Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-12-16

the clatter. Day
and night it is the
same noises, the same smells, the
same wines, almost the same women
and no song at all worth hearing. l
have mind to chuck it all and go out
into Gods country, out into the sub
urbs." \
With Hickson to think was to act
and this is how 1t happened that the
good people of Horton Hollow were
curious almost to crucial point of the
the antecedents and personality of the
dapper young society man who came
among them 80 reservedly to superin-
tend the construction of pretty
Queen Anne cottage on Lake Shadows.
That he was a veritable catch was
soon agreed upon by the spisters, but
how to break his reserve and teach
him to worship at the feet Of Aphro
dite was difficult problem. For, be-
sides admitting to Amos Squires, the
'busman, that he was not married,
Hickson had met the persevering ad-
vances of the natives with a stern
frigidity.
There amt a blessed woman that
kin git within gun shot O. him." COM
planned Mtrandy Hodges, "exceptin'
Marty Brown-an' she amt interested
in nothin' but raisin' money fer a new
parsonage fer that new preacher an
his stuck-up WIFE"
At last the cottage was finished and
Hickson selected his furniture and
fittings. On the goth Of December it
was ready With a glad heart he rode
gayly homeward from the city, and
slipping the key into the lock, stepped
into the nest that was to be the heart
Of his simple life. The evening was
spent in gloating over his new toy
and even though it did seem strange
" quiet and lonely, Hickson's spirits
were so light the Joy bulb stood high
In the glass tube Of pleasure.
But solitude wears on the best OF
us after time, and to Harrison
Honeywell Hickson, Injured to clatter
and bang and the busy whirl Of socie-
ty, the continued silence fell like
pail.
+, "Of course, could got married."
sighed Eicks0n, as he sat on the edge
Of his bed and pondered. THAT would
:. help some and-no,". shaking his head
determinedly. mo. laees and tantrums
for mine!" 49,. =
:: Satisfied in his decision. he lay
down to sleep. j:
Then, all at once there entered that
vacuum Of Stiffness strange and sim
lister. the cracking of veneered
joint, the settling Of q. beam. As Hick-
son sat. bolt upright in, bed, he dis.
tinctly heard q sound as Of running
water: Dashing madly down tho
stairs he found 4 leaking water pipe:
and what was worse, he discovered
that the 1ot-water plant was simply
boiling it's head of. The servants had
not yet arrived, but Hickson managed
to check the furnace and turn of the
water Then he returned to bed.
Suddenly boot owl set up his weird
call. the soughing wind <whistled with
sepulchral meaning, q misguided cock
mista king the bright moonlight for
morning awoke and set up an unearth-
~ din, while a pair Of stray cats
meeting in sangufnary combat under.
the west window, added to the hor-
rible intensity Of the night. y +"
When he bounded out of bed, Hick-.
son was a determined man. He looked
at his watch and then at his time
table. Thirty minutes later a dark
form scurried through the shadows of
the shaded street and dashed madly
up to the three o'clock train as TT
pulled and snorted at Horton Hollow
.y~ The next day, Martha Brown, sweet,
white-haired, motherly Martha Brown,
received a.letter It said: III; :
My dear Miss Brown: / have decided to
surprise you by making your church .
Christmas present -of my Queen Anne
cottage Ny man will deliver the keys
tomorrow. It 10 furnished completes and
Il hone that 5sweet-faced little wife ot the
preacher viii not And "a old bachelors
tastes too 5broadf for her sanction. have
always wanted to do ssouns good. In the
world III prlssnting the eettage8Is
an nunerAtniaiys fraf flying myself. B Please
accept thS ifke without denaon1hadoG. ss ssE5
'sT b6Gs Ao fnain ih1lu1b youlS,
.HARnIeo1sa zIIIcKsoNz.
~ Hiol On 81
~ M
ssllfs IN
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