Catoctin clarion., 1913-11-20

her FIRST berries
By SUSANNA GLENN,

1Ofe success nau Deoun 10 slulie III
his direction.
This certainly looks first rate" An.
thony acknowledged, looking over the
the tiny garden from the back porch.
II cannot see that the place has
changed at all in the past ten years
except that those trees along the bor'
der have responded to the mulching
we gave them"
It's all just the same, SIR agreed
the owner "only that I've rented the
cottage back of you, at last. That
place has been dead loss to me these
ten years back. and l was mighty
pleased when this young woman came
and took a notion to it. | suppose you
would rather have it empty, but Miss
Carson seems quiet little person
and not over neighborly so far, SO !
reckon you'll get along all right"
During the week that followed,
Owen enjoyed himself with thor
oughness that increased whenever he
thought of his Aunt Harriet III!
show her" he said at such moments,
that there is limit even to her gen
eralship in my affairs"
The little wom;n In the adjoining
garden he first began noticing because
she so completely ignored him. She's
trying to clean up that garden her
SELF he discovered one day. Pity
old Jones could not do it for her-hG
would not dare impose on a man that
way"
But | would not let Mr. Jones fix
it," she explained when he at last
vouchsafed his opinion of Jones,
neighborly fashion, across the di'
vidng hedge Il wished to do 1t
myself DO you think have improved
1t at all?"
You have certainly done wonders.
But you're not pruning those roses
rieht-you will ruin them that way.
Here, let me show you"
There was a little green gate In the
hedge which opened complainingly
upon Gisused hinges. They need
spraying and a mulch" was his YER
dict. upon closer examination of the
struggling roses I'll lend you some
books on gardening if you care fer
them"
When Owens returned to his own
garden an hour later, he carried a
very pleasant impression Of slrl
with perfectly natural manner, rath-
er plain of face, and wearing print
dress we'll suited to her occupation OF
digging in the dark soil. "NoW there,
he solloQuized in deep satisfaction,
is a girl one might enjoy having Tor
neighbor She seems unusually IN
tellilCHt and sensible"
Beyond doubt Ruth Carson proved
TO be a good neighbor. She read the
garden books with avidty, relied with
a fattCring confidence upon her neigh
bor's opinion on all garden topics,
and worked with that abandon born
OF real love Of all growing things.
Il think you deserve special treat
for what you have done for my gar
den" she announced one sultry after.
noon, bringing into the delipidated ar.
Dor where they had been resting, dishes
Of some tempting frozen concoctlon.
These are the first berries from my
vines and | made the cream myself,
so do not dare criticse it,"
"All-suIely you do not mean you
turned the crank
For the answer she opened her hand,
showing the blisters on the pink palm.
You should not have done it, he
objected impatiently. Why did you
not call me?'
Indeed | should not trouble you in
any such way she retorted, with
formality that angered him unreason-
ably.
What is there about this Ruth Car
son that seems different from
other girls?' he questioned himself
daily.
For be it known that Anthony Owen,
in spite Of his fine height and intellec-
tual achievements, was an extremely
bashful man. She doesn't demand at
tentions like the girls Aunt Harriet Is
SO fond of bringing out for my bene-
tit" And he grinned broadly at
thought of Aunt Harriet and her delay
ed matrimonial schemes, For
shall have to go home after a while
and face the music" he admitted re.
luctantly.
Mr. Owen" said his neighbor as
they sat in her garden enjoying the
roses that had responded to their
united efforts at restoration, I've been
wondering about you-you seem so
strong, so full of life, and yet you go
out SO little. cannot understand why
YOU are contented to your tiny gar
den"
Il am not contented in my own gar
den, young lady" he smiled. But |
do not dare 60 out; you see, lam in
hiding!"
Are you, truly? isn't that the
strangest thing. for SO am |, myself"
Suppose you let me tell you. 1t is
not really so bad as 1t sounds. I'm
simply hiding from Aunt Harriet, She
you see she's determined to marry
me off!
The girl laughed out merrily. And
YOU ran away? Is not that rather
not very brave, you know?"
Pm not brave when it comes to
girls, though am not exactly cow
ard il other respects. I've never
cared much for girls, some way. My
life has been pretty full of good hard
work, aud | never learned the ways
women seem to like | never know
what 10 say to them" he admitted, re.
signeuly
Put you have been so nice to me"
she said. Il should never dream