The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-09-23
Mary's Porch Tea
Room
By LAURA MONTGOMERY

90 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper Syhdicate'
Mary sat looking TRANQUILITY from her
chair by the great south window that
looked down the village street. A Sc
rene smile played about her lips as she
thought of the year that had just been
finished. The occupants of the pretty,
rambling house on the corner Of Main
street and the Lincoln highway had
grown steadily poorer, but the village
had not known Of this except in a
vague way until the death of Mary's
mother, whose pension died with her.
Then the whisper had gone about that
Mary would be obliged to sell the
house where she had lived her whole
life, dismiss Aunt Chloe, whose faith
full black hands had first handled her
when she had been born and who had
tended her ever since, have sale or
the fine walnut furniture and start
life afresh.
"She has absolutely no income left,
and she's too frail to work for any
one," Miss Pansy had commented pitt
fully, "but she's so proud and aristo-
cratic-like that no one dares ask her
plans or try to help her.
II went to call, intending to ask her
to move over to our house until she
had made her plans. We have plenty
of room, and like her, but she acted
awful stiff. / guess she doesn't like
\to be with people. She's lived. alone
SO much. The doctor stopped his car
outside and came up the walk, and
l know he intended to stop and visit
with her, but she just nodded, cool
like, and said she was feeling all right,
and asked him to take pot of lilies
back with him for Mary Brown, who
lives next door, and before he knew 1t
he was just walking back that board
walk carrying the flower pot"
Tabitha laughed shortly. THAT
would have been a match long ago II
she hadn't acted so stiff; old doc Is
awful friendly, and likes to mix; she'd
spoil his practice with her high-and-
mighty airs. Folks about here like
YOU to act common and nice, and let
you help them. That amt Miss
Marys way, though she's always ready
to sit up all night with anybody who
is sick or do for them that need 1t.
| What she ought TO do is to he a taker,
instead of allus trying to be a giver."
Although such conversations had not
been heard by Mary, she had, never
| theless, been conscious of her neigh
bors' opinions, yet she had become so
shy and self-absorbed that she had
| been unable to change. Aunt Chloe
had repeated many stray bits of gossip
to her as she had served her mistress
In the COOL shaded dining room. II
had been the fat blue teapot In her
servants hands that had brought
about the great idea.
| "Yassum, ma'am, that motor party
| wanted to know where they could get
a good cup of tea. They admired your
roses and said the place looked like
a picture with the tall row of holly
hooks along the side of the house.
tole them thar was hotel down street
but they won't git no tea there. Not
tea fit to drink" Aunt Chloe had
chucked as she poured out the clear
amber tea into the frail blue teacup.
Miss Mary permitted her tea to
grow cold as she turned the idea over
in her mind. She had often watched
with wistful eyes the gay motor
parties that flashed past on the Lin
coin highway and vanished up the
ribbon of yellow road bordered by
flaming naples, leaving only an echo
of laughter on the summer air.
A week later the neighbors stared
frankly as they fingered near the cor
ner house. The narrow windows or
the west end of the house had beer
torn out and great plate-glass win
dow installed. The rambler roses haC
been carefully lifted aside, and wheT
, the work was finished the trellise'
. were replaced with their burden o
dark green vines heavy with roses
The large gates to the grounds tina
were usually closed were prOpped opel
and charmingly lettered sign ar
prised passing parties that Afternoon
tea was served within.
"Miss Mary's going to stay here
she's opened tearOom. When / wen
past there were two big cars stand
!; ing outside, empty, and I could Sc
Aunt Chloe, in a starched cap an
apron, passing little trays on the sout
porch" reported Pansy. II wonder
Miss Mary feels very badly seem
strangers on her porch?'
II Before the cool fall days had re
duced the number of cars Mary ha
put away enough money to carry he
comfortably through the winte
months. More than that, she dlsco'
cred, greatly to her amazement, tha
she had found contentment. Instea
of looking on each day as a period {
dragging hours to be lived through
she found herself rising earlier tht
she might lose none of the busy, hal
by moments. The mingling with tt
customers gave her new interest
| life, and after her first shyness ha
worn away she found herself talkir
eagerly as her guests demolished tt
plates of tiny delicious sandwiche
II One day Harold Sinclair, a devote
admirer of Mary since schoolday