The Glenwood post., 1923-01-11
Summers and
Winters
By JANE OSBORN
20. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)

on the four o'clock train from the city
on November l. AS usual he was not
day late. He hailed waiting sta
tion taxi to convey him and an assort-
ment Of bags and boxes that had ar
rived by an earlier train out the old
Cedar Swamp road. He stopped at the
post office on the way for the keys that
were always left with the postmaster
on October 81 and as often called for
by Marvin Dawes on the following day.
You don't happen to know woman
that wants to work as cook or house
keeper?" asked Martin of the postmas-
ter. "The Jap 1 had so many years
has gone to San Francisco and left me
in lurch."
"Why don't you get another Jap"
was the postmaster's not too civil an
swer. "They always said you were SO
partial to 'em."
Marvin Dawes laughed. "Well, I
was" he admitted. But the fact Is,
l had u feeling that the old place
would be little more cheerful If there
was woman in the kitchen. thought
perhaps you might hear Of some one
who'd like the place. If you do, let me
know" And so Marvin was off to the
old homestead on Cedar Swamp road.
One of the boxes he had brought up
from the station contained the essen
tials for quickly made supper, which
Marvin prepared for himself with no
very great skill or enjoyment. The
next day arrived the faithful Pat with
Marvin's two saddle horses. 1t was
standing agreement between Marvin
Dawes and Patrick Shean that on or
closely following every November first
he, Pat, should report for duty until
the following May first. During the
six warmer months Pat always found
work elsewhere, but he would never
consent to permanent position that
would make 1t impossible for him to
return to Marvin with the coming of
November.
Pats work consisted in taking care
Of the two horses, one Of which Mar
win kept for himself and another for
occasional guests. This and work about
the old place kept him only comfort
ably busy. AS a cook Pat possessed
neither variety nor skill, but he good
naturedly consented to fill in the
breech left by the departure of the
Jap. The postmaster either could not
or would not secure a successor.
"As usual" Marvin told Pat the day
of the latter's arrival, 1.-The place has
been set in frightful confusion. They
do it out of spite, suppose. They set
to work to turn the house into a sum-
mer cottage. The screens are still in.
Those tiimsy white curtains have been
left in place of the heavy winter dra
perry. The porch is cluttered with
lot Of new wicker chairs and things.
There's new refrigerator in the kitch-
en-, and you've seen, l suppose, that
they've added sleeping porch to one
Of the bedrooms upstairs. You'll have
to help me put the place back in con-
dition for winter. It's absurd to think
of the place as summer house. Be
cause of course 1t isn't. 1t wasn't
built for that sort of thing"
And Pat with chuckle agreed.
Pat knew as well as did Marvin
Dawes the conditions on which Mar
win held the right to occupy the old
house in winter.
Marvin's grandfather before his
death had been reluctant to leave the
old homestead, an exceptionally well
built house of twenty rooms and more,
with several acres of well planted
lawns and groves, to either of his
daughters. These daughters had be-
come estranged through the business
nf httc oylo
tainly would not wish to share the old
place. So he had stipulated in his will
that his daughter Lucy should have
the entire use of the place from May
first to the last day of October, while
Narice should have 1t from November
first to the last day of April. A fund
wns left adequate to pay all taxes
and upkeep expenses of the house, so
there might never need to be any dis
pute between the two sisters about the
old house.
Clarice had died leaving the right to
the house to her son, Marvin Dawes,
who had become so attached to the
house in his boyhood that he never
failed to arrange his affairs so that
he could occupy 1t during the months
of autumn and winter. Lucy, too, had
died only year before and the right
to occupy the house from May first to
the last of October had been handed
down to grandniece of her husband,
also named Lucy.
Marvin Dawes had no luck in finding
housekeeper or cook and he stuck
the winter out none too comfortably
under the rule Of Pat in the kitchen.
On the last day OF April they departed,
leaving the keys as usual with the
postmaster.
On May 1 Lucy arrived with Irish
Hannah in the guise Of chaperon and
general household assistant.
ITS perfect shame" Lucy told
Hannah on the second of May, "the
way that Marvin Dawes person upsets
this place-takes down all the screens.
slows away my white curtains and puts