The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-05-12
Their Dream Farm
BIZ KATE EDhoNDS


By his mother and his two sisters
I'VE shall all be thinking o. you
Bext SUNDAY when se eat our din.
ner." they wrote Father sends you
bis love and hopes you are well lie
Is glad you are getting along 50 nice
~ We wish you could be with Us
out. a. you say. business Is business,
and you Wlil have 10 be al work Mon
day morning
John Robinson was 0nly twenty.
four. but he knew that II be we're for.
" his prospects would be no brighter.
He was Just al ordinary cleuu-minded
country boy. caught N the machinery
Of the city and just now earning a
wage OF fifteen dollars a week as a
grocer's clerk That was as well as
be could do
de wished he we're bsck 90 the
farm again Bur be could not swat.
low his pride tie had gone of amid
the salutatiOus OF the halfenYious VII.
lage lads Of his own age, and 10 20
back would mean terrible down
fall In their estimation and a confes-
sion OF failure
A strange and yet familiar smell as
sailed his nostrlls.
He knew what II was The girl In
the adjacent room WIS cooking tur-
keyl
he knew her 10 nod to Oh the
D.. In. fhS.
evening from the department store In
which she worked. Fanny-that was
the only name he knew her by-was
pretty and gentle and had sort OF
frightened look "a her eyes which
haunted him. since Il vas 50 like
the look which he had worn for the
FIRST few months after his arrival He
had never had the courage to speak to
her.
That odof was very tempting He
opened his door little. Then he saw
that her door was aiar also, and. as
he went softly out he came face 70
face with her. Her hair was dis
heyeled and her face red from bend
ing over her gas stove
"Oh, won't yOu-wouldn't you like TO
join me2" she said timldly. "Its my
dinner" she continued, with a little
laugh. Il thought was afraid you
might be hungry Mrs. Higgins said
you cooked all your own food she
continued
Johns heart was beating quite yiO-
iently for some reason or other, as
he followed her In Upon the stove
was frying pan that sent forth the
sppetlzjng odOrs which he had dis
cerned; and IN II lay quarter Of a
delicatessen store turkey
After they had finished eating John
looked at Fanny, and his heart began
beating fast How nice Il would be
TO have somebody like thst-as nice
as that-as pretty as that-tO cook
every meal for him And how be had
hated TO see her start OUT so early and
come back so late from the depart
ment store Before he realized IL he
had forgotten all his shyness and they
were talking learnedly and delightfully."-
about their homes She, too, was farm
bred aud she had come TO the city 10
Just the same way he had come. And
she. too, had had a letter. And II said
just about the same things as his.
They thought Of the free country
air and the roads and fields white
with snow, and the peacefulness OF
60 81 hal nd
stuffy little lodging house room be-
came filled with romance for them,
and they looked wonderingly upon
each other and thought that fate was
very kind
"And IT'S this way. said John. Il
know that | was fool 70 leave the
farm and come here. There was just
the one thing I knew all about and
could have succeeded at. and | threw
il up to take something never
can succeed at"
Same here" said Fanny briskiy.
IF you knew how tired get Of trying
on ladies' shoes :"
And then as they sat there side by
kloe Jonu iouhl cOuThRe 10 uTbN MS
chair 80 close that IL actually touched
hers, and before he knew what he
was doing he found himself holding
her little hand IN his. And she let
him hold it-that was the astonishing
thing
Fanny" be said--it was the nrst
time be had called her thst-'if
could save up three hundred dollars
I could buy d little place and make
il pay. know ! could make Il pay.
But ! cant save penny and never
shall. for I cant earn enough. But
II you would 20 into partnership with
me for just one year. snd We had
one room Instead Of two-and two
couid live Just as eheaply as 0ne-and
after q year Ne bad saved Up three
hundred dollars. do you think"
But Il was more astonishing SIN
when size iei him siss her. And their
moor little arrangement seemed ike