Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-15
The PLotterS
A New Serial of
East and West
BY Virginia Terhune
Vnn de Water
CHAPTER XIII


Copyright, 1918, the Star Company
For some days after this. John
Butler saw Elizabeth Wade only at
meal times or in the presence of
Amos and Mrs. Chaplin.
Elizabeth suspected that he was
determined to prevent any closer
acquaintance with herself, and was
more amused than piqued by the sus-
picion. She appreciated that, believ-
ing her to be the cousin of the farm
ers wife, he had scruples about pay
ing her such marked attention as he
might bestow upon one of his own
class. So. smiling to herself. she
aided and abetted his efforts to evade
her.
Yet. occasionally, she wished that
she might have a pleasant long
talk with him. She was lonely here,
away from all her former associates
and without intellectual companion
ship. When not helping Mrs. Chaplin
room reading. She wrote to her
brother but seldom, for there was lit
tie to tell except that his eX-patient
each passing day and that the fields
were improving as rapidly as he was.
1t was evident to her that Chapin
was not allowing John Butler TO 40
much of the work that he hlmset
was in the habit of performing.
Whereas Amos was accustomed to
rising at daylight on these mornings
he lay abed until Butler had been be-
low stairs for an hour. In the after
noon, also, Amos would come to the
house for a little nap, while the
younger guest would remain at work
until the close of the supper hour;
Elizabeth knew that since Butler had
been forced upon Chaplin the farmer
had raSnlNaI take advantage Oh
the chance to lead more luxurious
life than heretofore.
Butler may have noticed this him
self, but he spoke no word of COM
plaint. Instead. he took matters more
and more into his own hands, order
ing from the city certain farm imple-
ments, and making improvements that
the farmer considered useless.
"A fool and his money are soon
parted" Chaplin remarked dryly one
day to his wife, as she and Eliza
beth sat in the vine shaded Kitchen
porch hullinS straw berries. That
young Butler seems to be crazy TO
spend good money on lot of new
tangled fiXn's. Well, if he wants to
do it, and the owner of the farm
don't object, I'll not say anything.
Your brother and | Will profit by II
maybe-if there is any profit, which
I doubt" he added to Elizabeth.
4 SkepticaI Farmer
There will be profit, il one may
Judge Dy the looks OIL lne ldTlHI lhe
girl affirmed gravely.
Looks aren't everything. Wait
till the crops come in," the man said
skeptically. 81 don't hold with these
scientific ways of doin' things But
your brother wanted it tried out-so
I'm keeping num-" The words set
Eliza beth to thinking, and the results
uf her cogitation was the decision
that John Butler knew what he was
doing and that she would best not
display too much interest in the mat
ter. She would not mention it to
him.
But Butler himself introduced the
subject one morning when, on her way
May I go with you2' he asked
abruptly when she told him her err
"Why-yes." she stammered. "if
you aren't too busy?"
81 am not he declared, 'I have been
working hard lately, but just now
called Mr.. Chapin's attention to this
finished the bit of cultivating l was
doing in the corn. / do not think he
liked it," he added. reflectively.
TT is his job anyway Elizabeth liza ,,,
pose on you, Mr. Butler"
The man looked at her with sur
prised expression that reminded her
that Chaplin was supposed to be her
cousin by marriage.
''I mean" she explained he's al
ways been in the habit of doing such
work and you have not"
He did not say much until he and
she were in one of the hat-bottomed
boats on the little lake. Then, when
Butler had rowed around bend that
hid them from the farm, he laid down
the oars and let the boat drift into
the shadows.
4 Pleasing Impression
"It is good to get out here where
il is quiet and cool" he remarked
after a long silence. "Chapin
brought me a letter from the village
an hour ago. 1t is from my mother.
DO you mind if ] read it now?"
Certainly not" she assured him.
Read it. by all means"
Leaning back in the stern of the