The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1911-08-29
Their Pleasant
Summer

The effect on her hostess was cleo
trical. She sat bolt upright, dropped |
the teapot With bang and echoed:
Going. We're not going-we're stay
ing"
MY goodness" gasped the caller.
Excuse me for mentioning it II It's |
tender subject"
It's not tender" said her hostess,
theoretically. It's worse-its an
impossible subject, We went away
last summer, and that's the reason.
The Tnnnlhs ann, unced that they
were going to Europe and said that II
we'd occupy their big place across
the lake for the season, and see that
the servants didn't fight and that the
COWS didn't eat up the garden. we'd
make them our debtors for life.
I'VE stored our furniture when the
lease expired in May and rushed
headlong to our doom. We thought
1t was a paradise on earth toward
which we were flying. and maybe it
would have Eeen If the cook and the
maid and the man of all work at the
place hadn't decided that since their
real family was gone, this would be
nice time to run home to the old
country for a visit. And they went,
two days after we came. They looked
us over in cold and critical way ami
disapproved of us and departed.
I'VE got lots of exercise before we
found help Tom used to rise at four
and weed the garoen and / got up at
the same time to feed the chickens,
turn on the automatic pump, get
breakfast and superintend Toms
milking. He was kicked through the
barn door only twice and we consid-
cred that the record was pretty good
! for a greenhorn. He had some minor
mishaps, like poking back all the
beans when they came up. pushing
the seed ahead of them and training
the potato vines up on strings instead
Of the peas. but trouble didn't really
start until later.
One day We were sitting in the
flower garden having lunch, and
told Dotty. aged four, to go indoors
for something. We watched her dis
appear into the house and then Ton
said, Gould anything be more peace
full or inspiring Than this perfec'
day And | responded in similar
blank verse. Just then the neighbo
whose cottage was on the lake shor'
came tearing around the corner o
our house.
She stared at US as though We an
noyed her Aren't you folks in bath
ing? she inquired. Well. somebod
is out in front. and | thought
Tom and | did a foot race to tn
water unconscious and black in tn
lake and he fished Dotty out of tn
face. That child had marched in q
the back door of the house and a
promptly marched out through tn
front door and proceeded to take
/ paddle by herself in the lake, inspire
by some unaccountable juvenile in
= pulse.
"Dotty came out of her trance
two hours. but during that time | &c
ten gray hairs and Toms nervous sy
TEN was permanently shattered.
at was a couple of weeks later thu
Dotty and Tom. Jr., remarked thu
, their threats were sore and the doctt
pronounced it black diphtheria.
murmured something about defecti'
drains. There was blur of traine
, nurses and horrors for a time and the
the smoke of battle cleared away.
l. Meanwhile the COWS had eaten tn
part of the garden that had not dri'
up for lack of attention and the chic
ems were laying eggs all over Il
county. The Tunnills never did 6
? them back
They'd send us postcards from Z
rope saying We saw this today. Ho
you are enjoying life at the dear
home. This while was burnt
}. fumigating candles. Or, We cal
- down this river today. How you m,
be enjoying the garden green thing
That came the day the cows ate
49,, last of the green corn we had
- pected to use ourselves.
I'll "A little while later Tom dropped
We fatiron on his toe and blood pols'
re ing set in. Then the Tunnills SEN
,ir lovely card, saying: We can just
agine you doing the five-mile WI
through Elm lane and the woods.
" envy YOU This was while We W
changing the bandages on his SMASH
and painful foot six times day.
lG "The worst of all was that
family sent Toms pretty and har'
scarum sister Nell to us so that sh
est forget the ineligible man she was
y. ing to get engaged to. | produced
4. the young men at the hotel and
80" eral village lights to distract her,
CO. so perfectly did succeed that
.e3' eloped with a college boy who
ion running launch to pay his sum-
ain expenses. AS the family was say
IDS. I'M a millionaire for Nell wnen
should have come to her senses I
still feel hard toward me, and sa
. should have had more sense