New Britain herald., 1921-06-23

mechanism for the unpardonable motor sin I was ommitting. tried it several times and turned to Dicky.
 Tt won't start" I said with an air of heiplessness.
 An Admiring Chorus.
 Evidently not" he returned dryly. Probably your battery has run down. How about the water in it? I'll bet you haven't had 1t looked at in weeks !'
 You'd lose your bet" I said, re- joicing at the air of naturalness he was giving the affair. But I can't start it. Do you suppose if you cranked it."
 Dicky glared inadvertently at me across his mohter's nconscious head. but climbed down grumbling and cranked the car two or three times. with, of course. no success. Then he went through the farce of inspecting the oil. water and gas. finally-with great gravity-delivering tho verdict was looking for:
 ''Something must havo gone wrong with the engine. We'll just have 70 wait till the next car comes along and send a message to the nearest garage to come out and see what's the matter with it. We can have them send out a taxi at the same time."
 An do have to sit here until all those people get here?" my mother in-law demanded. "I1l be cramped stiff.'
 My thoughts invoIuntarily flew back to a woman I once knew who kept her baby carriage moving up and down on her porch because she was a fn hnr ha hxy Iia in drnf if the carriage stood still. Heroical- ly repressng a smile at my mother in-law's similar inconsistency, I eag- erly waited to see how Dicky would handle the situation.
 "Yes. 1t does make difference when the car is standing still" he remarked without the ghost of a smile. But why don't you get out and walk around a bit? If I'm not mistaken, Madge, isn't this the old farm of which Mrs. Ticer was telling us, the fine old place that was so terribly run down?"
 The one with the wonderful ap- pie orchard and the lilac hedge?" I quite sure. The lilacs are fine. aren't they7"
 "comc With Me-"
 My mother in-law cast a critical glance at the miracle of lavender loveliness against the green branches.
 Good enough" she returned curt ly. Help me down. Richard. I'm going to look over this place. Mar garet. you come with, me. Richard. you come along. as soon as your gar age man reaches here.''
 Dicky winked encouragingly at me as he helped me from the car after he had seen his mother safely to the ground. winked back smilingly, then dutifully offered my arm to Mother Graham. She took it with less than her usual crustiness. and I noticed hopefully that there was a distinct light of interest in her eyes as she looked over the gnarled old apple orchard.
 This Is just like my fathers apple orchard at home" she said with a little unconscious sigh. "The man about. But how it has been neglect ed It's worth restoring. however. never in my life saw such a wealth of blossoms. wonder how much land there Is here"
 'T think I hard Mrs. Ticer say something about thirty acres," Il hazarded. Have you noticed the house? It's horribly run down. but I imagine 1t was fairly good, for that day of course"
 made my tone as deprecatory as possible. knowing the surest way of rousing her ardent interest in the old place. She Is most .intolerant champion of the old timee against the new, and nothing makes her quite so angry as a slur on the older times from a member of the younger generation.
 You only show your ignorance, Margaret" she rejoined coldly, "by such a statement. Anything good enough for that day is far too good for the young upstarts of this genera ton. They can't appreciate it. I'm going to look 1t over. Who has the wey?"
 "I fancy 1t isn't locked. It's empty you know. and they rarely lock doors down here" was sure of this point. for Mrs. Ticer. at my behest. had sent Jerry scurrying across lots earlier in the morning with com mands to unlock all the doors of the old place.
 "weT1 soon find out. Come with me at once. Good enough for that day !! Humph '"
 She stalked toward the house. lmuttering objurgations against the crudity and ignorance of the younger generation. while I followed. my heart beating high with hope that