Catoctin clarion., 1918-08-22
WITHIN A MONTH
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
BY ETHEL v. HALL.
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per Syndicate)
Violet sat ON the top rail of the
fence, smiling to herself. She was
thinking of the words she had had
with her mother month before.
Violcts health was not very good,
and the doctor had ordered her to the
country for the summer. She laughed
out loud as she thought of these
words:
"Now, mother, I won't stay in the
lonely old country, and no one can
make me, either. You know TIN used
to crowd, and dancing and every
thing! Goodness, I'll die there. l tell
you won't 60"
But nevertheless, Violet went to her
Uncle Henry's farm, and now she
to go back to the dirty, close city.
She loved Uncle Henry's country
ways, and no one could be any nicer
than dear Aunt Ellen.
"Come, Sport. old dog. Let's take
rum" said Violet, jumping from the
fence and starting down the field with
Sport. large collie dog, close at her
heels,
'Now, Sport, I'm going TO roll down
this hill. and don't you laugh at me,
either" said Violet, giving his ear
twitch. But Sport enjoyed barking at
her ns much as she enjoyed the rolling.
She reached the bottom of the hill,
sat up straight and found that her
only companion had deserted her.
She called his name and was an
swered by bark. The sound came
from the woods, so she scrambled to
her feet and ran in that direction.
When she came to the tall fir trees
Sport came running out holding a
piece Of paper In his mouth.
"What's this?" questioned Violet.
plclously into the woods.
The note ran: 1T was great fun
watching you roll down that hill.
would like to see you do 1t again to-
morrow at the same time. I'm going
to talk with you. too"
Violet skipped back to the house to
help Aunt Ellen prepare supper. She
was unusually silent, and was inter-
ested to hear Uncle Henry say:
"Ellen, that young Billy Morris came
home yesterday"
us that so?" replied Aunt Ellen.
~ suppose the young girls will look
their prettiest, but l bet vi will out
shine them ALL" said Uncle Henry mis-
chevously. "yi, that young fellow
would make you good husband"
"Now, uncle, you're always telling
me that someone would make me
good husband. How do you know I'm
looking for husband?" said Violet,
bobbing her curls.
"Well, l never saw girl Of nine
teen that wasn't looking for husband
I'll bet If you met him you would be
engaged to him within month";"
"Now, Henry" protested his wife,
but Henry got up and kissed the rest
of the sentence away.
The next afternoon, little before
the appointed time Violet went to her
thinking seat"
She had been seated there only
few minutes when Sport came and
stood before her with another note In
his mouth.
This read: "Sport came too soon,
but | am waiting"
"I1l do 1t just to see what happens"
and she ran to the top of the hill, lay
down, closed her eyes and let herself
go full speed.
When almost to the bottom she
stopped with jerk. She had bumped
into something and whatever 1t was
had fallen with thud.
She sat up and opened her big blue
eyes to look into the face Of young
man, sitting on the grass in front Of
her, smiling and showing two rows Of
perfect white teeth. She put her hand
over her mouth to keep from scream
ing.
"Now don't run off, young lady" he
said. II tried to stop you easy, but
you came so swift you knocked me
over"
"Are you the p" she asked but gut
no further, for he said:
"Yes, I'm the mysterious writer OF
the note. MY name is Billy Morris.
What's yours?'
mines Violet Snow"
After talking some time, Violet rose
to go.
"Don't forget tomorrow at the same
time," said Billy, as he watched her
1.-THE body run up the hill.
For month they met every day, but
no one knew it besides Sport and
Daisy. At last Uncle Henry said:
'It's funny thing I can't get hold
Of that young Morris to come here. If
I told him there was pretty girl here
I bet he would come. In dOuble-quick
time tool"
"Now, uncle" cautioned Violet, shak-
ing her curls.
"Well, I'll keep my word | bet If
you met him you would be engaged
within month"
81 bet I would too" sang Violet as
she skipped out OF the house, and I'm
Gle Henry looked in wonderment at
his wife.
That night, before dark, Violet very
slyly kept peeking out of the window,
and at last her heart seemed to beat.
harder than ever before, when she
saw him coming.
"Well," said Uncle Henry, "here
comes that Billy Morris now," but he
got no further, for he was some sur
prfsed to see Violet run down to the
gate to meet Billy. When Violet came
in apoin sha S0id. "ITnple Henry