The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-01-12

you 1nVlteO stone TO joint the dunt
Kit Culpeper might not have noticed
this slip, but Cousin Nab raised her
delicate eyebrows and pounced on 1t
at once.
Stone?" she repeated with an inter-
rogative infection. "You know Mr..
Nesbit, honey"
eyes," Sniff acknowledged, II know
him. He is my cousin. His grand
mother great grandmother, 1 mean
was Lorraine Lovely"
"Well, I'll be d--d!' Cousin Kit ex-
ploded.
snow" said Sniff, 'slet me tell you
his side of the affair and perhaps 1t
will all be clearer"
She told the story well and they
listened with at least partial under
standing of Stones loneliness and Bit
terness.
"And now what can we do about
it?" Cousin Kit inquired, looking from
one to the other Of his companions.
Sniff had taken thought to herself
and had decided that 1t would be bet
ter If she did not appear too openly in
the matter.
'The affair needs careful considera-
tion," she confessed. "Give us time
and Cousin Nab and I will find way
out of the tangle."
"Certainly we WILL" Cousin Nab
nodded, her head already full of
matchmaking schemes. Wasn't Stone
Nesbit reputed to be very wealthy?
Wasn't he a suitable age? Mightn't
he be an explanation of Smif's sudden
return to the neighborhood? Cousin
Kit rambled out and Sniff at once
proceeded to dlspel cousirt MAIDS rosy
dream.
"You see," she confdsd to her grave
ly, "Im not ready yet for anyone else
to know it, not even Cousin Kit. who l
don't believe could keep secret to
save his life: I've bought Loyelylea
from Bill-Lee, and I'm beginning to be
afraid Stone is going to feel terribly
about it, especially as I've never told
him that had made the arrangements
with Bill-Lee"
This, Cousin Nab was forced to
acknowledge to herself, did not look
like love affair.
She did her best to keep her face
from falling, but Sniff noticed the
change in her expression.
"Don't you approve Of me as a
neighbour"
Cousin Nab at once recaptured her
poise.
'My dear, I'm delighted" she said.
Il was only wondering if you knew
how the activities of the plantation
have expanded under Mr.. Nesbit. It
seems a tremendous undertaking for
young woman"
Sniff chuckled joyously at the antici-
patton.
"That's why 1t will be such fun to
tackle it," she explained. II love to
pull off something successfully where
every one expects me to fall" She
was thinking of the case of Madame
Saitou, Incorporated. Instinctively she
was sure that that was not an affair
which her dear Cousin Nab could ever
be brought to understand, so it re-
NAMED unmentioned between them.
snow about Mr.. Nesbit?" Cousin
Nab began.
"What do you think Of the twins?"
Sniff inquired.
"The twinsY' Their grandmother
was bewildered.
"As messengers, mean. Peacemak-
ers in fact. I'm certain Stone would
not refuse to receive child, and, not
expecting one, his orders would only
have concerned themselves with grown
men. Listen, what do you say to
this?" And Sniff unfolded her plan
which, in due course, the twins i'm
proved on after pattern of their own.
That afternoon, Stone, led by excited
banks from Beaucaire and confrma-
tory mutterings from Voltaire, went
through the hall to the front door to
ascertain the cause of the warning.
No one was visible and to his eye
there was nothing amiss. Beaucaire
had disappeared down the steps with
a yelp of joy, and he and Voltaire fol-
lowed, to the edge of the platform.
Below him, fiat on their backs on one
Of the broad steps, lay two small fig
ures, gazing unwinkingly upward. The
dog was running from one to the other
bestowing lavish kisses indiscrim-
inately.
sHello," said Stone, "who are you
and where did you drop from?"
At his words both the children sat
up with unanimity Of action that
was like a mechanical toy.
you've got mighty nice dog" the
young gentleman remarked casually.
Il s'pose you wouldn't sell him or
swop him?"
His sister frowned at him darkly
and also directed an admonitory kick
In his direction.
"That's not the way to Begin she
said in a surprisingly deep and low
pitched voice.
Suppose you begin by telling me
your namesT' Stone suggested, at a