The Hope pioneer., 1919-03-20
Observation-Disclosures
ELMHURST
BY RUBY RIDLEY.

probably used to city ways and things.
Suppose she should be stuck up and
carry her nose in the air. No, l can't
believe that any child of Laura's could
be like that. Yet I've always believed
that city-bred children were always
more or less stuck up" Matilda stop.
ped, only because she had to. BY the
time she got her breath again her hus-
band was speaking.
"Pooh, Matty. You amt going to
think that Of little Violet. cause
amt going to let you. Did you say that
she was coming Thursday? Well, I'ur
take look at the calendar. Why,
that's tomorrow! You'd better start
right in now making some cookies and
pies, while I finish my work in the
barn. Violet Barclay, girl of nine
teen, was just the opposite of what
Aunt Matilda Said about being "stuck
up" Being in poor health. her mother
had decided to send Violet to her
aunt's home in the country.
Thursday morning dawned at last
and Uncle John l.arnessed Maggie and
drove her to the little station. At
last he spied Violet coming towards
him.
Violet greeted her uncle with an en-
thusiastic kiss on either cheek, which
quite took his breath away.
II feel better all ready, Uncle John,"
she cried as they were driving home.
II knew should the minute I got out
of that hot, dusty city,"
Three days after her arrival Violet
had donned her new farmerette suit
and started garden.
One day Aunt Matilda asked her II
she wouldn't like to visit Ellnhurst.
"Why, where's that, auntie?" Violet
asked.
"Oh, it's the most beautiful house I
ever saw!" replied Matilda. "There
are elms all round it and-well, I
verify believe that l should get lost
in it."
This aroused violet's curiosity at
once.
"Who owns it?" she asked.
"Mr. Preston used to own 1t, but
he's dead now," was the reply. 1.-THE
sister died here, so he wanted to live
here; he built that house. It's for
sale, furniture and alk I heard 10th
er day that certain Mr.. r. Roberts
intends to buy it. l hope he's nice If
he's going to live there"
"Oh, where is 1t, auntie? It sounds
very interesting. Is it very far from
here? May go this afternoon?"
"No, Violet, it is not very far from
here. l thought you'd like to see it.
You'll find it easy if you keep to THE
road for about one mile."
That afternoon Violet started. She
reached the place and found it more
beautiful than Matilda had said it was.
Violet wandered around under the
elms and then went toward the house.
II wonder If they keep the doors
locked" she said to herself. Il sup
pose they do, but I'd love to so inside"
To her surprise, as she tried the
door 1t opened Going inside, she
found herself in large hall.
1T won't do any harm If do look
around little," she said to herself,
so she cautiously opened a door near
by. Seeing nothing very interesting III
this room, she wandered on. All the
rooms were luXurcusly furnished.
After while she went upstairs.
Looking in one Of the rooms she saw
bedroom. She crossed the room to
glance at herself in the mirror so as
to fix her hair. What she saw, how
ever, was young man lying on the
bed and apparently fast asleep. He
was dressed in dark blue suit. In
stantly Violet thought of the Mr.. Rob
erts Of whom Matilda had spoken
She supposed he had arrived today
and. feeling tired, had lain down.
And then to her horror she found
she had to sneeze. She started for the
door, making funny little noises. She
had just time to get out of the room
and cover her face with her handker.
chief before she sneezed. She was
Just beginning to 60 down the stairs
on tiptoe when the door opened and
the man came out laughing.
II suppose should have told you
that I was not asleep" he said. "but
heard somebody coming upstairs,
and you can imagine my surprise
when you came in. thought I'd burst
when you had to sneeze."
"Are you Mr.. Roberts?" asked W.
olet.
II am, and yOu-1"
"Miss Barclay" she said, smiling.
Soon they were talking as If they
had known each other all their lives.
After this they saw each other
often and 1t was not long before Ralph i
asked Violet to share his beautiful
home with him, and because she had
already begun to love Elmhurst and
also its owner, she did not refuse.
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)
Another Joan Of Arc.
Something Of the feeling that the
l.,