South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-02

closed.
Perhaps they have telephone"
/ suggested. If we pass any store
or place that has a phone we could
find out whether or not this woman
at the Shakespeare house could
serve US"
Dicky stopped. AMI putting up an
imaginary mOnOcle, surveyed me
from head TO foot
sometimes you nave a CLEAN Of
almost human intelligence" he
commented gravely.
Thank you very kindly" I re-
turned in the same spirit OF raillery,
glad 10 have his good humor re-
stored. Dicky good-natured. is a
delightful companion. Dicky, sulky,
is about as companiona.ble as the
traditional bear with the sore head.
"Wa'al, by heck. here's abaout
what we're looking fer" drawled
Dicky with an intonation he fondly
imagined 10 be a successful imita-
ton of a country mans voice. Look
at this joint, will your
This joint" was a country store,
which evidently had been the old
fashioned "parlOrs" OF an immense
farmhouse. ! went slowly up the
steps tryin g TO think of some slight
purchase l could make before ask
in9 the courtesy of telephone.
once inside l forgot for minute 10
ask anything. so charmed was / by
the 5O-year-old atmosphere the lit
tie store breathed.
Barrels of salt pork and potatoes
stood in the middle of the room.
Cans OF corn and tomatoes rested
next 10 boxes OF writing paper, and
bars of soap on Jhe shelves. There
was a small glass case of candies.
such as I had not seen since | was q
tiny child on a visit TO the country.
But the thing that attracted me
most was display of calicoes which
lay spread out upon the counter. l
gave one glance at the vivid pinks
and green's and knew what my pur-
chase would be.
had seen the same thing in
quilts which my mother had pieced
when she was a young girl. / had
heard her lament that nowhere
could she find such calicoes any
more. Ar old friend of hers. a
gentle, frail. old creature. lived
near the boarding house where my
other had spent her last days with
me- knew that she delighted in the
the old-fashioned patchwork. and
that she. too, mOurned the absence
of the Old-time materials.
How much is this a yard ?" 1 laid
my hand upon the colicO lifted my
eyes TO the man behind the counter.
L had hardly observed him in my
survey. of the store. Now | saw
that he completed the picture. old.
yet rosy of cheek and bright of eye,
his white beard and old-fashioned
spectacles made him just the right
central figure.
/ flashed a glance at Dicky. who
had followed me in. but he did not
see il. | saw he was absorbed I'M
planning some way of putting this
interior on canvas or in an illustra-
ton.
Eight cents a yard" The gentle
old voice of the storekeeper brought
me back to my errand.
81 will take three yards of the
pink and three yards of the green"
1 said. laying down the money.
Have you a telephone"
NO. we are not so modern as
that" He smiled as he said it, and
] had a sudden glimpse of a quaint
old spirit that resented modern in
novatiOns and chung TO the ways of
his fathers
Isn't he a wonder?" Dicky asked
as we left the store and walked on
down the road. I hope he lives
until summer time. I want 20 get
him in a drawing if / can"
Don't speak that way, Dicky,
about his living rHlH summer time.
Ii sounds so caliOUs.'
Don't speak that way. Madge."
Dicl<y mimicked me so perfectly
was almost sure / had repeated my
own words. 1t sounds so preachy."
did not speak again until we
had turned from the street down
which We were walking into a wind
ing thorOughfare labelled shore
road" Then a thought which had
come to me during our walk de-
manded utterance.
"Dicky." / said quietly, wasn't
German the name Of the woman Of
whom the stataion master told you,
and didn't she live on Shore rd?"
Dicky stopped short as if he had
been struck
"Of course il was. he almost
shouted What a ninny 7 was not
10 remember it, She's the sister Of
that stunning girl we saw in the
train. Isn't this luck? I may be
able TO get that girl 20 pose for me
without much trouble"
But I did not echo his sentiments.
Secretly 1 hoped the girl would not
be at her sisters home