The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-07-22
THE APPLICANT
fCopyright. 1918. western Newspaper Union.
BY AGNES G. BRoGAN.

condition and the change to country
air might do you both good. All you
will have to do is to look over carefully
the applicants who come in response to
my advertisement.
"f we are to make success Of our
legacy farm during the coming sum-
mer, good farmer must be put in
charge now. One with a housekeeping
wife would Of course be preferable.
Man, or man and wife, / worded the
ad. If you can't find a suitable couple,
however, and a promising single man
appears-take him. He can shift for
himself. Your judgment is better
than mine, SIS" he ended placatingly.
81 hate to go out to that forsaken
place." Nancy grumbled, especially
now, when there are SO many things
to do in town. But when did / ever
fail you, Ben? If Aunt Matilda can be
persuaded"
"Aunt Matilda is always glad to help
Others" that lady answered severely,
and the Brotherhood of the family
! relievedly turned to depart.
'By the way" he called back, "don't
fail to sell any of the old stuff In the
house, if you have a chance"
"Just like man." Nancy smiled,
show, or to whom could sell old fur
niture In that wilderness"
The prospect of a stay In the coun-
try place was not as discouraging as 1t
had seemed. Aunt Matilda settled
back comfortably in a rocker before
the fire which early spring time made
necessary, while Nancy opened the
long unused piano. The harmony
which her fingers drew from the yellow
keys was interrupted by loud ring
/ ing of the white handled doorbell, and
the girl FASTENED to respond. A tall,
/ heavily cloaked figure stood before her
in the doorway, rumpling his dark hair,
the man snatched off his cap in greet
ing.
| 81 came about the advertisement"
he answered.
"Come in," Nancy invited she pushed
forth a chair.
The mans eyes frightened In evi-
/ dent admiration at sight of her.
"About the advertisement" she MUIR
INJURED considering. "Are you mar
riedw
The applicant stared. 'why, no"
he began.
"Well, 1t isn't essential" Nancy said,
/ shat is, If you are able to do your own
cooking and washing up. Can your"
The man blinked. ''The advertise
ment-" he started, but again the girl
interrupted.
"Have you a reference?" she quer-
| led.
I The applicant stood up, and smiled.
"Your brother sent me out" he said.
May I use the phone a momentY
Ben had sent him. In relief Nancy
led the way to the telephone.
"This is Barclay" spoke the mans
voice. "The young lady out here wants
to be sure I am all right; will you tell
her."
Sure" came back Ben's familiar
tone.
Nancy took the instrument into her
hands. "You can bank on that man
Barclay, SIS" Ben assured her. Then
briskly she led the way to the kitchen.
Il will need your help here first,
she told the man, engaged for all work.
and he laid aside his heavy coat, COM
ing cheerfulfy to her assistance. When
the fire had been attended to, hebusied
himself with a refractory faucet, while
Nancy began her task of preparing the
evening meal. Constantly she felt
! those dark eyes upon her, though the
man remained deferentially silent.
During the week which followed the
man was tireless in service, even Annt
Matilda admitted that Ben had found
a jewel. 1--WE may now leave the
place safe in his hands," she said.
But to Nancy the thought of re-
turning to the city home was far from
inviting. She had not known that
springtime in the country could be SO
enchanting. 1t had been fun, too, she
made self confession guiltily-teaching
Mr.. Barclay to cook. And he had been
most agreeable pupil. So many
things had been pleasant-the long
drives about the place which 1t had
been her duty TO take in his company,
i. DIS ulTcCtOT. Nducy SlSucO.
Through the window she noticed
. Ben's small car turning into the
driveway, and in another moment he
had entered the room. oLifting his
face from his sisters kiss of greeting
, Ben stared at the helpers" figure in
| the doorway.
"Great Scott! Barclay!" he cried
| "when did you come outW :.
HE has been here all the time,
, Nancy reminded her brother 81 en-
. gagged him and he has been working
beautifully"
working gasped Ben, but Bar
, clay nodded. "a slight misunder
standing" he said. Il came, as yor
|, know, to buy for my mother, some OF
: that antique furniture you also ad
, vertised. in the paper. and your sis
, ter naturally mistook me as an ap
plicant for the position. It pleased
my fancy" he paused, as his eyes elo
quently sought the girl-"to stay-ant