Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-09-09
DEL0RNE'S OUTING
He Went Proving Around for
Treasures and Found
One.
BY cLARIssA MAcKIE.

|
Harry Delorme did not hear the
remainder of the sentence He waved
his hand in farewell and applied him
self to guiding the machine carefully
through the suburban streets until
he reached the open cauntry.
Here he speeded blissfully along
the well-oiled highway in pleasant an
ticipation of a two-weeks' tour OF old
New England villages Delorme was
something of a china collector and
his vacations were usually spent in
leisurely prowls after treasures for
his constantly increasing cabinets.
When am going to stop collect
ing?" he would ask his critical friends
who warned him of the expense of
riding his hobby with such enthusi-
asm. when am l going to stop
oh, when l get married. OF course ]
couldn't afford to do both"
Get married." shifted the friends
incredulously, why Delorme would
rather look at Delft bowl this very
instant. He wasn't thinking about
Claudia Morey who was a school
friend of Elias and who lived in the
quaintest of all the New England
villages which he was to visit He
had never seen Claudia, but he pic
tured her as a tall, statutesque young
woman with pale blonde hair, regular
features, a Bostonese manner of icy
perfection, and a New England con-
science. ALI of which goes to show
that Harry knew more about Delft
! than he did about women-or about
the New England conscience which is
merely a dearly loved superstition
and no longer exists in fact.
The roads were fine, the car ran
without friction, the weather was per
feet, constables were few and far be
tween and life was very sweet to
Harry Delorme as he drove through
New England
He left the village Of Old Pond with
a feeling of gratitude to that ancient
place, for here he had found gold
luster pitcher and he was on the
trail Of a Lafayette platter and an
Apostle pitcher.
You'll find EN- in Cadham," said
the old lady who had sold him the
luster pitcher. MY sister lives next
door no Mrs. Bruce and Mrs. Bruce
has got no end of truck that's only
mt for the junk man! I'd rather have
three dollars than that old pitcher
you've got, young man-so we're both
satisfied. Yes, Cadhams first turn to
the left after you pass the bridge"
So Harry Delorme took the first
turn to the left after he passed the
end of the long covered bridge that
spanned the river at this point He
had learned that by passing through
Cadham he would reach Wynham and
that was the place where Claudia
Morey lived. He was glad that he
could prowl around Cadham before
calling on Miss Morey He didn't
want to talk about Browning Just at
present.
Cadham was fascinating place of
old-fashioned houses set back from
the street in ample dooryards. Once
or twice he stopped and inquired for
the Bruce place and in every instance
he was directed to the other end of |
the village where he found it at last,
a long, low, white-painted house of |
many gables, set on a hill In the |
midst of we'll kept lawns.
It was a quiet midsummer afternoon
and the place seemed deserted save
for young girl swinging beneath an
empowering apple tree. She wore a
checked Bingham dress of blue and
white and a blue and white sunbon-
net and down her back there hung a
thick braid of hair.
1t was a charmingly pretty little |
face that looked at him out of the
depths Of the sunbonnet-dark and
piquant, scarlet-lipped, creamy
skinned with great lustrous eyes soft
ened by curling black lashes.
Make a handsome woman, by
jove," muttered Harry as he brought
his car to standstill on the drive
way beside the apple tree. He swept
off his hat and turned toward her.
Good afternoon" he said politely,
81 wonder If this Is Mrs. Bruce's
placer"
yes, It is" answered the girl
sweetly, as she brought the swing to |
standstill.
us she at homer"
mo, she has gone over to Wynham.
Can do anything for your"
Delorme smiled down at the diminu.
tive form looking at him from serious
eyes.
mo thank you. | suppose may
wait awhile?"
The little girls face turned very
pink and she seemed TO be STRUGGLING
with several emotions-perhaps in
dignation-or was Il amusement
Delorme never knew.
why, yes, I'm sure grandma has
no objection" she said shyly.
Thank you. presume she will be
home soon?"
"Oh, yes, within an hour or two
a 4