News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-12-31

looked In. His face was stern, but
when he saw us, with Miss Patty or
her knees toasting piece of breaG
and Mr.. Dicky passing the tin basin
as 1ingerbowl he stopped scowline
and looked amused.
They're here, Sallie," he called to
his wife, and they both came in, Gov
cred with snow, and we had coffee and
eggs all over again.
Well, they stayed for an hour, and
Mr.. Sam talked himself black in the
face and couldn't get anywhere. So
finally he gave up and said he washed
his hands of the whole affair, and that
he was going to make another start on
his wedding journey, and if they want
ed to be pair of fools it wasn't up
to him-only for heavens sake not to
cry about 1t.
And when the Dickys found they
were not going to be separated we had
more coffee all around and everybody
grew more cheerful.
Oh, we were very cheerful! I look
back now and think how cheerful we
were, and l shudder. We sat around
the fire and ate and laughed, and Mr..
Dick arranged that Mr.. Pierce should
come out to him every evening for
orders about the place-if he accepted,
and everybody felt he woodland l
was to come at the same time and
bring basket of provisions for the
next day. Of course, the instant Mr.
Jennings left the young couple could
go into the sanatOrium as guests under
another name and be comfortable
And as soon as the time limit was up
and the place was still running smooth
Iy, they could declare the truth. claim
the sanatorium, having fulfilled the
conditions of the will, and confess to
Mr.. Jennings-oyer the long-distance
wire.
Wen, it promised well, must say.
Mr.. Stitt left on the ten train that
morning, looking Iemon-colored and
mottled. He insisted that he wasn't
able to go, but Mr.. Sam gave him a
headache powder and put him on the
train, anyhow.
Yes, as | say, it promised well. But
we made two mistakes; we didn't
count on Mr.. Thoburn and we didnt
know Mr. Pierce. And who could
have imagined that Mike the bath man
would de Is lie did did ?
After luncheon, when everybody at
Hope Springs takes nap, we had
another meeting at the shelter-house,
this time with Mr.. Pierce. He looked
dazed when | took him to the shelter
house and he saw Mr. Dick and Mrs. |
Dick and the Mr.. Sans and Miss Patty. |
They gave him a lawn-mower to sit |
ON, and Mr.. Sam explained the situa-
ton.
Il know it's asking a good bit, Mr..
Pierce" he said, and personality can |
see only one way out of all this. Car.
Ter ought to go in and take charge,
and his-er-wife ought to go back to
school. But they won't have it, and
er-there are other reasons" He !
glanced at Miss Patty.
Mr.. Pierce also glanced at Miss !
Patty. He'd been glancing at her at
intervals of two Seconds ever since she
came in, and being woman and hav-
ing point to gain, Miss Patty seemed |
to have forgotten the night before, and |
was very nice to him. After every
thing had been explained, including !
Mr.. Jennings liver and disposition,
she turned to him and said:
1--WE are in your hands, you see, Mr..
Pierce. Are you going to help us?"
And when she asked him that, it was
plain to me that he was only sorry he !
couldn't die helping.
"'If everybody agrees to it." he said,
looking at her, land you all think it's
feasible and can carry it off, I'm per-
fectly willing to try"
"Of course" said Mr.. Dick, "I ex-
pect to retain control, you understand |
that, suppose, Pierce? You can come |
out every day for instructions. l dare |
say sanatoriums are hardly in your
line"
''Eh-oh, we'll no, hardly" he said
tive tried everything else / believe.
1t can't be worse than carrying a
bunch of sweet peas from garden to
garden"
Mr.. Dick stopped walking and
turned suddenly to stare at Mr.. Pierce.
"Sweet-what?" he said.
Everybody else was talking, and /
was The only one who saw him change |
color.
Sweet peas" said Mr.. Pierce. 'Gnd
that reminds me-I'd like to make one
condition, Mr.. Carter. feel in a meas
ure responsible for the company; most
of them have gone back to New York,
but the leading woman, Miss Sum-
mers, is sick at the hotel in Finley
Vile I'd like to bring her here for
two weeks to recuperate. l assure you,
I have no interest in her, but I'm sorry
for her; she's had the humps"
why, you've just had them. too,
Cicky." said his wife. They all turned
to look at him, and I must say his
expression was curious. Luckily, l
had the wit to knock over the break 1
last basket. which was still there, and
when we'd gathered up the broken !
china Mr.. Dick had got himself in
band