The Clio messenger., 1918-09-20

L
the bony back of the horse that drew
the ancient equlpage.
| 81 say, young'un, amt you out o. yer
bailiwick?" queried Tim, the hackman,
staring at the little girl in the Stagg
yard.
Carolyn May stood up quickly and
tried to look over her shoulder and
down her back. 1t was hard to get
all those buttons buttoned straight.
II don't know" she said, perturbed.
| 'Does 1t show?"
'Huh?' grunted Tim. 'Does what
show?"
what you said," said Carolyn May
accusingly. 81 don't believe it does"
"Hey" chuckled the hack driver
suddenly. 81 meant, do you low Mrs.
Kennedy knows you're playing in her
front yard?"
"Aunty Rose? Why, of course !"
Carolyn May declared. "Don't you
know I live here?"
"Live here? Get out" exclaimed
the surprised hackman.
"Yes, sir. And Prince too. With my
Uncle Joe and Aunty Rose"
pitcher of George Washington !"
calculated Tim. 'You don't mean Joe
Stages taken a young-'un to board?"
Hes my guardian" said the little
girl primly.
Aunty Rose appeared. She wore a
close bonnet, trimmed very plainly,
and carried a parasol of drab silk.
Aunty Rose climbed into the creaky
old vehicle.
"Are you going to be gone longT'
asked Carolyn May politely.
"Not more than two hours, child,
said the housekeeper. Nobody will
bother you here"
"Not while that dogs with her,
reckon" put in Tim, the backman.
MAY / come down the road to meet
you, Aunty Rose?" asked the little
girl. II know the way to Uncle Joe's
store"
81 don't know any reason why you
can't come to meet me-" replied Mrs
Kennedy. Anyway, you can come
along the road as far as the frs,
house. You know that one?'
"Yes, ma'am. Mr.. Parlow's," sale
Carolyn May.
Carolyn May went back into the
yard and sat on the front-porch step.
and Prince, yawning unhappily, curlet
, down at her feet. There did mo-
, seem to be much to do at this place.
She had time now, had Carolyn May
to compare The Corners with the busy
, Harlem streets with which she hat
been familiar all her life.
Goodness met" thought Carolyn
May. startled by her own Imagination
suppose all the folks in all these
houses around here were dead!"
They might have been for all the
human noises she heard.
Goodness mel" she said again, ant
this time she jumped up, startling
Prince from his nap. Maybe there
Is spell cast over all this place." she
went on. Lets go and see If we car
find somebody that's alive"
They went out of the yard together
and took the dusty road toward the
town.
\ They soon came in sight Of the Par
I low house and carpenter shop.
1--WE can't go beyond that" sait
Carolyn May. "Aunty Rose told u!
: not to. And Uncle Joe says the car
penter-man isn't a pleasant man."
She looked wistfully at the prem
: ises. The cottage seemed quite Al
much under the "spelr' as had beer
those dwellings at The Corners. Blu
from the shop came the sound of ,
plane shrieking over long board.
"Oh. Princey" gasped Carolyn May
81 b'lieve he's making long, curl,
shavingsI'
If there was one thing Carolyn Ma.
adored it was curls.
Suddenly Mr.. Jedidiah Parlow locke,
!. up and saw the wistful, dust-streaket
! face under the black hat brim ant
above the black frock. He stared a
, her for fully a f1inute, posing tn,
! plane over his work. Then he put 1
down and came to the door of tn,
! shop.
:. you're Hannah Stages little girl
aren't your" he asked.
"Yes, sir" she said, and sighed
. Dear me, he knew who she was righ
away! There would not be any chanc
of her getting a suit of long curls.
you've come here to live, hav,
your" said Mr.. Parlow slowly.
"Yes, sir. You see, my papa an,
mamma were lost at sea-with tn,
Dunraven. 1t was mistake, guess,
: sighed the little girl, 'for they weren'
: fighting anybody. But the Dunravel
n got in the way of some ships that wer
Y fighting, in a place called the Medi
$ terranean ocean, and the Dunravel
e was sunk, and only a few folks wer
saved from it. My papa and mamm,
!, weren't saved"