The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1920-06-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FACE VALUE
BY LOUISE HOFFMAN.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

NY SlHlS. II lllul am | tIiC N'Nii.
twenty" exclaimed Hannah Houghson,
as shrlIl whistle rent the morning
air. 'Beats all how time flies, Hi
ram; amt that butter come YETI she
aspcd.
"a guess it'll come soon. now"
drawled her tall. goodnatured husband.
patiently turning away at the huge bar
rel churn.
"Well, you'd best give them cows
more salt" she advised, busting about
with one eye on the station platform.
My. dinner'll be late today. That but
faint churned yet"
Hannah dropped her steal-rimmed
4 spectacles down onto her angular nose
and peered out of the window. In the
SO 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 allght at Cedarville.
"Mercy !" she criticized as her atten-
ton became conferred on a smartly
dressed couple with young baby
"That woman don't act much like a
mother She's lettin' the sun blaze
right into that poor baby's eyes" Then,
after q moments intent watching and
relief: "There, she's shadin, it some
now"
"Why, Hiram" she gasped, there
they go in an automobile up the half
mile drive to the Appleby estate. They
must be the new people who have
rented the place"
Cutters come" announced Hiram
triumphantly.
"Well, if they amt got baby. sam
Corhy told me he want goin' to rent
to folks with children again. The last
family barked off all the sittin' room
paint"
It'll be long time fore that baby
banks off much paint" reflected Hi
ram, skimming out the golden Jumps
of butter onto the working board.
THAT amt 1t so much as that these
folks is gcttin' this place under false
pretenses. Last week saw their fur
niture, and they had high chair an
cradle and 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."
Finally, she could restrain her GU
rioSity no longer and one pleasant aft
ernoon she ventured call on the
queer people"
"Now. Mrs. Gavey." she began after
introducing herself. I'm afraid you'll
think the neighbors amt very sociable.
I hope you amt lonely
Mrs. Gavey smiled. We've been. so
busy we haven't had time" she re-
piled. "And then, we have plenty OF
resources within ourselves"
"Y-e-s, l suppose So" returned Han
nah obviously. She rallied in a mo-
ment 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 shet up
so much"
Mrs. Gavey stared at her visitor in
polite amazement.
"The babyt' 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?" ques-
toned Hannah bunty. Then raising
her hands in horror: whats become
of 1t. then?2"
The entrance of Mr.. Gavey at this
moment caused a happy interruption.
zone of our neighbors has come to
call" explained Mrs. Gavey, "and is
under the impression that we have a
baby"
"Why, you had a cradle an high
chair an a go-cart iniyour furniture,r
asserted Hannah.
"Oh," laughed Mrs. Gavey, "the
high chair belonged to Mr.. Gavey
when he was child The cradle and
go-cart are presents and we have them
packed and ready to ship to my broth
er tomorrow"
"But you had n baby in yogr arms
the first day you arrived in Cedar
Vile" declared Hannah.
Il had a baby when | came hereT'
, she echoed vaguely. Il don't remem
Der" looking helpessy at her hus-
band.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gavey had made so
many trips that their first trip seem
ed to have blotted out of their minds
Suddenly Mrs Gavey's face bright
ened. "Alicia's baby" she CALCULATED.
That's it,"
In a flash they saw how a simple
incident had created an air of mys
terry about them. ION the train" eX-
planned Mrs Carney. I'VE met n
friend who had just recovered from &
serious Illness. She was travelling witt
her baby and a trained nurse. The
trip proved too much for her ana she
became i'll, requiring all the nurses
attention. We took charge of She
child and brought it to Ccdarville with
us. We teIephoned the father and he
followed on the next train and he
took the child home that night"
Hannah never knew just how she
made her exit.
81 guess-you-was right-about
them folks" hesitatingly admitted
IIor,ob ,bo+ fobt sumner IN