The Press., 1917-03-22

and looked around. Truth to tell, wished l 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 deer everywhere, even in the front yard Besides. was getting very hungry. Presently back of the house, beside 1 an orchard, I caught sight of man blowing between rows of green things I waded through the grass to the wal and, balancing myself on it, called tC | him. He paid no more attention to me | than if had been a June bug. Finally I followed after him and touched his arm.
 ''Is Mrs. Sweet at homer" I asked.
 He turned and looked at me hard without saying word. Then he drop ped the reins and stalked sOlemnly to- ward the house, I following, asking questions, to which no answer was vOuchsafed. Finally 1 decided that he was insane and as we neared the house vowed I 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 loud, hearty voice, Darn her, she's taken down the sittin' room stovev' After that I 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 ma has gone to sewin' so- ciety," thinking I would not come fin the rain, and also added that I must make myself "to home" while he "dOne the chores" Therefore I sat supper less for two hours and fed the fire, all the time thinking how much more con- fOrtable I 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 comin'" that forgave her and ate heartily of the supper she set forth-pickles and pie, cheese and doughnuts, cake and milk. While ate and until I went upstairs she rocked and asked me questions, pa snoring in his chair, until I was nearly wild. You see, so far I had not done a bit of thinking which would lead to a deci- sion concerning Lem.
 When I started upstairs 1 asked her to call me early, as l wished to walk out a little around the country alone. I 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 .aSt. Before breakfast I decided 1 would walk through the cemetery and consider Lem-not that there is any thing funereal about him, but a ceme- tery is conducive to thought, more con- ducive, l soon discovered, than is the combination or pickles. pie and cheese Iid to rest on deep feather bed.
 I had never slept on feathers before. md, come to think of it, I can't truth 'ulIy say that I slept on them that light, although toward morning I did all into q doZe deep enough so that dreamed that Lem had turned into 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 1!
 We have breakfast at G." continued Ma Sweets voice, 'but I didn't think you'd like to git up any earlier.'
 Breakfast at 6! I crawled out and looked into the glass. One glance at my pale yellow skin was enough. de cided that there would be no com munion with myself in the cemetery that morning and beat an ignominious retreat back to bed until breakfast was served-pickles, doughnuts and. climatic horror of indigestion, pork and beans!
 ate lightly, both ma and pa com :nenting on my pallor and lack of ap )ctite, and soon after breakfast pas sister-in-law, the lean Mrs. Sweet joined us. and we set out behind a big rawboned, long legged horse that took he old surrey over the ground in jerks.
 sat on the front seat with pa. while the fat and the lean Mrs. Sweet occu-
 
 morning. and my spirits arose despite the fact that I had yet arrived at no decision. We were bound for Skinner's lake, which pa informed me loudly was as ''prutty a water spot as could be found in three countless" and 1 be- lieved him when we came in sight of it. It is set in a saucer shaped valley, with the road running so near the edge of the water that. swollen by the re tent rains. the little lakelet had en croached on one wheel track.
 As the old surrey creaked merrilJ along Ma Sweet began peeking over the back seat to assure herself and us that something was wrong with the vehicle. "It never snapped like this befors," she began anuously, anu raised her voice. "Pa, pa, stop and see what ails the critter!''
 But instead of stopping pa cracked his whip and cried 'Glang here!" He had not heard a word.
 Then the lean Mrs. Sweet raised her voice: Say, Watts. stop a m ment! Stopr'
 The snapping had incrcaSel in vol ume, but pa heard it net, nor d.d the thin voice of his Sister-lu-law pene- trate his inner consciousness.
 Then I took a hand in the matter. 1 EaH arose to hrin" my lirs near pa's