, 1918-09-19

thirty-five and did not miss an oppor-
tunity to tell her associates that she
was a 'plain little motherly body who
would be safe anywhere" still she how
cred around the farm with what SEEM
ed to Mr.. Rogers to be unnecessary
frequency. he could see quite clearly
that she was going to take full per-
sonal credit for the bumper crop of
peaches his orchard was yielding, and
she did seem to forget entirely that
by the arrangements he was making
he was paying very full value for the
amount Of labor he received. She ap-
parently forgot hat the rent Of his
house had been a gift since he paid
the girls wages that did not take into
consideration their shelter. Appar-
emily Mrs. Van Deusen wanted to
make perfectly sure that Mr.. Rogers
kept entirely at the far end of the
farm. She even stipulated to Miss
Ferris that he should never take q
meal in the house, "and / want to be
sure" she told her, .'that he shows no
signs of attention to any of the girls.
1t is our responsibility and mine"
she said condescendingly. $50 please
make a point to be witt, the girls as
much as possible when he is with
them. You would have a restraining
influence. / am sure."
Miss Ferris did not take the trouble
to remind Mrs. Van Deusen that as
Mr.. Rogers was staid and studious and
forty and the girls were for the most
part ~uneducated young Polack girls on
their vacations from factories 1t was
not likely that he would find much to
interest him in their presence. In
stead h looked very grave and as
sured Mrs. Van Deusen that she would
keep a motherly eye on everything.
And Mrs. Van Deusen made it quite
clear to MI. Rogers himself that he
was not e to cross the threshold
of his own house; hence arose within
Mr.. Rogers breast an Unsuitable de-
sire to do just that thing. The fact
was, from glimpses he had secured
from outside, a marvellous transfor-
m- ton had been wrought in the In
terror of that house. The swiss cur
tains in the windows swaying back and
forth in the breeze, the glimpses of
bOo4oCNo il Ol LAG taD1Cos Lllc
airiness and spaciousnesss of the house
as contrasted with the STIFFNESS and
formality of it as 1t had been handed
down to him by his old aunt and uncle
five years before fairly staggered him.
Apparently 1t had become the house
he vaguely dreamed that it might be-
come, yet Miss Ferris had brought
only a few hampers of "ixings'' and
had made no definite change hat he
knew about save to move some Of the
furniture into the attic ito make more
room" She had asked his permission
to do that.
No doubt Mr.. Rogers was sorely
tempted at any rate, he fell and, for
getting his promise to Mrs. Van Deu-
sen, sneaked into that transformed
house of his, n day when Miss Fer
ris was in the orchard with the girls,
and looked around. What had been
done be could not say, but that the
house had been transformed into a
home, he knew, and it was only by
dint of firm resoIve-and fear of being
caught by Miss Ferris, or worse still,
by Mrs. Van Deusen-that he tore
himself from the charming rooms.
The experience left an impress that
seemed really out of proportion to the
Importance of 1t. 1t seemed to William
Rogers as If seeing that modified In
terror left him transformed as II he
had zone tbrougb i great experience
If left him more with \ desire 10 seek
ont tbe woman WIN bad wronebt fine
change than with . desire m revisit n
again nc ~ would no after tbe eight
80