Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-01-08
Her FIRST BERRIES
nx suaANNA aLENN-

think Of his coming to this old retreat
where he used to hide and work be
fore success had begun to smile In
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 Dor
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 a dead loss to me these
ten years back, and | was mighty
pleased when this young woman came
and took notion to 1t. suppose you
would rather have 1t empty, but Miss
Carson seems a quiet little person
and not over neighborly so far. so l
reckon you'll get along all right"
During the week that followed.
Owen enjoyed himself with a thor
oughness that increased whenever he
thought of his Aunt Harriet. I'm
show her" he said at such moments.
that there is limit even to her gen.
eralship in my affairs"
The little woman 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 1t for her-he
would not dare impose on a man that
way"
But l would not let Mr.. Jones fix
it," she explained when he at last
vouchsafed his opinion of Jones,
neighborly fashion, across the d.
viding hedge. II wished to do it
myself Do you think have improved
1t at all?"
you have certainly done wonders.
But you're not pruning those roses
right-you will ruin them that way.
Here, let me show you"
There was a little green gate in the
hedge which opened complainingly
upon disused hinges. They need
spraying and mulch" was his YER
dict, upon closer examination Of the
struggling roses. I'll lend you some
books on gardening II you care for
them"
When Owen returned to his own
garden an hour later, he carried
very pleasant impression of girl
with a perfectly natural manner. rath-
er plain OF face, and wearing a print
dress well suited to her occupation Of
digging In the dark soil Now there"
he soliloquized In deep satisfaction.
lis a girl one might enjoy having for
a neighbor. She seems unusually In
telligent and sensible"
Beyond a doubt Ruth Carson proved
to be a good neighbor. She read the
garden books with avidity, relied with
f1attering confidence upon her neigh
boris opinion on all garden topics,
and worked with that abandon born
of real love of all growing things.
Il think you deserve a 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 concoction.
These are the first berries from my
vines and / made the cream myself, |
SO do not dare criticise it,"
"All-surely 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 II" he |
objected, impatiently. Why did you
not call me?"
Indeed / should not trouble you in |
any such way" she retorted. with a
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-
fit" And he grinned broadly at
thought of Aunt Harriet and her delay |
ed matrimonial schemes. For |
shall have to go home after 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 l |
do not dare go out; you see. lam in
hidingl"
Are you, truly? Isn't that the |
strangest thing. for SO am !, myself"
Suppose you let me tell you. II is |