The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-10-19
-s-s-s-s-<-s-s--s-<->-<-s-~
Darina and
The Agents
She Makes One Mistake
By MILDRED STEVENS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1871.

A
O.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-s-
Miss Charity Decker tied q knitted
''fascinator' over her scanty hair,
bundled herself into a long. warm
cape and drew ON thick wooden nit
tens.
"Darinar' she called shrilly, and
when a girls slender form had ap-
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 had to get
ready, and | couldn't find my spec
tacles. and then l lost my handker-
chief. and | found 1t and lost 1t, and
! haven't found 1t again yet. Why,
there 1t Is on the almanac. was l0oE
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 IL o'clock. and I'll water the
plants and put Toby In the woodshed
before / go over to Cousin Sarah's to
sleep. And I'll expect you home on
the o'clock train tomorrow afternoon
without fail-there"
Miss Charity was on the porch by
this time and waving mittened hand
to Hannibal Jones, the stage driver.
"Fll be there in jity, Hannibal. I've
got to say something more to Da-
rina"-
Darina laughed merrily as she
waved farewell to Miss Charity's
gesticulating mittens, and she went
locked the door. Miss Charity's de-
parture for Greenville, the next viii
lage, 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
dozen different commands for her
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 lnsinu-
atlngly at her kitchen door. Her strict
orders for the reception of any that
might call during her absence had been
thoroughly drilled into Darlna'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. Il hope none
of them will call, but somehow 1t does
seem as II Little River harbored more
canvassers. and-there is one n0wr
She popped a pan of cookies In the
oven and pushed back her fair hair
with a foury hand, leaving a dab of
white on the rose OF her cheek. She
opened the door to find a Syrian rug
dealer squatted on the doorstep. Miss
Charity's admonitions still rang In her
ears.
"NO-no-nor' said Darina 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
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 DREADFUL 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
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
houseH
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 1t to you,
our mop is practically indestructibIe.
Now, let me show you the best clothes
brush you ever saw-there. ma'am-
look at that"
When Darina had finally added a
firmly voiced mo, nor to his mono
logue he gathered up his wares. dis
t0sed them about his person and with
! bob of his head was gone.
II 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
h. lac A..l