Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-04-08
AN ANGEL.
There Was Mischief Afoot,
and She Located It.
BY MARTHA NC. WILLIAMS,

Heathcote, her aunt and guardian,
frowned at the whistling, but had to
smile bit when Margaret broke out:
Nov, Prudence. precious, come at me
with the saying about whistllng girls
and Growing hens! know you hate
my sole musical accomplishment, but
this day Is enough to set a craven
image whistling. even dancing. IL 1t
was of anything softer than granite.
You ought to be out In 1t. The orchard
is q place enchanted. l didn't know
until now things SO prosaic as apple
gathering and cider making could set
themselves to music"
"H-mp Miss Prudence said. Him!
May i ask IL Jimmy Blair is out there.
as he promised to bef
"Of counsel A gentleman keeps his
promises, doesn't hep Margaret an
swered, tossing her head. but flushing
in spite of herself.
Again Miss Prudence said "H-mP
There appeared to be nothing else to
say. But after two breaths she got up
and moved toward the kitchen, sigh
ing out: "And of course he'll be here
to dinner. That means cooking things.
Men do have such atrocious appetites."
"Pm glad they do Margaret retort-
ed shamelessly. 1--WE got one to match
anybody. oh, Aunty Prue. do make a
potato pudding! Make 1t very rich
and have lots OF thick, sweet, real
lemon sauce"
go away, you baggagew Miss Pru-
dence said over her shoulder. who
told you what Jimmy likes best? I've
the greatest mind to make dried apple
pies. just to see IL he would know the
difference" smiling at Margaret as she
spoke the last sentence.
Margaret blushed very red and be-
gan to pout. "You mean Jimmy Is so
gone on me he'sunot In his right mind"
she said. "But you're all wrong, Aunty
Prue IL don't believe he-he cares
for me Acknowledgment that way at
least. All this week he's been as kind
as could be, but distant, as II he was
afraid wouldn't understand"
"Then there's mischief afoot, what
sort I'VE got to find out" Miss Pru-
dence said vigorously, her hand on the
doorknob, "for If ever any lad was
clean out of his head, clean idiotic
about chit Of a thing. it was Jimmy
about you, all last week and all the
weeks before 1t. since you came to
stay with me-"
"Mischief afoot, but whereT she
kept mentally repeating to herself as
she whisked about the trim kitchen,
her brows puckered, her eyes intro
spective. On the surface she could see
nothing. Nobody had openly any right
or reason to be interfering between the
pair. Jimmy was an orphan, the same
as her Peggy. Moreover, he had never
had the least shadow Of an entangle-
ment True, various and sundry young
women had been setting their caps at
him-pretty caps, modestly set-but he
had overlooked them all-unless 1t
we're Miss Prue gave a great start.
There was the root Of the trouble; its
name, Vidella Bane. Jimmy had rath-
er made up to her In the weeks just
before Peggy came. Now that she
thought of it he had squirrel Della to
church two Sundays running, besides
buying many things for her at the
strawberry supper ana fair. And Del
la, 1t was well known, wanted to mar.
ry and settle herself. She had three
younger sisters crowding her In the
home nest. Naturally she would do
what she could to hold Jimmy. the best
chance In all Easton town.
But how she had done It Miss Pru-
dence could not fathom, although she
studied the problem almost to the det-
rfment Of her dinner. She sat down to
It still puzzled. Jimmy greeted her
and the dinner rapturously and talked
a great deal of his appetite and of
many other things, but somehow did
not eat with his usual zest. although
he made fair meal. Nobody with
palate could help doing that with such
things as Miss Prudence set before
him. Jimmy assured Margaret more
than once that If such cooking ran In
the family her future husband was the
luckiest fellow alive. Y
II think so too. That's why it's so
provoking not to have him come
along" Margaret said at last. '.Only
think, Jimmy, I'm almost twenty-one
and have never had q real business
beaul Isn't It shameful when Aunty
Prue Is going to will me all her pretty
dishes and the Heathcote silver? Fan
cy an heiress without sweetheart
''Such restitution is painful--so pain
full hardly believe 1t exists" Jimmy
said, turning away his head. then
breaking inconsequently into talk of
else.
Miss Prudence, watching him. saw
that his teeth had set before he could
speak. OF the seeing came enlighten-
ment In part. She meant to make II
whole before she was much older. So
rs soon as dinner was over she sent |
upon an errand and herself
drew Jimmy on to the barn with a
pretext OF wanting his advice as to
the new hayloft and stalls. She was
, straight speaking person. womanly. |
withal courageous. So as soon as they |
we're inside the stall space she wheel
ID upon Jimmy, asking plumply. |
What cock and bull story has Della
Bane told your
''who said she had told me any
thingT Jimmy retorted. Resides, she