Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-30
DAILY NOVELETTE,
FACE VALUE
nv LOUISE HOFFMAN
UNHY STARS, If that amt the
lV H.. Amanda ,xnlo;p,od Ham

nah Huphsou. as a shrill whistle rent
the morning air. Beats all how time
flies. Hiram; amt that butter come
yet?" she rasped.
'I guess it'll come soon, now,
drawlcd her tall, good natured husband,
patiently turning away at the huge
barrel churn.
"Well, you'd best give them cows
more SALT" she advised, bustling alsout
with one eye on the station platform.
"My Dinner'll be late today. That
butter has got to go on the 3:15, an
'tain't churned yet"
Hannah dropped her steel trimmed
spectacles down onto her angular nose
and peered out of the window. In the
thirty years that she and Hiram had
lived in the tiny cottage perched on
hill above the station she had never
been too busy to stop and watch the
few passengers alight at Cedarville.
Mercy - she criticized, as her at
tention became centered on a smartly
dressed couple with a young baby.
THAT woman don't act much like a
mother. She's lcttin' the sun blaze
right into that poor baby's eyes" Then,
after a moment of intent watching and
relief, "There, she's shadin' it some
now."
"Why, Hiram she gasped, "there
they go i'll an automobile up the half
mile drive to the Applcby estate. They
must be the new people who have
rented the place."
Buffers come" announced Hiram
triumphantly.
"Well, if they amt got baby. Sam
Corby told me he want goin' to rent
to folks with children again. The last
family barked off all the sttin' room
paint"
'1t'll be long time fore that baby
barks off much paint reflected Hiram.
skimming out the golden Jumps of but e
ter onto the working board.
THAT amt it so much as that these
folks is gettin this place under false
pretenscs. Last week I saw their fur
niture, and they had high chair an
a cradle an go-cart. and now they
got the baby, all right
Its none of our business what they
got,' broke in Hiram. LET Sam take
care of that end of it,
Hannah Hughson watched the goings
and comings of the Gaveys for three
weeks without once seeing the baby
again.
Finally she could restrain her curiosi
ty no longer and one pleasant afternoon
she ventured a call on the queer peo :
Dle.'
Now, Mrs. Gavey." she began after
introducing herself, "I'm afraid you'll
think the neighbors amt very sociable.
l hope you amt been lonely
Mrs. Gavey smiled. We've been so
busy we haven't had time" she replied.
And, then, we have plenty of resources
within ourselves
"Yes-s, I suppose So" returned Han
nah obviously. She rallied in a moment
and came to the point of her call at
once. "How is the baby" she inquired
solicitously. "The poor little thing must
be pretty peaked shut up so much.'
Mrs. Gavey stared at her visitor in
polite amaZement.
''The baby?' she questioned. "There
must be some mistake. We have no
baby. You know, Mr.. Corby refused to
take tenants with children.'
What. amt you got no baby" uues
toned Hannah bluntly. Then raising
her hands in horror, whats become
of it them
The entrance of Mr.. Gavey at this
moment caused a happy interruption
zone of our neighbors has come tc
call explained Mrs. Gavey, land is
| lo&
baby
why, you had cradle an a higl
chair an go-cart in your furniture,
asserted Hannah.
"Oh,' laughed Mrs. Gavey. "the higl
chair belonged to Mr.. Gavey when h,
was child. The cradle and 60 car
are presents and we have them packet
and ready to ship to my brother to
morrow"
But you had baby in your arms th,
first day you arrived in Cedarville," de
clared Hannah.
II had a baby when I came here?'
she echoed vaguely. II don't remem
ber." looking helplessly at her hus
band.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gavey had made S.
many trips that their first seemed t.
have been blotted out of their minds
Suddenly Mrs. sGavey's face Frightened
"Alicia's baby" she calculated
That's it,
In flash they saw how a simple in
cident had created an air of myster
, about them. "On the train" explaine
Mrs. Gavey, 1--WE met friend who ha
just recovered from serious illness
. She was travelling with her baby an
trained nurse. The trip proved to
much for her and she became i'll, re
quiring all the nurses attention. w
took charge of the child and brought
to Cedarville with us. We telegraphe
} the father and he followed on the mex
train, and he took the child home tina
night"
Hannah never knew just how sh
made her exit.
Il guess--yOu-was right-abOu
them folks" hesitatingly admitted Han
nah that night at supper as she con
5 fessed her blunder to Hiram. "You can
t believe half what you see and it's bette
E to take folks on face value like yo
, do checks and notes.
Hiram rose and awkwardly put h
arm about her; Were all liable t
make mistakes - he soothed.
They're real kind people," she wer
on, IAN l guess they cured me tryiI
: to be Sherlock Holiness