The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-08
Darina and
! The Agents
She Makes One Mistake
By MILDRED STEVENS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

Niioo OhdAlLS OeCheL bleu a nhlblSN
fascinator'' over her scanty hair,
undled herself into a long, warm
hpe and drew on thick woolen nit
Ems.
"Darinap' she called shrilly, and
Hhen a girls slender form had ap-
cared in the kitchen doorway she
pntinued: I'm going now. Hannibal's
een waiting for ten minutes, and
xpect that old horses hoofs are most
roze off. l know it's cruelty to ami
= halls to keep 'em standing around in
he snow like this, but / had to get
eady, and l couldn't find my spec
hcles. and then 1 lost my handker-
hief, and l found it and lost 1t, and
haven't found it again yet. Why,
here it is on the almanac. was loos
hg to see what the weather is going
be tomorrow
The girl laughed softly as she push
d the older woman gently toward
he door. "There, Aunt Charity; If you
top and talk much longer the horses
boofs will freeze of, and Hannibal is
ooking so impatiently at the door, l
Won't forget to put the bread in the
ven at II o'clock, and I'll water the
plants and put Toby in the woodshed
before 1 go over to Cousin Sarah's to
leep. And I'll expect you home on
hn ~ in rnxu of
without fail-therew
Miss Charity was on the porch by
his time and waving a mittened hand
o Hannibal Jones, the stage driver.
I'll be there in jiffy, Hannibal. I've
got to say something more to Da-
ina
Darina laughed merrily as she
waved a farewell to Miss Charity's
gesticulating mittens, and she went
back into the house and closed and
ocked the door. Miss Charity's de-
parture for Greenville, the next vii
age, was an event that had been
talked about for a fortnight, ever
since her brothers wife had invited
her over to the Baptist donation party
and to spend one night. She had left
dozen different commands for her
Ugrandniece to carry out, and the last
hnd 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. 81 hope none
of them will call, but somehow it does
canvassers, and-there is one now?'
She popped pan Of cookies in the
oven and pushed back her fair hair
with fioury hand, leaving a dab Of
white on the rose Of her cheek. She
opened the door to find a Syrian rug
Charity's admonitions still rang in her
ears.
"No-no-no!' said Darina emphati-
cally in response to his appealing ges-
lures as he displayed his wares. She
closed the door and watched him
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 his shoulder at the house, he went
on his way.
How dreadfulw thought Darina as
she returned to her baking. perhaps
he has marked 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.
Darina 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
a 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 told
you last year, when sold it to you,
our mop is practically indestructible
Now. let me show you the best clothes.
brush you ever saw-there, ma'am-
look at thatw
When Darina had finally added a
firmly voiced mo, now to his mono.
logue he gathered up his wares, dis,
posed them about his person and with
bob of his head was gone.
81 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 nor left al
he hastened down the road. Presently