Mountain advocate., 1922-11-10
The
Woman-Hater
BY ELLA SAUNDERS

|
faced her neighbor. Henry Slade over
the privet fence.
You scolded my little boy and made
him cry !" she accused him.
"All right; you keep that little boy
Of yours Off my flower beds" said
Henry Slade.
"He Just climbed over to get ball"
climbed through and ruined my
prize nasturtiums. Children ought to
be looked after properly"
You're Just a mean, miserable old
man, said Mrs. Davenant, turning
away because she was not going to let
him see her cry.
Henry Slade WINGED. but he turned
away in time to prevent her seeing 1t.
He was not really so old-ln the late
forties, perhaps, but all the town knew
he was a crusty old bachelor. whom
even his charming neighbor had failed
to soften
THAT'S the woman all over" NUT
tered Slade, as he went to repair the
ruins Of his flower-bed. what that
little widow wants is some fool of
man to marry her and keep her in
order!"
Certainly things had been badly
strained between them since Mrs.
Davenant and her little son rented the
house next to the Slade place. Henry
Slade had lived so long In solitude,
since his unhappy love affair of long
ago. the sound of the girllsh laughter
and the boys prattle were a perpetual
reminder of what might have been.
And he had been harsh with the
child. He knew that. A few days
later, looking up from his flowers he
saw the child's figure at the gap in
| the hedge.
"HellOw he said
Mummy says I'm not to go near
you"
"Why notT'
"'Cos you're a cross old man."
The boy developed u fascination for
seeing his nelghbor working. The next
day Slade looked up and saw him at
the gap again. He beckoned myste-
riously, and the child went forward
tlmidly.
"D'you like candyT
The boy looked at it. "'Tain't poi
soned, is it?" he said, as he took it,
/ FIf'Of course not. Did she-your
mother-tell you that? Pll-Pll-"
Henry Sade marched furiously up
the garden and rang a peal upon the
bell. Nevertheless, the pretty, cool
looking, girlish woman who confronted
him at the door checked the fires of
his anger.
"Oh, thank you so much for the
candy you gave Danny"
$50 you told him I'd give him poi
soned candy, did your"
Nothing of the kind, Mr.. Slade"
"Humph! You let him think So"
81 didn't You are a suspicious per-
son. 1 think the trouble with you is,
you've been shut away from the world
so long that you've become regular
human-being hater."
Henry Slade crimsoned and turned
away. Mrs. Davenant ran to his side.
I'll didn't mean that" she said.
Forgive me. And-can't we be friends,
Mr.. Slade?"
Henry Slade hesitated, then put his
broad palm out and took Mrs. Dave
nant's dainty little one. And after that
they said good-morning over the hedge.
and Danny spoiled the flower-beds at
his sweet will.
There came a day when Slade missed
| Danny. Next day he felt as if some
thing had gone out of his life when
the house remained silent. They had
not gone away, but-why, there was
! the doctors car!
He hurried TO the door after the doc
tor had gone. Mrs. Davenant was
weeping. Its spotted fever" she said.
Hes In such pain, and-asklng for
you all the time. l was going to ask
you-won't you go up to him? It's not
infectious for grown-ups."
Henry Slade mounted the stairs.
There on the bed lay Danny, flushed
and moaning.
81 want the cross old man who gave
me candy" he kept crying.
"Hush, darling, here he is !" said his
mother.
All that day Henry Slade sat by the
bedside, holding the little hand. The
doctor found him there and raised his
eyebrows ironically. Next day it was
touch and so. On the third day Danny
was smiling up at Slade, conscious.
The fever left no paralysis, and dur
ing cOnvalescence Henry Slade dlscov-
cred that he had an ineXhaustible
reservoir of stories about lions, pirates,
and fairies. The two were inseparable.
Then came the day when Slade said:
"Well, | guess ! won't be needed any
more now he's up and about. | sup
pose he'll be breaking down my privet
hedge again tomorrow"
He held Mrs. Davenants hands, and
the look I'm her eyes suddenly awakened