The Parker post., 1916-07-15
ais man kept burning cheerfully for

till the girl had called. While his man
prepared the simple luncheon he rum
mayed around the attic for the prom
ised books and cl2thes He get them
ready in a large basket that he
thought could be easily put into the
car.
1t was three when Molly called.
Tom had not gone out. Even if Mr..
Stanley should still k6 in," her mother
had warned her, ''just pick up the bun
die from the veranGa and come away.
You knew how people would talk if
they saw you going into his house
An hour later, Stanley, having
missed the sound of Molly's light foot
steps on the veranda aud giving up
hope of seeing her, started off fer his
trip to the hunting club. On the yer
anda, he looked for the bundle he
had left there hurriedly when he ell
tered the house i'll the morning 1t
contained a new fur motor coat, mink
lined; two sleeping rugs, hunting
boots, oilskins, half dozen new books
fresh from the printers, and two new
steamer rugs-in short, his entire cut
fit outside Of provisions and arms. He
thought perhaps he had left them in
the station taxi, but a trip Of his man
to the station and his own recollection
of having lifted the bundle from the
taxi Convinced him this was not the
case. Perhaps his man had taken the
things indoors for safekeeping; but
found this was not so.
After passing half hour in doubt,
he suddenly recalled that something
had been said about Molly Bergen TAX
ing a package left on the veranda
That cleared the matter. He would
telephone to the Bergens at once. OF
course they would have seen the mis-
take. 1t would he easy to explain.
But no one was home but the cook.
Sure huff Miss Bergen and Miss
Molly done gone to the scrubbage sale
Yassar, been gone all afternoon. No,
sir, there's no telephone there It's
at the old hay barn On the Smith place
and the Smith place done burned
down, so there's no telephone there,
neither"
1t was nearly five and Tom was just
getting ready to start out in person to
the hay barn" of the Smith farm,
wherever that might be, when the
phone rang at his side. 1t was Mrs.
Bergen's sweetest voice.
Il just took a chance at finding you
home. l thought maybe it would be
cold for you to start out this after
noon, l must thank you. Such beau
tiful things never saw. Why, it was
only about ten minutes before they
we're all sold. And such high prices,
too! We actually got twenty dollars
for that coat" Tom had paid eighty
for it a week before "anG the books
my daughter was glad to buy. One
would hardly know they had been
read" AS matter Of fact the leaves
had not even been cut. And the rugs
and the blankets and everything were
simply splendid. l can never thank
you enough for being so interested in
our old peoples home. They really
made my little offerings look quite
shabby. l had managed to get to-
gether some interesting antiques my
self that sold pretty WELL but not so
well as your things. And, Mr.. Stanley,
if you would care to we should be de-
lighted to have you come to call You
are all alone. Perhaps you would
share our simple family dinner with
u.s.
I'll send down the car for you at
once. No, I promise I won't have
thing done for you except to have an
extra place laid. And I'll tell you that
our waitress has gone and we have
only a cook, so you know how simply
we shall dine" She didn't add that
there had never been waitress in the
Bergen household and probably never
would be.
No sooner had she put down the
telephone receiver than she rushed to
the kitchen, her excited daughter who
had been listening to the conversation
following her "Olive, for pity sake"
she said, addressing the cook, "open a
large can of bouillon and some olives.
And if you have time make the butter
into balls and get out that bottle of
port that the grocer sent by accident
with the last order. AnG, Molly, hurry
and get out the hest china, and lay an
extra place at the table, and get down
the candlesticks and-and when your
father comes in whisper to him that
he is to make no comments. Tell him
not to put his foot in it the way he did
the last time we used the candles by
asking if the electricity had been
turned off. And, Olive, be sure to
wear that cap l bought you the time
the minister dined with US. Molly;
you'll have to take the car around for
Mr.. Stanley. You might make some
remark about the chauffeur being i'll
or his day off Or something if you
think it would look better. Slip into
your little blue null before you go.
I'll wear my black moire. Really,
these StanleyS must have a great deal