The Spectator., 1916-02-25
WHITE ACRES
By EoWiNA FAxoN.

spite of her bravery tears welled up in kathleen's eyes. She had turned 8 corner and come in sight of the old house, desolate in the midst of 8 dreary late November landscape, and the house brought back recollections that were hard to bear.
 A touring car stopped at the gate and a man got out. Miss Lowell, ! believe" he said.
 "Yes," she answered abruptly.
 He came up on to the veranda be- side her. Il am Horace Davidson. and I represent the Burlington and Hartwell road But I've no doubt you have already guessed my identity. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting. We had blowout. Deucedly cold, isn't it? Shall we so inside?"
 Tt is colder in there. Besides; our business is outside, l believe"
 The wind was screaming so he had to stand quite close to catch her words. An uncommonly pretty girl, by love-" he said to himself
 A shrill whistle sounded in the dis tance, and both turned quickly. A big interurban trolley car appeared around the curve of the road and sped on raised track across the open space below them.
 The suit comes up next week, [ believe began Kathleen.
 Unless you change your mind and have it withdrawn"
 Why should I?"
 "To begin with. | don't think you have much chance"
 ''Is there no justice in the world, then? What are courts for?"
 Justice" he answered. No judge, can see why strip of track should do any damage to a farm"
 Perhaps he can see it if it is ex- plained to him that the road got it's right of way under false pretense, that the track cut my fathers farm in two. to begin with, and that the raising of it made it impossible to pasture c herd of cows on one side with the barn on the ether. A culvert would have cost us two thousand dollars, and the company wouldn't pay 1t. Further, when he saw in despair that his big dairy farm was ruined. began to have visions of a summer hotel and petitioned the company for a sta- tion. But that was refused, too. Ho was ruined financially and in health. He was too old to stand the blow. and he died"
 Horace Davidson was silent awhile. Then. Why don't you sell the placer"
 T would If could. No one will have 1t with that ugly raised track In the wrong place"
 He saw that she was shaking with emotion and cold. Miss Lowell" h0 said more kindly, after all it was foolish of me to ask you to meet mo out here. We can talk better in my office in town"
 The next morning, Horace Davidson was having trouble about a button which had disappeared from his over coat.
 Evelyn" he begged his married sister will you sew button on my overcoat if you happen to have any. thing at all that will match?"
 Such shiftlessness, Where's your tailor? Take it up to the sewing room. the proper place for such oper. ations. You'll find someone there"
 So Horace went upstairs and along a hall to a remote corner of the great house. where he had a vague idea the sewing room was. An open door through which light shone and the faint whir of machine were his guides, and he soon found himself watching a girl, her head and skoul- ders bent over the machine, a dark island in pillows upon pillows of snowly-white stuff
 Il beg your pardon" said Horace.
 The whir stopped and the girl looked around. It was Kathleen Low. ell She sprang up. instantly recog> nizing him. MT Davidson, How you startled mel Won't you sit down?"
 Thank you, Miss Lowell. We seem destined to meet in white acres, al- though I must say this landscape is
 
 plain my errand this time. was told to come here to have button sewed on. May I beg the favor?" He held out the coat he had been holding on his arm.
 Kathleen flushed. Certainly. m do it right away. Have you the but. ton?"
 No. thought maybe there might be one around that would match"
 I'm afraid not. They are very odd, Oh. believe-Why yes! found one in the station yesterday and put it in my bag. It's up in the schoolroom with my things. Tn get it. You see. I'm the children's governess."
 He looked his surprise and inquiry.
 This is extra-you see!" she ex. plained. T teach days and sew nights"
 And all this because tho road ran through your farm and ruined ittn