Mexico Missouri message., 1910-06-16
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I the rain came down in torrents.
IT'S IN for an all nights Storm"
1 predicted Phineas.
~N,-s viii have 20 stay all night"
said Hannah, gleefully.
/ Yes; ten miles in this rain and the
unknown roads would be too venture
some even for me" replied Irene, go
I ing 20 the telephone and informing
I her mother Of her safekeeping.
Presently the telephone rang again.
( The message was for Irene,
That wasn't your folks" chuckled
Phlneas, as she hung up the receiver.
How did you guess"
Your tone was so different
Wasn't 81 your beau" asked Han.
nah, iimidly.
"Y-es-no--almost my beau" laughed
Irene. He asked me 70 wait here to-
morrow, until he rode over and we
could ride home together"
Then we can have a game!" said
Hannah. hopefully
Yes; he shall stay for several
/ games"
In the morning the sun was shining
. brightly, and after breakfast, while
Z Phiness fed the cattle, Hannah
/ ehurned so that "irene's beau" might
have fresh buttermilk to drink.
i should think" said Irene. musing-
! ly, that you would be perfectly happy
in this dear. little place"
Hannah made no reply. irene, look
/ ing Up quickly, saw her wipe away q
surreptitious tear. The girls sympa-
thetic questioning finally elected the
cause OF her sadness.
"Phinny don't know yet" she said.
and I'm goin' to keep It from him as
/ long as l can, but you see there's been
a mortgage for quite a spell on The
Nutshell" We've kept up the interest,
and thought we could always renew
it. but the man wrote US yesterday that
we must pay right OF. Miss Simons
brought me the letter from town, and,
luckily, Phinny wasn't here. can't
think yet but a way will come"
How much is it?"
-Four hundred dollars"
| "Oh, is that all?" exclaimed Irene.
Il should think you might borrow that
| somewhere"
It's lot to us. You see we've only
got a 20 here, and Phinny's too old
to work it-more'n a garden patch
for what we eat, and we amt no hands
to scrimp in our feed"
NO indeed" agreed Irene, recall.
ing her two sumptuous meals.
Though 1t seems a lot to us, sup.
pose it's only drop in the bucket to
Mr., Philip Maxfield. But he's going
to foreelose"
Irene's face turned pale and then
red. She turned to the window to
hide her confusion.
q couldn't have believed It of him!"
| she thought, sadly.
AS she stood there, she saw a horse
man coming down the road. He was
tall, straight, and sat on his horse like
cavalryman.
Here comes-my-friend, she said.
III go to meet him"
Philip" she said, before he had
dismounted, these are the sweetest
old people and this is the dearest
place!"
| IL ID pIeltyI ne aunlIJeu.
Would you take 1t away from them
wreck their home-for Just S40O?"
Il? Why, what can you mean,
dear"
They say you hold a mortgage for
that amount on the place and that you
have written them that you would
foreclose at once"
i "Mv daar Irana 7 didn't ay,ar
that / owned this tiny place. have so
much property! My agent, Carter, at
tends to all the business. He probably
wrote them and signed my name"
you will let them renew 1t, please,
Philip"
why, Of course, Irene"
For how long?"
'For-foreVer, If you wish, Irene"
Come into the house." she said,
joyfully. 'Tie your horse first You
have to play several games of casino"
He followed her, somewhat dubious
as to what was expected of him.
Mrs. Hewston, want to introduce
Mr. Maxfeld."
"Oh, he's come for"
NO" smiled Irene, he's come for
me-"
While Hannah was serving the but
termilk, Phineas came in and was IA.
tToduced.
You're the gentleman who holds
the mortgage?"
so 1t seems. didn't know it un-
til now. Irene told me-"
I'VE may get a way to pay IL" said
Hannah, anxiously.
Whats the user" said Philip.
quickly, you can renew It as often
as you please. I'll explain It to my
agent today. ! would rather have
glass of this buttermilk every time l
ride by here than the amount of the
mortgage"
The fash of Joy in Hannah worn
face was so reflected in Irene's eyes