Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-12-03

happy that she had been 90 thorough
ly appreciated.
1T is q joke about that house."
said the workman, after he had
thanked her; they have been so long
about building IT,"
YES" said Joan. raising her eye
brows. She didn't like having work
man calling the home of the Placys
a joke. But it is very beautiful"
We'll, not exactly that. 1t was
built more for comfort"
Really" said Joan, more surprised
at the workman than ever.
He asked her whether she had seen
1t and homecoming a possible
chance to see the upstairs and the
studio of the continental Mr.. Placy-
asked the workman whether he had
the keys.
Eyes, indeed" he said. Il will show
it to you gladly"
"Oh, you needn't bother to show
1t to me-" she said "Just let me
have the keys and can look through
it while you have gone back to your
work. 1t must be one o'clock. am
sure the Placys will have no objec-
ton"
mot the slightest" said the work
man, laughing.
Joan started through the house and.
to her annoyance, the workman fol-
lowed. explaining the uses for which
the various rooms-the billiard room,
the music room and the other rooms
on the ground fioor-had been de-
signed She hurried away from him
up to the third floor in search Of the
studio and he followed. Now he was
not so communicative, but he stood
near her and laughed little to him
self as she examined every nook and
corner of the studio.
On the stairs there was place
where the boards had not been fas-
tened and Joan started to jump 1t
as she had done when she went up.
The workman was there before she
could reach it and held his hand out.
"Put your hand on my shoulder and
4 l will catch you If you fall-or will
you let me carry your" 1t was a
perfectly courteous suggestion. but 1t
made Joan uncomfortable. She jumped
the distance without waiting to an
swer him, hurried down stairs,
and, thanking him, hastily hur-
ried home. She felt as II
there were something unusual
about the workman, and his laugh
fingered in her memory. 1t had prob
ably been very foolish of her to let
him show her through the house, and
she said nothing to her mother about
it. She fairly blushed when she re-
called the teasing look that he had
cast her as she disappeared across
the hedge.
Two weeks later, when the Placys
were installed in their new house
when Joan was sitting alone in hel
room, the maid brought up card
on which was written, "Mr. Rodericl
Placy." She hurried down to hin
and he greeted her with easy cordial
ity and laughed as she returned hi'
smile. She felt for minute that she
had met him before. They began tt
: talK ABOUT Ine new mousse
, Il suppose you have been through
it before we were in" he said.
She wondered whether he knew o
, her encounter with the workman. Sh'
} didn't want to admit her curiosity ant
she didn't want to tell lie. Sh
hedged for a minute, and then MI
: Placy came over to her chair ant
? looked at her closely in mock reprool
, Don't you know me? You are tn
little lady who brought the cool drinl
to a poor workman who had to spen'
holiday toiling, and you rather re
scented it when he offered to carry 20
! over the loose boards in the stairs.
He did not wait for Joan's reply
. "We couldn't get anybody to do tn
work, and so l came out from tn
: city and did it myself, and a littl
9 fairy godmother from next door cam
!. and made the day happy"
n That was the beginning of the az
v quaintance and young Placy havin
h been quite sure of his intentions froI
t the first time he saw her, wasted n
h time BY early autumn Joan ha
a promised to become Mrs. Placy. Whe
# she told her mother she also tol
s her the first chapter of the romano
n of her interview with the workma
next door.
d And you gave him one of thos
g heavy tumblers and the earthen pi
II cher" said Mrs. Granger, whose min
| fingered on details. What must
q have thought"
1. Copyright, by the Mcclure Newspap
Syndcate.)