New Britain herald., 1915-12-15
Why Dicky Mimicked, Don't Speak
 That Way, Madge.''

Why Dicky Mimicked, Don't Speak That Way, Madge." 1 whats the matter, Madge? Got 1 a grouch on something?"
 Dicky faced me in the old hall of 1 the deserted Putnam Manor inn, where we had expected to find warmth and food and the picturesqueness of l a century back. Instead of these 1 things we had found the place in the hands of a caretaker.' Dicky had asked to go through the house on the 2retense of wishing to rent it.
 II haven't bit Of a grouch.' I tried to speak as cheerfully as I could, for l dreaded Dicky's anger when I told him my feelings upon the subject of going over the house under false pre- lenses. But I don't think it is right for us to go through the rooms The woman wouldn't have let us come in if you hadn't said We wished to rent it. It's deception, and I wish you wouldn't insist upon my going any further. I can't enjoy seeing the rooms at all"
 Dicky stared at me for moment as if I were some specimen of humanity ne had never seen before. Then he exploded.
 Another one of your scruples, eh :? By love, I wonder where you keep them all. You're always ready to trot one out just in time to spoil any little thing I'm trying to do for your pleas ure or mine."
 Please hush, Dicky," I pleaded, was afraid the woman in the next 1 room would hear him, he spoke in such loud tones.
 'I'll hush when I get good and ready I longed to shake him, his tone and words were so much like those of a spoiled child. But he lowered his tone nevertheless, and stood for a minute Or two in sulky silence before the empty fireplace.
 Well! come along.'' he said at last, II m sure there is no pleasure to me in looking over this place. I've seen it often enough when old Forsman had it filled with colonial junk, and served the best meals to be found on Long Island. It's like a coffin monw to me. But I thought you might like to look it over as you had never seen it. But for heavens sake let us respect your scruples."
 | I knew better than to makel any l else to have this day end happily, this whole day to ourselves in the country, upon which I had counted so much. I feared that Dicky would be angry enough to return to the city, as he had threatened to do when he found the inn closed. So it was with 1 much relief that after we had gone lack into the other room I heard him asking the care taker if there were some place in the neighborhood where we could obtain meal.
 | Do you know where the Shakes
 reare House is?" she asked. "Never heard of it, Dickv an- swered, although I've been around
 here quite a bit, too.''
 "Its about six blocks further down toward the bay,' she said, still in the 1 same colorless tone she had used from the first. It's on Shore road, 329 Shore road. The Germans own it. l MT. German, he's a builder, and he
 built an old house over into a copy 1 of Shakespeare's house in England 1 Mrs. German is English. She serves 1 tea there on the porch in the summer l and I've heard she will serve mea
 to anybody that happens along any time of the year, although she
 doesn't keep a regular restaurant
 That's the only place I know of any.
 where near. Of course, down on the
 bay there's the Marvin Harbor Hotel
 You can get a pretty good mea l there"
 The Country Store.
 "Thank you, very much,' sai6
 Dicky, laying a dollar bill down or the table near us. I had sudden flash of understanding. Dicky meant I all the time to recompense the woman
 in this way for allowing us to see the
 house. But the principle of the thing
 remained the same. Why could he
 not have told her frankly that he
 wished to look at the house and giver
 her the dollar in the beginning?
 I did not ask the question. however
 even after we had left the old man
 sion and were walking down the road
 felt like adopting the old motto, an(
 leaving well enough alone.
 T hope we don't have to go clea1
 to the Harbor before we eat grumbled Dicky as we trudged along echoed his wish silently but heartily , The sun was just as bright. the winte , landscape just as beautiful as it ha,
 been an hour or two before, but lou eyes were holden" in the ancien . phrase. We could think of nothin :, but the savory meal of which we ha been robbed by finding Putnam Manor closed.
 "Perhaps they had a telephone" suggested. "If we pass any store 0
 place that has phone we could fin 1 out whether or not this woman at tn z Shakespeare House could serve us." f Dicky stopped, and putting up a = 1 imaginary monocle surveyed me fro1