New Britain herald., 1916-11-22
How Chance Changed Dicky's Plans
and Threw Them Again Into
Strange Company.

Strange Company.
"Now then, Sister Sue, mind your
STEP" With a merry twinkle In his
eye, Dicky swung me down from the
steps Of the accommodation train at
Cold Spring, where we had planned to
spend a week fishing.
"Mind YOUR own Brother BILL l re-
turned gayly, my heart thrilling at
the foolish little repartee.
For when Dicky called me Sister
SUIT" knew he was in the rarest good
humor. It was an appellation playfuily
given to me by Dicky in the days Of
our courtship when he had not yet
dared to call me "Madge,' and wished
to say something besides the formal
Miss Spencer" 1t was a silly little
name. equally silly was the Brother
Bill which at that, time he had
laughingly given himself. But any
women can understand how I thrilled
at the old names, which, in the more
matter of fact, less playful intimacy
of our married life had almost fallen
into dsuse.
The House r. Guaranteed.
We started down the platform
toward the tiny station, which was
the only building in sight. Ahead OF
us tripped the slight figure of the dark
woman with the wonderful eyes, who
had sat in front of us on the train,
and had given Dicky SO marked look
Of approval as to annoy me.
The station appeared to be deserted
D1cky frowned as he looked around.
wonder where that chap is?" he
said. "My letter distinctly named the
train I was coming on, and I told him
~ CI or
of a rig and by Jove-' Dicky
broke off suddenly and stared at a
trunk standing on end by the side of
the station. "That's surely our
trunk" he said. THAT ought to have
been at his house before this!"
We turned the corner Of the station
house and discovered rangy country
lad of 16 with a splendid mop OF
blond hair and the bluest, frankest
eyes I ever saw in a boys face. he
and another lad about his own age
but far less attractive than he, ap-
peared to be the sole guardians OF the
place.
where is the Halpin rig?" D1cky
addressed the question to both the
boys. But 1t was the blue-eyed one
that answered with a return query.
"Are you Mr.. Graham %
"Yes," Dicky returned, impat1ently.
"Well, Mr. Halpin telephoned thlS
morning to see If mother could take !
YOU. You see there's a woman there |
with some children. One of them mas
been sick for two or three days, and /
they just found out yesterday that IT !
was infantile paralysis. and the house I
has been quarantined. Mr. Halp1n ,
said he wired you yesterday, but he |
couldn't get any answer. |
THAT was because we stayed in the ,
city last night" I interposed breath !
essly.
ct suppose So" Dicky returned, and ,
hen sharply to the boy: HAS our r
runk been up there to Halpin's at
,ll?" :
mo" the lad replied at came yes
erday just after they declared the ,
so the station agent said he =
would let 1t stay right here until we
heard from you" 7
'Well, what's to be done?' Dicky :
urned to me- This is about the rot
enest luck ever. I stayed at Halpin's =
j., number of times. It's about a mile !
p the stream, and I know all about =
+. This other place is distinctly tax :,
ng a chance"
D1cky's words, in a half contempt
Gus tone, were distinctly audible both Q
the blue-eyed boy who had spoken
0 us, and to our feminine-passenge
mo loitered a little distance away
retendlng to be absorbed in the land IL
cape. &