Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-13
Coming Back
to Town

1t yas early morning and the Bark
tons stood In the door OF their sum
mer cottage talking things over. Inc
September air was still raw ana mar
assing to the marrow. Even at that
moment relatives were heading toward
the Barktons' city home to do SONS
visiting, and the Barktons were Won
dering what they would better uo.
The good fresh country air was ai'
right for them. facing winter IN the
city's grimy, worked-over atmosphere
but there is nothing appealing ABOUT
the simple, suburban life to those VINO
come to spend part Of their vacation
taking in the sights of the great
throbbing city. And the BarKton cot'
tage lacked running water, not water
and a lot Of other conveniences.
The more they thought 1t over the
more clearly the Barktons recognized
that they ought to go back to their
fiat and not drag their visitors out 10
the cottage. Then after their company
had sped along they could return 10
the country and remain until the chill
autumn winds would drive them BACK
to the city for the winter.
"It's a shame" muttered Barkton,
while they were packing up. This
thing of going back to the city to-
listen to the toot of auto horns WneH
you're trying to sleep and to breathe
SCOT instead of air is enough to make
you weep. How l hate it! Then this
packing up and moving to town and
packing up and moving back to the
country isn't making a hit with me.
Perhaps we'd better just close up
the cottage and stay in town." sug-
gested Mrs. Barkton. "1f we come
back to the country it'll be for so
short a time that there's hardly any
use in it."
you've struck the combination"
said Barkton, with much sarcasm 60
back to town and sit around In
stuffy fiat when we have the whole
autumn ahead of us hey? Well, not
II I know it. Of course I might have
known that you'd rather sit half suffo-
Gated in a fiat and stare at a brick
wall across the court than be out In
the open drinking In the fresh air
and the gorgeous autumn scenery,
wouldn't you? !
whats that? Well come back
to the country If I prefer it, Ell? Oh,
yes, and you Tuning and fretting about
1t. I s'pose, and wearing that abused,
patient look you put on when you're
doing something that doesn't just CO.
incide with some wild feminine Ideas
of your own. Yes, you can just bet
pint of assorted hairpins that we're
coming back to the country for an
other month and don't let that get
away from you, either. Or, at least,
I'm coming back. If you want to stick
around a fiat just when were enter
ing on the real choice season OF the
whole year, go ahead. But don't count
me in on any system Of that sort"
The morning after their return to
the fat Barkton arose leisurely-lt
was on hour later than usual, for he
didn't have to allow time for the trip
to town-and strolled into the bath
room. He took a brisk bath and then
got out his shaving implements. He
turned on the hot water faucet, coated
his face with luxuriously warm prep
aration of lather, took the chill of his
razor under the faucet and then be-
gan to shave.
"Say, this hot water helps some"
he observed to his wife. 1--WE been
blaming it on the razor. All I need
ed was something warm to timber my
beard up bit Say, this waters good
and hot!"
Five or six days later the Bark
tons guests went on their way. When
Barkton got out of bed the next morn
ing and walked into the adjoining
room he found Mrs. Barkton busily
folding a lot Of things and placing
them in two suit cases that lay open
on the spart bed.
"Whutchuh doing?" inquired Bark
ton sharply. "Going where? Back
to the country? Is that so? Then,
you're going back alone, for I'm not
in on it. This place here looks pretty
good to me. Looks pretty good, |
say. Maybe some Sunday I'll take
run out to the country and fool around
till night, but outside of that TIL just
postpone any more country life till
next spring, and you can take those
shirts of mine out Of that suit case
If you will and let me put 'em back
in the chiffonisr where they belong.
"This country foolishness can be
overdone. I've got up in the morn
Ing and washed and shaved in that
cold water out there at the cottage
just about as often as I care to this
year. Just kindly get this back-to-the-
country notion out of your system
without any unnecessary delay"