Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-19

and a half grown boy happened to-
gether. He came along the path whis-
Ting and paying no attention to horns
just in time to get the mail bag, which
the dier threw out. and to him l adj
dressed an inquiry.
He shouldered the lean mail bag and
tilted his hat on the back of his head.
"Sweet!' said he m~editatively, rs she
the lean one or the fat one?"
l didn't know, but l hoped she was
fat.
The boy grinned and instructed me
to ''foller" him. "follered" gladly,
seeing in what contempt he held the
COWS, although the path, wide enough
to form a dry ~thoroughfare for trou-
sers, was too narrow for skirts, and /
was conscious that every step was lay
ing the foundation for a shrinkage in
the suit. We walked half a mile
before coming to the town, If a dozen
houses, a church and a schoolhouse
can be dignifed by that name, and the
boy pointed to a house on the outskirts
as the home of the. fat Sweet.
1t was a square white house, with
green blinds all closed. The front door
was also closed and locked; ditto the
back door. l stood on the back steps
and looked around. Truth to tell, l
wished / were at home. The country
was indeed beautiful to look at, but
not to walk in with low shoes and q
new suit. The grass was knee deep
everywhere, even in the front yard.
Besides, I was getting very hungry.
Presently back of the house, beside
an orchard, l caught sight of a mar
blowing between rows of green things.
| waded through the grass to the wall
and. balancing myself on 1t, called to
him. He paid no more attention to me
than If l had been a June bug. Finally
| followed after him and touched his
arm.
SIS Mrs. Sweet at homer l asked.
He turned and looked at me hard
without saying q word. Then he drop
ped the reins and stalked solemnly to-
ward the house, | following. asking
questions, to which no answer was
vouchsafed. Finally decided that he
was insane and as we neared the house
vowed l should never trust myself In
side with him. but when he produced
the key from under the doormat and
opened the front door the action seem
ed to unseal his lips.
He cast one comprehensive glance
into the dark interior and then burst
out in a loud. hearty voice, Darn her,
she's taken down the sittin' room
stover' After that | felt at ease. ex-
cept with my wet feet.
While my host was building a fire In
the kitchen stove he informed me in
the rising voice common to the very
deaf that INA has gone to SEWN so.
ciety,' thinking / would not come In
the rain, and also added that | must
make myself ito home" while he "done
the chores" Therefore | sat supper
less for two hours and fed the fire, all
the time thinking how much more com
Portable l should be if some one would
perform a similar service for me.
Nine o'clock and Ma Sweet came to
gether. She was the fat one and felt
so 'turribly sorry" that she'd made a
mess of my comm" that | forgave
her AMI ate heartily of the supper she
set Earthquakes and pie. cheese and
doughnuts. cake and milk. While l ate
and until l went upstairs she rocked
and asked. me questions, pa snoring IN
his chair, until l was nearly wild. You
see. so far l had not done a bit of
thinking which would lead to a deci
sion concerning Lem.
When started upstairs | asked her
to call me early. as | wished to walk
out a little around the country alone
[ emphasized "alone,' for she had just
told me that pa intended to get a sur
rey and take his sister-in-law, herself
and me around the lake after break
fast. Before breakfast l decided ]
would walk through the cemetery and
consider Lem-not that there is any
thing funeral about him, but a GENE
terry is conducive to thought, more o
ducive, l soon discovered. than is the
combination, of pickles, pie and cheese
laid to rest ON a deep feather bed.
l had never slept on feathers before
and, come to think of it, | can't truth
fully say that l slept or them that
night, although toward morning | did
fall into a doze deep enough so that ]
dreamed that Lem had turned into o
great sour. cucumber pickle wearing an
inverted mince pie for a hat, and then
Miss Drew! Say. Miss Drew. get
up!" came outside by door. and open
ed my eyes to the early dawn and
half past 4!
I'VE have breakfast at g." continued
Ma Sweets voice, but | didn't think
you'd like to git up any earlier"
Breakfast at G.! I crawled out and
looked into-the glass. One glance at
my pale yellow skin was enough. | de
cided that there would be no con
munion with myself in the cemetery
that morning and beat an ig%nominious
retreat back to bed until breakfast
was served-pickles. doughnuts and
climatic horror of Indigestion, pork