The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-05-20

GANnP warmth, apparently
S'SN dreaming.
N~~R~ She was slim, with
SEOK Y short black hair, but
er expression
well, her thoughts must have been
perched on that whitest cloud that
was chasing the others around the
world.
Just then the girl moved. He ex-
pected her to-Well, he didn't know
just what he did expect her to do,
but not to shrug and walk slowly
into the house, as she did.s
HIM! End Of chapter one," he
thought. "She intrigues me; guess
I'll hang around awhile"
Modern youth, in search of adj
venture, tarries at the sight of
whimsical-looking girl in a frayed-
at-the-wrists blue smock, who leans
against an old stone house in a near
ly deserted garden. Oh, well, it
will interest him to find out the why
ness of the is. And then, maybe, he
will wander along. Or will he?
The girl Nancy? Inside the house
she surveyed it's genuine antique
ness, not with the speculative eye of
the collector, but as one who knows
every crack where dirt will gather
and every inconvenience caused by
lack OF the modern home improve
mentS.
'Thunder And it could be a
charming old place; and comfort
able; and without spelling the old
ness of it, either Oh, how can I
get Gram to let me fix it up, and
how can I pry the money loose from
her to do it with? 1t would be diff
ferent if she didn't have it, but
darn it, she has!"
Later, as the sun set, and Gram
couldn't see so well, Nancy wan
dered to the door for a breath of the
sweet damp night air" that Gram
so feared.
4 beg your pardon" a masculine
voice remarked. The girl jumped
perceptibly. W-what-where did
you come from?"
Baby dear? Out of the no.
where, ETC., or weren't you quot
ing?"
"Really! I'm afraid /"
81 don't blame you, I'd be afraid,
too, if l said such things to me be-
fore l knew me. But, honestly, I'm
not escaped from-Well, any of those
well-known places. I'm just an ire
sponsible, and want very much to
sketch that INTERESTING old tree in
your garden, and see the color of
your eyes. May II"
Beginning to enjoy this, she re-
piled, 'Which?"
Both" came promptly back.
The young man came, he stayed,
he-sketched. The next day was like
unto the first, and so on, for over a
week. Of course, ever so often, he
needed rest period; so he sought
Nancy. They talked about every
thing people usually talk about, and
he found out the history and inter-
esting facts about the old house.
''You know" said George, 81 love
it here. And tarry l would if
could, just talking to you; but the
crave for filthy lucre with which to
support my fainting form makes it
necessary for me to depart"
They were sitting on the doorstep
and, as he rose to go, Gram hastily
drew back from the window.
See you tomorrow, and then
who knows?" He waved to Nancy
and left.
Nancy, Nancy!"
Eyes, Gram!"
Nancy, at last. I'll allow l dom
think you've known him hardly long
enough to accept him right off, and
you did right to temporize, but he's
proposed, and when you do accept
him and get married, I'll give you
this house for wedding present. +"
The house - propose! Why,
Gram!"
"Oh, l heard him. Course
couldn't hear all, but l guess when
/ hear words like love- dear,
marry, murmur, and then
heart, that it's a proposal"
Good grief" thought Nancy,
what bad hearing can do to a pro-
sale conversation.
In the morning George found her
again leaning against the sunny
wall, eyes on the sky.
"Sit down. l am going to talk to
you"
well, you've done that before. "
"Uh huh, but not sitting very close
to you where Gram couldn't possibly
see us. She sort of put you in a
hole last night, didn't she?"
What"
"You heard what l said. So did
Gram, last night. l figured she
would thought it rather clever Of
me. So l returned and did a little
eavesdropping myself. You looked
the part of an engaged girl so per-
fectly that I-well, l had to push me
out of the gate awful hard to make
me 60"
George, you're a villain!"
"Uh, huh, but we'll reverse the
melodrama and let the villain cap
ture me pr-roud beauty"