New Britain herald., 1916-06-12
How Dicky Introduced NIadge to the Village of Marvin and Found
 an Old Friend

1 little real estate agent of Marvin, at his scrutiny, for Dicky had just rushed into his office, dragging me l with him, as if the police were after 1 us had seen that the reason for his action was the sight of Grace l Draper's sister, Mrs. German, com l ing toward us. Brooding over the discovery, I paid no attention to what either man said until Dicky l turned to go.
 My wife, MT. Birdsall," Dicky said, in the offhand, unconventional 1 manner he uses with casual or busi- ness acquintances.
 l ''I am glad to meet you, Mrs. | Graham" MT. Brdsall replied for mally. When you come back from your walk, think we can find some thing that will suit you"
 Thank you,'' I returned absently, for my brain was busy wondering 1 at Dicky's reluctance to meet Mrs. l German.
 T don't think he has much to offer," DiclSy said as we reached the sidewalk and swung southward. But when we come back from seeing this street we'll look his places over" We walked almost 8 block before he spoke again.
 "I suppose you're wondering why I did that artful dodger stunt at Birdsall's office,' he began You see, that woman was Mrs. German. Miss Drapers sister, and if we had met her she would never have let up
 
 to dinner"
 The excuse was lame enough. I did not quite believe him, but I said philosophically to myself that there was no use spelling the day with suspicious breeding. And, indeed. the beauty before my eyes was worthy of ones fullest attention. I never have seen @ prettier street More pretentious and formal boule- wards have impressed me, but there was a quaint charm all it's own about this winding thoroughfare, which the queer bombast one sometimes finds in villages had dubbed Grand avenue.''
 ''Plcased to Meet You"
 A sudden turn as the homes began almost hid the squatty little buildings near the railroad station. From that turn to the point where the street crossed one of the most famous of Long Island motor roads there was not a home which did not speak of comfort, good taste and beauty. Stately trees arching over the street until their tips almost inter- twined lined both sides of the thoroughfare. Not a house but what IL; 1J see would be a riot of bloom when the summer came.
 On the west side of the street. down which we were walking, the land sloped down to brook which widen ed sometimes into a pond, sometimes narrowed into a Till. We could see the water shmmering and dancing in the sunlight. On the other side of the road each persons land extended back to the next street
 1T don't believe there is a street like it," I said admiringly as we paused to look at a quaint old Eng fish house with rose arbor run ming back to the water.
 ."There isn't" Dicky rejoined, T wish we could get a place somewhere along here. But Birdsall says there isn't a place to rent along the whole length of it. Funny, though, there gre several for sale. Wouldn't you think anybody who had a home here would want to stay in it?'
 "Perhaps they have reasons for go- ing" I returned, really more ab- sorbed in the beauties around me than in Dicky's remarks.
 At the crossing of the street with the motor road we turned and came ur the east side of the street.
 Let me introduce you to the busi- ness section of MarVin,' said Dicky erandiloquently, indicating a modest group of red brick buildings of a type superior to the usual architec- tUre of country village stores. Mrs Graham, the postoffice, Mrs. Graham the drug store; Mrs. Graham, the moving picture shoW.'
 l opened my lips to protest at his nonsense, as I saw some children staring at him. But with another thought I bowed gravely to the stores
 Glad to meet you, Marvin" I piped, and Dicky laughed gayly.
 "9 ou're coming on," he said, giv- ing my arm little squeeze. "Stick around me long enough and you'll get that formality and stiffness out of your system"
 We walked more swiftly up the east side of the street, and back to the real etate office, where MT. Bird sail waited. He hurried us into his car and we started down the street we had just come.
 "The Same Bad BOy.''
 Som ething in the running of the car appeared to annoy MT. Birdsall, and he ran it very slowly, coming to stop almost in front of an immense old place, with some of the biggest