Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-11
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
Their Little Place in the Country
by ELEANOR T. sPERRY

Jsu "tSltlly ItBdTueu MS usually
placid little wife in surprise. Then. With
a, glance around at the imperfections
she was so forcibly enumerating. he
nodded his head In agreement.
aren't right :" walled iimma IFS lhc
thousand and one little things. The
door jambs sag and the floor boards are
warped. There's a leak In the kitchen
ceiling. and the back porch step is loose.
window Is cracked and
Il know. l know" interrupted Ed,
partly in haste to express his sympathy,
SSy aW ., ao5SSs oomSs sG Is lust se sa
outside. Barn doors OF Its hinges,
Chicken house windows pretty well shot
Drive is bottomless mud. Lord. Emmie,
II ] could look around ahd see one single
right--" His pause was more clo-
quent than, finished speech,
oh, we'll" ELL, Woman,like' Emma IIn;
ms her husband agreed with her After
all. we have a wonderful location. Con-
slider the view and the neighbors. Ed e.
Yes" retorted Ed. sarcastically,
lovely view and charming neighbors
get me back and forth the mile and
Iqlf to the trolley every day. 1 suppose.
My vote is-sell out and get out A
cosy fiat in the city, titney at the cor:
ner-Lord. 1t soundr like home to me-"
Then. because he saw Emma biting
her lip and struggling to keep back the
tears, manlike he retracted all he had
"oh, / didn't mean 1t, Emmie," he
said tenderly. We'll stick 1t out OF
course"
AS a matter Of fact, however, that
was exactly what they didn't do. Came
the war. shattering with Its resultant
increase in the cost of living their
Ed back and forth to work. Came win
ter with snow-blocked roads and bliz-
yards bowling around loose window
frames.
One chill January morning. Emma,
with eyes blurred with tears, watched
huge white sign that read. For Sale
At last they had given up. were going
to the city. and were prepared, II a
purchaser came along. to get rid OF the
fections, yet represented the culmina-
ton of ali their back-to-the-land ambi-
tions.
first evening in their new and tiny city
nat I'VE bought that place with scrimped
money. When we sell. we aren't going
to fritter 1t away. Into the bank II
goes and I'll hand over the interest - 70 o
you to spend lvr rugs and stun FOR thie
place. That's what. Emmie"
And Emma, hugging a gas heater
| acquiesced.
The months dragged on. Spring opened
| up and, out OF the annual horde when
| rushes to the country farm-seekng with
| the first violet, Ed reported customer,
"a well-to-do city fellow going to fix the
old place up hardwood floors. up-to-
date heating plant, dormer, windows.
all the things we aimed to do" Out OF
the corner Of his eye he noted how EN-
| mas lip rembled a bit at the news
which would take from them so ire
vocably their old home.
In a few days he announced brieny
| THE place Is taken"
But as q matter of fact, Ed had not
| sold the place. Instead he had rented
It to some people who had unexpectedly
happened along laborlng under the de-
for a couple Of years. At the price hey
were willing to pay for tllable helds y
war time. Ed would get enough out OF !,
to turn over to Emma her Interest
money and BIZ to spare.
Now IL Emma had not been by nature
very unsuspicious little wife she might
have wondered why, a couple or years
later, Ed took to spending many evenings
away from home, also occasional Satur'
day afternoons d ana doaoays, vs. whaf Hnf fna. hc.
came of his fairly good-sized salary after
she had had her share for weekly ex,
penses and the rent and telephone ha;
been deducted. II such thoughts dc
enter her mind, presumably she decided
that Ed was entitled to spare time e
himself for the lodge or what-not ant
that his bank book could no DOUBT snow
a noteworthy figure. For certain It wal
: that Emma never questioned.
There arrived a day, some three year
| after Ed and Emma had forsakcn m
country, when Ed reached home one sat
urday afternoon in state OF eViden
excitement.
Hustle up, Emmie," he begged "Yol
and | arc going out for good old
fashioned hike In the country-haCk OF
veil back Of our old place. you know
I've-weu, I've got something importan
n show you!" In fact. he was so boy
ishiy exuberant that anybody but hi
! unexcitable wife would have scented
= plot then and there. -
, BUT she gave no sign until Ed, afte
vha meadows, led her up to the yer
hack door of their old home,
l yes go in. Emmie, go In" Ed fairl
4 pushed her through the door which h
e had unlocked. then watched her glance
Of wonder and admiration Hardwoo
eoors and electric lights. new windo,
,romes with larne single panes straight
sned doors and open plumbing, treShl
napered walls and newly painted wooo
work-the labor of many hours after nj
q tenants' lease had expired
"Ed =! gasped Emma weakly, Ed
= N"Ycp." said Ed. II bought it baci
:, cheap"
d nut, going over to her husband, Emm
IL ,oiJ tTo hands on his shoulders an
II i.ith laih ewes that twinkled looked up 6
,s Kim r" "You old fraud :" she cried,
"A couIdn't bear TO see the old place 81