Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-10-21
Darina and
The Agents
She Makes One Mistake
By MILDRED STEVENS
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.
By MILDRED STEVENS
by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

II
b.-.-s-.-.-.-s-s-s-e-.-.-
Miss Charity Decker tied a knitted
bundled herself into long. warm
cape and drew on thick wooden nit
tens.
"Darina!' she called shrilly. and
when a girls slender form had APP
peared In the kitchen doorway she
continued: I'm going now. Hannibals
been waiting for ten minutes. and
expect that old horses hoofs are most
froze Off. know it's cruelty to ami
mails to keep 'em standing around in
the snow like this, but l had to get
ready. and couldn't find my spec
tacles, and then l lost my handker-
chief. and l found 1t and lost 1t, and
l haven't found 1t again yet. Why,
there 1t is on the almanac. Twas loos
ing to see what the weather Is going
to be tomorrow
The girl laughed softly as she push
ed the older woman gently toward
the door. There, Aunt Charity; II you
stop and talk much longer the horses
hoofs will freeze Off, and Hannibal is
looking so impatiently at the door.
won't forget to put the bread In the
oven at II o'clock. and I'll water the
plants and put Toby In the woodshed
before l go over to Cousin Sarah's to
sleep. And I'll expect you home on
the o'clock train tomorrow afternoon
without fail-therew .
Miss Charity was on the porch by
this time and waving mittened hand
to Hannibal Jones, the stage driver.
"I'll be there in a jiffy, Hannibal. I've
got to say something more to Da-
rina"-
Darina laughed merrily as she
waved q farewell to Miss Charity's
gesticulating mittens, and she went
back into the house and closed and
locked the door. Miss Charity's de.
parture for Greenville, the next vii
iage, was an event that had been
talked about for fortnight, ever
since her brothers wife had invited
her over to the Baptist donation party
and to spend one night She had left
~
grandniece to carry out. and the last
and the greatest of these was the one
| concerning agents of any description.
Charity Decker detested agents. She
was scarcely polite when members of
that honorable calling knocked insinu-
atingly at her kitchen door. Her strict
orders for the reception of any that
might call during her absence had been
thoroughly drilled into Darina's under.
standing and out of the tenderness of
her heart the girl hoped that the agents
would stay away.
''They are not SO plentiful In snowy
weather" thought Darina as she rolled
out some ginger cookies II hope-none
of them will call, but somehow it does
seem as IL Little River harbored more
canvassers, and-there ia one nOwr'
She popped pan Of cookies in the
oven and pushed back her fair hair
with foury hand, leaving dab of
white on the rose of her cheek. She
opened the door to find Syrian rug
| dealer squatted ON the doorstep. Miss
Charity's admonitlons still rang In her
| ears,
"NQ-no-nol' said Daripa emphati
cally In response to his appealing ges!
| lures as he displayed his wares. She
closed the door and watched him
| shamble down the path. Her heart
J leaped with fright as she saw him
pause at the gate and make some sort
OF mark on the white. post with bit
of red chalk. Then, with a sly look
over bis shoulder at the house, he went
| on his way.
How dreadfulp thought Darina az
she returned to her baking. perhaps
he has maraed the house so he can
return tonight and rob us-or perhaps
murder"
There was another knock at the door.
and Darina took her cookies out of the
oven before she tiptoed over to the
entrance and peered through the crack
In the door curtain. A man with a
long handled patent mop impatiently
waited on the doorstep. la +
Darlna opened the door.
GOOD morning" said the agent
courteously. "Are you the lady Of the
house?"
YES" said Darina. "But do not
wish to buy anything today. We have
mop we bought from you last year"
Very good. ma'am; you cannot need
another one now, and you will never
unless yours is stolen. for, as l told
you last year. when ! sold It to you,
lur mop is practically indestructible
Now, let me. show you the best clothes,
brush you ever saw-there, ma'am-
look at that"
When Darina had finally added a
4 firmly voiced "No. nor to his mono.
logue he gathered up his wares. dis
posed them about his person and with
p bob Of his head was gone.
~ hope he doesn't mark the house.,
murmured Darina as she watched his
hurried departure. But the brush man
seemed glad to get away from such
an unpromising vicinity and paused to
look neither to the right ror left as
he fastened down the road. Presently
Darina saw him open Cousin Sarah's
green gate and enter the yard
She went back to her cookies, and an
hour passed rapidly. Just as she had
placed the last painful Of crisp daintiea