The Washington herald., 1915-09-08
our machine down to the crossing

| Bert laughed grimly. That's a nne
note" he said. We'll, at least you've
| got a stable or a shed where can put it.
, Fine kind of house you fellows keep"
| The old man smiled. Yes. we do think
1t looks pretty fine this year. though I
don't see that there's much profit in them
| hollyhocks."
| Where is the proprietor" Bert was
getting impatient and. as the old man
| seemed not to understand. he added.
the man who keeps the place, I mean"
"Oh. now 1 understand" drawled the
old man. chuckling. 1T amt a man
it's lady. She was back in the orchard
! picking cherries. and she said she had
just stepped in to tidy up bit and would
| be out soon. Here she Is"
Then Bert caught sight Of a pink dress
and then he recognized Jane-Jane.
whose interesting. pale face had grown
| positively pretty since her sojourn in the
| country.
And how unembarrassed and cordial
she was! She really seemed to be glad
| to see him.
From the garden I could see II was
you," she said. land I Just had to take
of my sunbonnet. don't want you to
make fun Of my farming"
There followed a few explanations.
mo. I am not the proprietor Of the
hotel" Jane assured him There must
De 6OIne mistake th6 ROAD DOOk- In
fact, you are the third tourist today who
has come here with that idea And you
really came all the way up here to SEQ
me? Why didn't you let me know? But
it doesn't make bit Of difference. I'll
just tell Mrs. Stokes, the farmers wife.
to get the guest room ready. II will only
take q few minutes. I know you must
and then I'll show you around the
place"
Just then another car pulled into the
driveway, a car Of French build that
made Bert's modest roadster look insig-
nificant.
IT say" called one Of its two occu-
pants to the farmer. who was just max
ing his way back to the orchard. where
is the garage of this establishment? Well
drive right in and you have the proprie-
tor ready to see us when We get back
here. We've only twenty minutes for
dinner"
That's the way it's been all the after
noon." said Jane, when she had explain
ed to the MISUNDERSTANDING tourists
that her modest little house made no
pretensions at being a hostelry.
That's a great disappointment" said
one of the men. 1T promised to be
something out OF the ordinary In the way
Of inns When I saw 1t felt certain
you'd give US a dinner worth eating.
What? Back one road? Thank you?'
When Bert returned to the veranda
from his room. soae had solved the mys-
terry
I've been looking at your road book
ana IL says that the way to get to the
Inn Is to turn at the second road after
you leave the pike. Well. the county has
Just closed up the first road and put q
row or poplars across 1t. That accounts
for the confusion
-<A- It'll AA..n
little supper. served on the open veranda,
that she showed her guest over the place.
the orchards and the berry patches. the
poultry yard and the neatly kept truck
garden.
But the worst of II all H." she con-
fessed rather dolefully. 1T doesn't pay
any better than Wall street. There will
be money in the fruit eventually. but
until 1 get started It Is close sailing. I
am almost afraid my capital won't hold
out And at this another car wheeled
into the driveway to interrupt the conver-
sation.
Let's put a sign up at the road say
ing that this Is not an inn," suggested
Jane. but Bert shook his head.
Jane. I've Just had an inspiration"
he said. very solemnly. "You say that
you want to make some money. Why.
this very afternoon you have had a
chance to make more money than we've
been making in Wall street for a week.
or than you can net from your farm for
many day. The inn down the road II
no good. I am told. and the owner
doesn't care whether he has any patrons
or not. There are dozens of motorists
along here every day who would stop for
dinner or luncheon II they knew you had
good things to eat This road catches
an unusually high-class traffic. Think
"bout II, and in the meantime don't write
20 the road book people to change the d.
rections"
Next morning Jane reported unfavor-
ably on the proposal
Its too much of an undertaking for
q woman alone. II had a man to 20
in with me" She blushed in spite OF
herself as she realized the full signin-
canoe Of these words.
Jane he said. Two been waiting for
this chance for more than q year. I'm
tired of being q broker. I've Q little cap
ital. as you know. Let's 90 into partner.
ship. I'll buy out your place here and
you go on raising ho'lyhocks and wear
ing becoming pink gowns. and I'll bloom
forth as a country hotel-keeper. How
does II strike you. little girl?''
Il think you would make an ideal boui.
face she laughed bewitchingly.
Copyright. lsrsJ