The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-05
Darina and
The Agents
She Makes One Mistake
By Mildred STEVENS
Copyii right by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.


bundled herself into a ioAI warm
cape and drew on thick wooden init
tens.
"Darina."' she called shrlily, and
when girls slender form ilad ap-
peared in the kitchen doorway she
continued: I'm going now. iiannibafs
been waiting for ten minutes and |
expect that old horses hoofs are most
frozc off | know it's cruelty TO ami
mails to keep en- standing around IN
the snow like this, but J liad to get
ready. and couldn't flnd NY spec.
taclcs, and then lost my hlhdkec-
chief. and | found it and lost 1t. and
| haven. found it again yet, Why
there ii is on the almanac. WAS loof
ing to see what the weather IS going
to be t0norrow"-
The girl laughed softly as she push
cd the older woman gchliv toward
the door. There. Aunt Charity; IL y"n
stop ana talk much longer the horses
hOofs will freeze off, ana iiai'iii''al Il
locking 50 nl.atiently at the door. |
won't forget TO put the bread in Tie
oven at II o'clock. and III water I'll"
plants and put Toby in the W""dShp,l
| hot I a.,
sleep. And I'll expect YOU home on
the 3 o'clock train tomorrow afternoon
without fail there"
Miss Charity was on i.lc porch by
this time and waving Il ml'tehed 'mnd
to Hannibal Jones, the stage driv"r
I'll be there in Il jify, Hannibal I've
got to say something more l" Ia
rina"-
Darina laughed merrily as she
waved II farewell to Miss MART, )
gcSticulating mittcns. an" Sh' Went
back into the house ana CLOSED and
locked the door. Miss Charl'y'S de
parturc for G:rccnville. the next vii
lage, WAS m event thal iEau bcel
talked about for Il fortnight, eyel
since her brothers wife had invite,
her over to the Baptist d"ha'i"h part!
and to spend one night. she had lief
a dozen different commands for he
grandniccc to carry out. an" the las
and the greatest Of theS" was the on
concerning agents Of any description.
Charity Decker dctcsied agents. Sh
4 was scarcely polite when meihbers o
that honorable calling knocked inSin,l
atingly at her kitchen door. Her stric
orders for the reception {" any tina
might call during her absence had bee
thoroughly drilled into Dar'nas under
standing and out Of the tenderness o
i her heart tho girl hoped that the agent
would stay away.
"They are not SO plentiful in snow
weather." thought Darna IS she role
out some ginger cookies. : nope non
OF them will call. but somehow 1t doe
: seem as If Little River harb"'r'l NOR
canvasscrs, and-thcrc is one now"
She popped IA pan of cookies In III
oven and pushed back her fair hi
{: with Il tioury hand. leaving dab ,
!, white on the rose Of her cheek. 81
!, opened the door TO find syrian III
I dealer squattcd on the doorstep Nil
!, Charity's admonitions still rang in h
& ears.
!, "NO-no--now said narina empha,
!, cally in response to his appealing &c
!, lures as he displayed his wares. 81
Z closed the door and watched hi
; shamblc down the path. Her hca
: leaned with fright rs she saw hi
, pause ut the gate and make some SC
\, Of mark on the white post with a |
:, OF red chalk. Then. with a sly lo'
over his shoulder at the house. he we
Oh his way.
y. "lIow dreadful" thought Darina
, she returned to her baking. "Pcrha
u. he has marked the house So he c
return tonight and rob us-or perha
murder
There was another knock at the do
and Darina took her c""kles out of
oven before she tptocd over TO I
entrance and pccred through the era
In the door curtain. man with
long handled patent mop imratien
waited on the doorstep.
- Darina opened the door.
- Good morning." said the az
y courteously. Are you the lady of
house?'
yes" said Darina. But do
wish to buy anything today. We h;
a mop we bought from you last We;
n very good, ma'am; you cannot n
n another one now. and you will ne
- unless yours is stolen. for. as I
you last year. when | sold 1t TO y
our mop is practically indestructi
- Now. let me show you the best clotl
brush YOU ever saw-there. ma'a
look at that"
When Darina had finally adde,
firmly voiced NO. no. to his mt
logue he gathered M his wares.
posed them about his person and v
- bob of his head was gone.
Il hope he doesn't mark the hou
murmured Darina as she watched
hurried departure. But the brush
seemed glad 10 get away from $
n