The Prescott daily news., 1913-04-04
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WAY BEHIND THE TIMES
By JULIA CUNEO.

Mrs. Preston felt sure that she was not going to like her new neighbors.
 Whats the matter with them?" asked Preston in some surprise.
 oh. they are sort of slow and thousands of years behind the times" his wife replied. And. Tom. do be- flieve the head of the household was put on the back porch in his stocking feet the other day! Just think! In his stocking feet!"
 My! what savage performance"
 And, you know, they didn't have much furniture-just some old fash toned things. Nothing new and mas sive."
 Well. that may be-" said Preston. but I'm for the old man who dares to walk about on his own back porch in comfort"
 "Oh, of course they are respectable people" Mrs. Preston conceded
 They surely are" said Preston The mother looks like one of the white-haired home-sweet- home kind"
 Mrs. Preston hesitated a moment, weighing honesty against feminihty Yes" she admitted, the mother does look comfy and the two girls are rath- CT pretty too"
 "1 haven't noticed them" remarked Preston almost overdoing the tone of indifference. He had to be careful about such things, for though they had hnQn m rrjad Preston could not yet understand that happy marriage does not necessarily blind man to the existence of all other women.
 "Oh, well, perhaps it's just as well that they are old fashioned and slow" said his wife. "It will leave us nicely to ourselves. shall be pleasant and neighborly but nothing more"
 Mrs. Preston was The new neigh bors seemed to love peace and quiet too, for they passed most of their time at home The world rolled smoothly.
 One morning N.rs Preston had telephone call from town. Mrs Van Dyke wanted her 70 put on her pret. tiest gown and come to luncheon to meet two cousins of Van Dykes. lovely girls, and so talented" said Mrs Van Dyke "They live some month or two ago. am sure you will enjoy knowing them"
 Mrs Preston scarcely breathed The Van Dykes headed her list of friends and the cousins were we'll known young women and had a wonderful country place somewhere or other. She hastened to put on her newest gown.
 The gown was very becoming, but, with the perversity peculiar to such garments, it refused to button itself and Mrs. Preston was powerless to coerce it. There was only one thing for her to do-go over 10 the new neighbors' to be hooked up So Mrs. Preston went serene in the freemas. only of woman kind
 The white haired mother did the hooking up, praising the gown and complimenting it's wearer.
 An hour later Mrs. Preston and Mrs Van Dyke chatted pleasar fly in the fragrantly dim restaurant while they waited for the young women.
 The hostess leaned forward. "There they are-those two girls in the love ly gowns. just speaking to the head waiter. Gertrude designs all their clothes. Aren't the girls pretty? So often, you know bright people are positively i'll looking"
 Mrs. Preston gasped The .wo graceful girls coming toward them were the daughters of the whited haired woman who had hooked her up!
 You ought to see" murmured Mrs Van Dyke, their home in the country It is gem. People rave over it-and them. Such exquisite old furniture"
 Mrs. Preston sat still and vowed