Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1919-05-07
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BOBBY
BY VALERIE Il. JENKINS.

l={ 0U60 &
s By VALERIE Il. JENKINS. &
tcopyr,sht. lis. by Mcciur. Nswspapsr
Syndicate.)
Richard A. drove his car swiftly
along the road to Way Fells' pretty
country station. >>:.
zone minute to make it mi I hope
he's patient sort Of fellow" :
He was the prospective landscape
gardner, whom Walter M, an old
| friend, was sending down at Richards
request, and who was to- begin work
Immediately on the As country es-
tate. Walter M. an agricultural ex.
pert, was man to be relied upon, and
the As had left the matter of selec-
ton wholly to him. The result Of
their request had been a telegram, an
nounctng that Bobby c." personal
friend and expert" would arrive at
| Way FEELS on the afternoon express
from the city.
| The train was just pulling out of the
station when Richard stopped the au-
tomobile at the curling. There were
only q few arrivals. as Way Fells con-
sists mostly Of large country estates
which are reached more easily by mo-
tor than by train. A peddler with his
pack, an elderly gentleman, who was
met by an enthusiastic party, a girl
| hfNWn vyh0 ioA nd
fussy little woman with two fussier
little children were the only passen-
gers to get off at Way Fells.
| Deciding that the fellow must have
lost his train, Richard was turning
away again toward his car, when
sweet but hesitating voice caught his
attention. It was the girl in brown
talking to the freight agent.
"Could you tell me-" she was saying,
whether could hire any sort Of con-
veyance here to take me to Mr.. Rich
ard As estate think
it Is called?'
"Ah, some friend of mothers, prob
ably" thought Richard. Funny,
though, she didn't write, asking some
one to meet her. I never saw her be-
fore. that's certain"
! Il beg your pardon" he said, ap-
preaching the girl. II am Richard A
and I should be glad to take you up.
Mother must have forgotten that you
were coming. Is this your suitcase,
Miss-er-erY"
Miss G.. Roberta G.; but you
are mistaken. Surely Mr.. NJ must
have written to say that I was COM
ing. I am the landscape gardener
whom Mrs. A asked Mr.. M to send
down here?"
Roberta G.! Landscape garden
er!" cried Rschard "Why-er- To
tell the truth, Miss c., was expect.
| Ing man, not a girl-you see, Mr..
NJ called you Bobby In his tele-
| gram"
Richards pet prejudice at that time
was the farmerette movement. Farm
Ing was mans job, he declared, and
had better be left to their experienced
hands, than to be INDUCED in as q
whim by girls.
| In the days that followed she learn
ed the true reason for his change Of
manner, and could not hel p being some
what amused over his absurd preju-
dice. Mrs. A, on the contrary, was
far more cordial, and at the end of
two weeks, was calling her Roberta,
and asking her advice on various mat
tiers. The men who worked on the es-
tate admired her from the start; first,
because she was young and attractive,
but gradually, through respect for her
trained and thorough knowledge of
the work she had fitted herself to do.
Richards manner was still the same,
although he was necessarily brought
into close companionship with her, for
Mrs. A preferred that her son should
manage all details Of the estate.
| When Roberta had been at Belle
mere for almost a month word was
brought to the house by one Of the
workmen that Miss G. had been
thrown from her horse near the out
skirts of the estate almost mile
away. Mrs. A was very much alarm
ed and sent her son back with the
workman at once.
| Richard took the little car and has
tened to reach the spot where the &C.
cident occurred. AS he neared the
scene he reproached himself for the
unnecessary GOODNESS with which he
had treated Roberta.
The white face, half turned to the
ground, rebuked him far more than his
conscience for his past actions. Rich
ard drove slowly to avoid giving her
unnecessary pain, but before they had
gone far rut in the road jolted the
car quite heavily and Roberta opened
her eyes, wincing at the pain. She
could not remember at first what had
happened, and tried to raise herself to
an erect position, but her right arm
fell back Imply when she tried to ex-
tend it.
my arm" she said weakly. II must
have broken it. The horse-fell-
and"
Eyes, I know" answered Richard;
"but you mustn't try to talk now. I'm
so sorry you were hurt, and it Is more
than half my fault, too"
"YOu mustn't sav that" sho eaid !