Putnam patriot., 1917-08-24


hope OF seeing her. started off for his
trip to the hunting club. On the YER
anda. he looked for the bundle he
had left there hurriedly when he en-
tered the house in the morning. IL
contained q new fur motor coat, mink
lined: two sleeping rugs, hunting
boots. ollskins, half dozen new books
fresh from the printers. and two new
steamer rugs-in short, his entire out
fit outside OF provisions and arms. lie
thought perhaps he had left them in
the station taxi, but 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
on inquiry and patient searching he
found this was not So
After passing a half hour in doubt,
he suddenly recalled that something
had been said about Molly Bergen TAX
ing a package left on the yeranda.
That cleared the matter. He would
telephone to the Bergens at once. or
course IGGy MOuiI nave DENA inc mis-
take. It would be easy to explain.
But no one was home but the cook.
Sure 'nuH 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"
II 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 chance at finding you
home. | thought maybe 1t would be
cold for you to start out this after
noon / must thank you. Such beau
tiful things / never saw. Why, 1t 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 II a week before 'and the books
my daughter was glad to buy. One
would hardly know they had been
read" As a matter Of fact the leaves
had not even been cut. And the rugs
and the blankets and everything were
simply splendid. / can never thank
you enough for being SO interested IN
our old peoples home. They really
made my little offerings look quite
shabby | 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,
II 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
US
'I'll send down the car for you at
once. No, | promise | 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
large can of bouillon and some olives.
And II 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, And, Molly. hurry
and get out the best 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 1t the way he did
the last time we used the candles by
asking IL the electricity had been
turned off And Olive. be sure to
wear that cap 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 Ill
| or his day off or something II you
| think II would look better. Slip into
your little blue null before you go.
! I'll wear my black MORE. Really,
those Stanleys must have a great deal
| of money TO be able to discard such
! perfectly splendid things. And he
seemed so delighted when | told him
that they had sold well. am sure he
/ has a very kind heart Molly, he is
really interested in you already for
! he seemed fairly to Jump at the inyi-
tation to dinner. / wonder why he
didn't go hunting, II wasn't really so
very cold"
| Copyright. 1915 ny Mcclure Newspa-
| per Syndicate)