The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1917-02-02
The TEA-HOusE
BY FANNY GRAY.


that she so particularly disliked the
work itself, but the thought that she
lihd to do that Kind of thing day after
daH, with not even maid servants
wage, stirred tier t0 anger. Her fa-
ther, a prosperous fArnIef, cguld well
affOf1 20 pay for 1t, as she knew, yet
lie seemed to think it was the natural
and proper thing for herself and her
younger sister, Florence, to scrub
along, week after week, satisfied with
I'm occasional small sum with which to
buy necessities:
When Lucy finished her work, she
started to walk rather aimlessly dUwn
the road to rest and cool off. Her ia
ther had just acquired, through fore
closure, n piece of property of about
two acres adjoining his land, on which
Was Il picturesque little cottage. AS
She fedched place in the road OppO-
site the new property, she stopped to
admire the tiny house ana the old-fash-
ioned flowers bordering the Walk, as
well as the climbing roses over the
porch.
.ttist tlen Fred Emerson came along,
and the two stood there together.
Fred was a hustlng young chap, with
quite a bank account already. lie had
for some time been casting longing
glances in Lucy's direction, but, being
somewhat bashful, he had not pro
Afbssed very far in his wOOing
Now, as they Viewed together the
snug bit of land and the fiotfsei with
the "FOr Sale" sign against the stone
wall, thought of himself and Lucy
| in such home rushed into his mind,
and he wanted TO give expression to
it; but all he found himself saying was
that It made him think of the little
ten house come women had opened the
summer before in riverside.
An idea flashed through Lucy's mind.
As soon tis Fred went on, she rushed
back to the farmIi6Rse and found her
mother.
Mother, what's father going to do
Win the Clapp house?"
"Why, nOtlfif this year that know
of. OF course, he wants TO sell it,"
"WOuld he let me use the cottnge,
do you think, mOther?"
use the cottage! For the lands
sake, child what for?'
"well I've got an idea. You re-
member when ! visited Aunt Carrie
last summer in riverside? Some wom-
en- set up ten house not half So pretty
as the Clapp place and sold tea and
things To motorists over there, and
Aunt Carrie said they made II lot of
money. 1 could make more here be-
cause it's ON the state road"
1t took considerable persuasion tC
make Farmer Cutler give his consent
But, with mother on Lucy's side and
Florence all eagerness, he finally gave
in reluctantly.
The girls worked with a will all the
next week. They cleaned out the lit
lie cottage themselves. 1t was In pret
ty good order already and was fur
nished. There were three rooms OF
the ground floor. They turned thu
parlor. which was the largest, int
the tea room proper, and made a sor
of serving room of the dining room
- The small piazza, they decided, woulC
hold three tables. Mother loaned hcl
best white and gold eggshell china
which seldom saw the light of day, an'
agreed to supply the first biscuit.
= Two or three days before they wer'
: ready, Lucy put sign out on tn
lawn near the street, announcing tn
opening of the tea house.
The first afternoon she told hersel
they really must not expect anyone
but her heart beat high with expeC
I taton just the same, as she and Flor
ence, in white muslin dresses an
dainty aprons, waited in the cottage.
, A man and woman driving throug
4 the country in buggy were their tlr>
guests. A mOtorcyclist and one larg
automobile party made up the list 10
t the day, and they thought it very er
= couraging. even If father did sniff
bit when told Fred Emerson droppe
In around six o'clock, just to chez
i them up, he said. But it was notice
4 able that the cheering process Taste
all through the prosperous seaso
. which followed.
S The tea house was a great success
on the whole, and when the time can
TO close it and Lucy counted up I'll
i exact profit. she was highly elate
"a and began at once to plan for the ne'
year