Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-03-13

s~"J N"AA
osity. She seemed younger than at
the Asolando. Not more than eight
cen times had apples REDEEMED on the
Dough in her lifetime. She was even
%slenderer and more youthful in her
sweater than in the snowy vestments
of the Asolando. Her hair, which in
the glow of the lamp at Asolando cash
desk had been golden, was today bur-
nished copper and was brushed straight
back from her forehead and tied with
a black ribbon.
Il quite agree with your philosophy.
Nothing is of great Importance"
$50 it's not your orchard?" she asked.
"The thought t1atters me. l own no
lands nor ships at sea. I'm a Chin
ney doctor, and ii necessary I'll apollo
gize for it."
You needn't submit testimonials. |
take the swallows out Of my own
chimneys."
THAT requires a deft hand, and I'm
sure you're ~considerate Of the swal-
lows"
You may come up here and sit OF
the wall if you care to. I saw you
driving in a trap. l hope your horse
isn't afraid Of motors. Motors speed
scandalously on that road"
81 am not in the least worried about
my horse. It's borrowed. AS you re-
marked. this is a nice orchard. 1 like
it here"
eff you are going to be silly you will
find me little inclined to nonsense"
"Shall we talk Of the Asolando? l
haven't been back since l saw you
there, and yet-let me see. isn't this
your day there?"
She seemed greatly amused, and
her laughter rose with a fountain
like s%pontaneity and fell, a splash of
musical sound, on the mellow air OF
the orchard. She had changed her po-
sition as 1 Joined her, sitting erect and
kicking her heels lazily against the
wall.
"Mr. Chimney Man, something terri
bic happened just after you left that
afternoon. | was bounced. fred-I lost
my job"
Incredible! Pm sure it was not for
any good cause. 1 can testify that you
were a model of a~ttention-you were
surprisingly discreet. You repealed me
in the most delicate I'M when
intimated that I should come often on
the days that you made the change"
1.-THE sad part Of it was that that
was not only my last day, but my first!
had never been there before. except
for q nibble now and then when I was
in town. But l couldn't stand it. 1t
was like being in jail-in fact. 1 think
Jail would be preferable. But I'm glad
I spent that one day there. They dis
pensed with my company because l re-
marked to one of the silly girls who
are making the Asolando their lifework
that 1 thought the English pre-Ra-
phaelites had carried the dish face
rather too far. The girl to whom l ut
tered this heresy was so shocked she
dropped a teacup-you know how brit
tie everything is in there-and l came
home. You were really the only ad-
venture l got out Of my day there.
And 1 didn't find you entirely satisfac.
tory
'"Thank you. Francesca. for these
condolences. And having lost your po-
sition you are now free to roam the
hills and dream on orchard walls.
Your scheme Of life is to my liking. l
can see with half an eye that you were
born for the open and that the walls
Of no prison house can ever hold you
again."
She nodded a dreamy a%cquiesence.
Then she turned two very brown eyes
full upon me and demanded:
What is your name, please?
l mentioned it.
.'And you doctor %chimneys? That
sounds very amusing
Pm glad you like it. Most people
think it absurd
What are you doing here? There's
not a chimney in sight"
'Oh. ! have a commission in the
Deighborhood. Hopefeld Manor. You
may have heard Of Miss HOLSTERS
place"
''Of course. every one knows Of her"
And now that I think of it. it was
she about whom you asked in the Aso-
lando that afternoon. You wanted to
know what she said about the tea
ROOM"
II remember perfectly"
She was quiet for a moment. then
she threw back her head and laughed
that rare laugh of hers. You might
let me into the joke"
1T wouldn't mean anything to you.
l have a lot of private jokes that are
for my own consumption"
Your way OF laughing is adorable.
I hope to hear more of it. In the Aso-
lando you repulsed me in a manner
that won my admiration, but venture
to say now that, if you roam these
pastures, l am the grass beneath your
feet. and if yonder tuneful water be
sacred to you | sit beside the brook to
learn its song"
.'You talk well. sir. but from your
tone l fear you can't forget that we
V"--A