride home together"
Then we can have camel" sat0
Hannah, hopefully ~
Yes; he shall stay for severaiS
games"
In the morning the sun was shining
brightly, and after breakfast whtlA
Phineas fed the cattle. Hannah
churned so that ..Irene's beau might
have fresh =bnttermilk to drink.
Il should think" said Irene. mus;
ingly, that you would be perfectly
happy in this dear. little place"
Hannah made no reply. Irene. look-
ing up quickly, saw her wipe away ~
surreptitious tear. The girls sympa
thetic questioning finally ELECTED the
cause OF her sadness.
"Phinny don't know yet, she said.
,'and I'm gote' to keep It from him
as long as ! can. but you see there's
been a mortgage for quite a spell on
The Nutshell We've kept up the In
! terest. and thought we could alwayA
renew IL, but the man wrote us YES
! terday that we must pay right on.
/ Miss Simons brought me the letter
4 from town, and, luckily, PLAINLY
I wasn't here. l can't think yet but -
/ way will come"
How much is it,"
-Four hundred dollars"
f-==.-0ff,@ IS that s.ff exclaimed frerfes1
( Il should think you might borrow
/ that somewhere"
Its a lot to us. You see we've
( only got twenty here, and Phinny.s
/ too old to work it--more,n a gar
den patch for what we eat, and we
amt no hands to scrimp on Our feed.
/ NO, indeed" agreed Irene, recalls
( ing her two simptuous meals.
4 Though II seems lot to Va. / sups
I pose It's only drop liz the bucket to
MIR. Phillip Maxfleld. But he's going
! To foreclose.
Irene's face termed pale ard then
red. She turned to the window to
1 hide her confusion.
| II couldn't have believed 1t o.
him." she thought, sadly.
As she stood there. she saw =
hoisef1lan coming down the road. Ho
was tall. straight and sat on his horse
like a eavalryman- -
"liere comes-ff1y--frtend sn0
said. 'I'll go to meet him.
"Phillip," she said, before he had
dismounted, these are the sweetest
old people and this Is the dearest
place."
ut Is pretty" he admitted.
Would you take 1t away from!
four hundred dollars?'
IT? why. what can you mean
dear"
'They say you hold mortgage fcl
that amount on the place ana tnaa
you have written them that ynn
3 would foreclose at once"
My dear Irene. didn't even knu1
: that ] owned this tiny place. haNs
Y so much property! My agent. CSC
ter. attends to all the business. IA!
] probably wrote them and stgnAd ~
name" ~
: Phillip"
why, OF course. Irene"
D For how long,"
"For-forever, IL you wish. Ireno1
e Come in the house." she said joys
D fully. Tie your horse first You hAy(
a to play several games of castno.
: He followed her, somewhat dubtcul
e as to what was expected OF him.
h Mrs. Hewston, l want to intro
r duce Mr.. Maxaeid."
k ooh, has he come for"
d NO" smiled Irene. he has CONT
d for me-
While Hannah was serving the but
= termilk, Phineas came in and was In
troduced.
: You're the gentleman VINO hold
the mortgage?"
Y so 1t seems. didn't know It UNI
$ til now. Irene told me-"
: I'VE may get way to Pay H.
e said Hannah, anxiously.
n What's the use?" said Phillip
g quickly. you can renew II a. ofteI
d as YOU please. I'll explain 1t to "a.
| agent today. would rather HAYS
. glass OF this buttermtlk every time
! ride by here than the amount OF tn
mortgage"
The flash of Joy in Hannabs wori
e face was so reflected in Irene's eye
= as she turned impulsively to him, tbs
?, he CLEANED hope for the answer q
& the question he meant to ask on IN
way home.