The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-25
EOening Story
At Hickey Farm.
BY RUBY DOUGLAS.

(
have cried.
II have never been in Vermont
have never heard any one but Aunt
Carrie who ever even came from
there! And now, I suppose. I shall
have TO live on. this farm" In her
first moments she was unreasonable.
And Dorothy seldom was called I'M
| reasonable.
| The two sisters, Mary and Dorothy
Marden, had ben eking out a COM
/ forta BILE existence in New York since
! their father and mother had died. but
/ during the cutting of wages and the
| Tightening up of industrial business
I in general, Dorothy had been forced
! to give up her work and Mary's sal
airy had been stretched to the utmost
/ to make it sufficient.
at may be wonderful place, Dot,
consoled Mary, as Dorothy continued
to bemoan her fate.
What could do with even a won
derfuI farm, Mary Marden?" she
asked, shortly. drought up with
my ear on the car-tracks of Broad
/ wayn'
Both girls laughed, it was not more
than few days afterwards that Dor
otIly had made arrangements with the
lawyer. to finance a. trip to the Green
Mountains for an inspection of Aunt
Carries farm. A care-taker was living
on the place and taking care of the
house and Dorothy was to stay with
the family while she looked over the
possible future home.
In spite of herself, she awoke to
sniff the invigorating. crisp mountain
air with real delight. She felt wave
of enthusiasm sweep thru her and she
arose and dressed far more quickly
than she had ever done in her dark
ened room in New York.
The elderly woman who kept house
in Dorothy's farm was a kindly soul
whose main object seemed to he to
feed persons at the table until they
fairly burst.
"But-Mrs. Frost-I never ate so
much in my Hfe-and such doughnuts.
Oh, wish my sister Mary had some
for lunch" Dorothy felt pang of
inconsistencies as she pictured her sis
ter putting up her little Pox=luneh
alone.
After breakfast Dorothy went out
over the great farm with Mr.. and Mrs.
Frost. 1t was a revelation to her. Her
aunt must have been a thrifty person
to have kept so many fences and
barns, out-buildings and paths in such
apple-pie order.
'And-don't tell me those are tur-
keys?" exclaimed Dorothy as she
looked out over the hillside range.
Both elderly folks nodded and
smiled. ''They are turkeys-didn't
you ever see one before?"
"Only with cranberry sauce and
boiled onions" laughed Dorothy.
Then it was that she received her
inspiration. She would come up here
to this farm of her ancestors and, re-
tanning this old couple to help and
advise her she would become mistress
OF a turkey farm.
From that moment the idea devel-
oped so rapidly that Dorothy had
scarcely a. moment in which to write
to her sister.
She returned to New York only long
enough to consult the lawyer and inn
part to Mary some of the wonders of
the farm, And you shall give up
your horrid work and come up there
and we'll live ike-ladies.''
1t was Mary, this time. who hest
tated. Mary had a sweetheart and
Vermont was a long way from him.
ooh, that's nothing" laughed Doro-
thy, "he can come up there, too, Aunt
Carrie has oceans of feather beds and
room for everyone. can't wait to get
back"
But before she returned. with the
help of her lawyer, she had found a
young commission merchant who had
agreed to take charge of the selling of
the turkeys from Hicky Farm-for
such was the unromantic name of the
farm.
The autumn days came and went
so fast that Dorothy found herself
with all hands on the farm, an expert
whom she had hired included busily
getting turkeys ready for the big holt
day in November and the Christmas
season 20 follow
Il never would have believed work
of this sort could be SO fascinating"
she said to the man who was teaching
her what he could about the raising
of turkeys for market.
UPS Tarf1xy tho
dence, think, Miss Marden." the man |
remarked. 1T is your own business
and you take more interest in it be- |
cause of that"
Dorothy admitted this and laughed |
when she thought of her tears of q |
few months ago.
Early in November, Robert Seton |
the commission merchant found IT adj |
visable to visit the farm thru which |
he was getting his supply of turkeys. |
Dorothy had written him to come to |
the farm and be her guest for a few |
days tho she had never met him in |
person. His correspondence had been
businesslike.
When she drove to the station IN
one OF Aunt Carries old wagons she |
met good-looking, wellgroomed |
young man.
"Mr. sefton?" she asked.
He shook hands with her and |
jumped into the big seat beside her. |
it ?" he asked.
'It would mean a dreadful cry fSA |
had to go back she laughed. |
The man turned to look at her, He /
wondered If she had brought that |
glowing complexion with her or-if it |
had been part of the Vermont acquisi- |
ton.
Two days heightened into four when |
Robert Seton finally said he would /
have to return to his partner in New
York. The heavy season was on and /
it was not fair to leave the business |
so long. |
''But-this is business" argued |
Dorothy as she walked thru a noun I
tain path with him on the last night |
of his stay.
mot wholly" he said, pointedly.
Dorothy did not answer. She felt |
MIN looking at her. The moon wa
peeping thru the pine trees, the won |
dArfa1l f,1r.,.a ..e