Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-17
CHAPTER XV-(Continue


WHEN Miss Flora had gone. Miss Maggie
w turned to Mr.. Smith with eyes that still
carried dazed unbelief
"Did Flora say that Frank Blaisdell had
sold his grocery stores?"
"She certainly did You seem surprised"
"Tm more than surprised. I'm dunn
"Why? Don't you think. like Mrs. Jane.
that he ought not to enjoy his money. GER
tainly?"
"Oh. no. He's got money enough to re-
tire, If he wants to, and he's certainly workeo
hard enough to earn a rest
.sThen what is t?"
Miss Maggie laughed a little.
'I'm not sure I can explain. But to
me. it's just this: while he's got plenty TO
retire upon, he hasn't got anything to-to
retire to-"
And, pray, what do you mean by that?'
"Why. Mr. Smith, I've known that man
from the time he was trading 1ackknlves
and marbles and selling paper boxes Tor
five pins. remember the whipping he got,
too for fching sugar and coftee ana peahs
from the pantry and opening a grocery store
in our barn. From that time to this that
boy has always been trading something. Hes
been absolutely uninterested IN anything else
don't believe he's read book or a maga-
zine since his school days, unless it had
| something to do with business or groceries,.
He hasn't a sign of Il fad--music. photog"
raphy, collecting things-nothing. And ne
hates society,". Jane HAS " iaii ~ oia6 iiiAh
out anywhere Now what I want to know
is what ia the man going to do?"
"Oh, he'll find something, laughed MT.
Smith He's going to travel. first, any
how"
eyes. he's going to travel first. And then
we'll see" smiled Miss Maggie enigmati-
cally, as Mr. Smith picked up his hammer
again.
BY the middle of July the Blaisdells were
all gone from Hillerton. and there remained
xhatr otto MARP1a-ln6
Mr. Smith. Miss Maggie was very generous
with her letters. Perceiving Mr.. Smiths
genuine interest. she read him extracts from
almost every one that came. And the letters
were always interesttng-and usually char
actertstic.
Benny wrote of swimming and tennis
matches and of "hikes'' and the bully
eats" Hattie wrote of balls and gowns and
the attention "dear Elizabeth" was receiv-
ing from some really very nice families who
were said to be fabulously rich. Neither
James nor Bessie wrote at all. Fred, too,
remained unheard from.
Mellicent wrote frequently-gay. breezy
letters full to the brim of the joy of living
She wrote of tennis. swimming, campfire
stories, and mountain trails they were like
Bennys letters in petticoats, Miss Maggie
said.
Long and frequent epistles came from
Miss Flora. Miss Flora was having a beau
tiful time. Niagara was perfectly lovely
only what a terrible noise 1t made! She
was glad she did not have to stay and hear
1t always She liked New York, only that
was noisy. too. though Mrs. Moore did not
seem to mind 1t. Mrs. Moore liked Coney
Island. too, but Miss Flora much preferred
Grants Tomb, she said. 1t was SO much
more quiet and ladylike. She thought some
things at Coney Island were really not nice
at ALL and she was surprised that Mrs. Moore
should enjoy them SO much.
Between the lines 1t could be seen that in
| spite of all the good times Miss Flora was
lnaa hnr ntfly ShA
wrote Miss Maggie that 1t did Seem queer
| to go everywhere. and not see soul to bow
| to. 1t gave her such a lonesome feeling
| such a lot of faces, and not one familiar one
| She had tried to make the acquaintance of
| they were by the way they looked. But they
| wouldn't say hardly anything to her. hor
| answer her questions; and they always got
| up and moved away very soon.
To be sure, there was one nice young
man, He was lovely to them, Miss Flora
| said He spoke to them first. too. 1t was
when they were down to Coney Island. He
helped them through the crowds. and told
them about lots of nice things they didn't
want TO miss seeing. He walked with Them
| too, quite a while showing them the sights. He
was very kind-he seemed SO especially kind
after all those other cold-hearted people, who
! didn't care That was the day she and
| Mrs Moore both lost their pocketbooIs and
| had such an awful time getting back to New
| York. 1t was right after they had said
| gooG-by to the nice young gentleman that
| they discovered that they had lost hem.
| They Were go sorry that they hadn't found
1t out before. Miss Flora said. for he WOULD