Show Love and the Pedestrians By Anne O bYS agan CHAPTER I ISS RAYMOND sauntered up the path to the house housea a reading asi as abe came the 1 M letter which the rural I jt j i free delivery system had hadt hadr r eft lust just placed In her hands handsh t h Mr David White on the piazza wat watched hed her with mingled anxiety and ant ani animosity t mostly As she reached the steps she ehe said In a aL L manner ot of exaggerated t relief and f C A Well Nell thank goodness goodness f avi settled i Her brother In laws law r brother had marked her herL L I 1 approach with a disfavor 7 which was somewhat re remarkable remarkable I y ti for she was not a person whose at attraction t traction wits In inverse ratio to her nearness ss and today her ber good loOks were Iere accentuated by her lavender linen frock and her lavender mull garden hat But 1 Mr r White doubtless to show how little concern he o ofelt felt In regard to 10 her arrangements shut out the vision or of her behind a newspaper and remarked Ah In a tone or of great indifference Miss Ramond Raymond sat down In a willow rocker and ands c s she removed her gloves Intimated humming softly that her heart was In the Highlands Whereupon her companion slammed the paper down and ail said angrily I 1 suppose you mean that your our walking trIp with our precious Mrs Irs Howland Is settled Upon my word I 1 dont see why Iby Geoffrey allows It You see Geoffrey marry me reminded brother It was Paula hE married d And that give him any control over Paulas sister It an air or of dreamy dream regret give his brother any control over Paula Paulas sister Mir Ir White picked up the paper again ay added Phoebe as one whO places the last stone upon a splendid structure of argument I am 24 t tOh Oh youre old enough nough to know better I grant that replied th the young oung man promptly But apparently you ha ent learned with years ears The Idea or of two foolish defenseless young oung women tramping the country a alone ed to Youve lived too long broad abroad David Dald at t your foreign InterruPted Miss Raymond with bland patience and regret You have forgotten about AmerI Amer AmerIa ran a n girls The They do everything they please They know perfectly how to take cine care of themselves in all situations and emergencies I myself you ou remember am a busl nr n ss s hardworking hardheaded practical in interior interior decorator We e cm can aU all support ourselves amuse ourselves 11 short youve almost entirely eliminated the tha need or of the American you ou AmerIcan girls sirls suggested Mr Ir White hite ts As for this walking trip pursued Miss Raymond t to meet the challenge Maude Howland and I ILace Lace hae planned It for two years You object I 1 suppose to ou oua walking from fromm hero to Fairlawn You prophesy mad dogs and insolent tramps and hospitable farmers in that fivemile stretch Well freer Greer river Iii is only a succession of sImilar fivemile j know what I mean And anyway Maudes Maude Maudea a willow widow a fluffy kitten growled Mr White I tell you ou If you were Ah but Providence had an eye ere to m my happiness Im notOr not notOr Or should not permit such a jaunt Do you ou know rill Im afraid David said Phoebe that that lordly spirit of yours will willi i make It difficult for you to find a wife in this country From whit I have seen or of m my countrywomen since ms m their headstrong folly their superb selfish ij l iw i iJ inY 4 J L nY 4 tf r u d dr r I J Jj j l IN riI fu r n 4 f 1 VI i A b bf 4 1 f r rf tJ i r i ir f io 1 i r 1 I f ib r l I I i I K GI 41 I Ii h ik i t tl r 1 lu tt t tt 1 t t t p 1 oJ j She put d 4 her boot a again gain r a little with pain as the leather struck her h r tender r foot f ot otI I r sI dont believe I shall long for a wife from among t L nt nl At any rate rato flamed Phoebe whatever you may think pt f us whatever you OU may think of me mc Ir White did not avail himself of this opportunity to 10 reestablish himself with Miss Raymond Rarmond You will please stop trying to Interfere in this mat matt t r You are already alarming Paula and Geoffrey and andI I wi wish h V you to stop it ft Its all perfectly simple Maude Mauder r nd I meet at Mount Hope on the other side of the we walk twenty miles the first day da tw nty two the twenty the third on to G Green rei n river We e save have our lodgIngs engaged for each night and our our bags will be expressed first day to the Blue bell Inn at the next My good child you dont need to recite the route to tome tome me I know It by heart Ive heard nothing els else since I came up from New York Im sorry to have bored you so said Phoebe with the gentleness of extreme rage I fissure assure you that it will not occur again I must go InI have bave some letters I Ito to write As the broad cool dIm hall engulfed her the young man halt half rose and Q a penitent Phoebe pursued her herBut herBut But she aha did not answer and he sat back in his chair r I am a boor he confessed to the indifferent breezes But of all the exasperating obstinate I wonder Ir if she realizes that its m my last visit here that I s start art for Stanford next week It If she does and Is gOing away Then upon the floor caught his eye ee He stooped and picked It up The thick doeskin was still un unI warm warm end nd kept the outline or of a firm little hand I He looked at it for tor a second and then sudden suddenly shame shamefacedly shamefacedly kissed a tiny green stain upon the palm CHAPTER II Mrs Irl lowland sat at the edge of a field screened from the he view or of the long dusty road by clumps or of aster and elder In her hand she held a shoe which she re regarded garde with an Interest parts tait tact Phoebe her eyes fixed upon the clouds mar marshaling marshaling shaling In the west was speaking And hell be gone when we Ie go back she said monotonously He came up on only y for the week That was vall the reason I telegraphed you ou to walk valk those th se three daysI wanted him to see how lIttle his comings and goings meant to me You know hes lived among nice gentle adoring womanly women for So long that be hes overbearing Xo No not conceited Hes never neer conceited but you know w what pt I mean Anyway I thought it might do him good to see how little women like dont know the word I thought It might do him gOod Philanthropic girl murmured Mrs Howland She takes a walking trap at the most inconvenient nt time just jus justo to do g shod od to a young man concerning whom hes per perfectly perfectly r f f fIts I indifferent Its he perfectly Indifferent said Phoebe bringing her gaze down from the heavens and meeting her fri sudden stare unhappy eyes Phoebe Do you ou mean r 1 dont mean anything excePt that it Is going to torain torain rain declared Miss Raymond rising your f foyt qt enough rested for you ou to put on your our shoe and start again It a mere q question estion or of tir tiredness d ess it was lacera laceration tion answered Mrs Howland Oh h I 1 know I was an Imbecile dear It was buy bargain But Phoebe angelIm angel Im expiating It If you knew how ny heels r You poor Joor darling Phoebes face and voice olce were all sympathy But you ou have some other other shoes In your our bag and only four miles awa away Dont you Oll think you can manage to hobble along slowly that tar far farOh Oh Maude aude we must make this trip without mishap we Ve must To teach that young man the lesson ot of our com complete complete ability to manage our own affairs Well ell we will Ill not fall fail you Blistered heel or no blistered heel well finish this tramp Well YeU walk to Green river m my dear Ir IrIt It takes a leg She put on an hee he boot again winCing a little with pain as the leather struck her tender foot Talk about bout the Inquisition sh she said This shoe has shrunk three sizes since I 1 t took ok It otC off Do you OU think it would do any good to slit It here and there Phoebe suggested I wonder It do any harm anyway any anya way a except to my appearance and if I look at all like you ou Pho Phoebe be my appearance is beyond harming Le Lend d me your our pocketknife and well try it Three minutes later with an air of comical pride she contemplated her boots slit sill In ribbons Its the finishing touch I think she observed No Noone Noone one could possibly believe that I was ever a lad lady If the Bluebell Inn admits an easygoing lot all I 1 can say Phoebe have I as many freckles on my nose as YOU You have more more stains on your shirt shirtwaist waist and and less curlIn curl Iq your our hair I know that But come on its getting darker and I heard a rumble of thunder Think of a bath and clean clothes and limp along lively my dear The They merged emerged from their shelter and began again their descent of the sloping road They had no eyes at the moment for the beauty of the broad green valley before them the g gleam cam ot of the distant rIver the blueness oth of tho hills on the other side climbing into the stormy splendor of r the clouds Maudes thoughts were concentrated upon 1 her feet and Phoebes were far afield By and by she ahi summoned home her wondering faculties and beheld ber he expression of keen paIn Maude caught her he look ot of sympathy and laughed Dont pity me I deserve It In the German arm they would discipline me frightfully for tor allowing my feet fee t to be Incapacitated on a march me or something Listen to me saId Phoebe imperiously Stop talk talking talking ing about the German army arm Sit down there by the road roadside side Bide lam I am goIng to hurry hurr ahead to that farmhouse on of the left es the one with the red get a rig rii and a driver and well come back for you and anel drive into Hot compresses and alum and new boots boot will make you ou forget that you ou ever had a sore heel it In your our life Ufe Now you just sit Bit here and walt wait No m my dear Ill go with you ou You may not have noticed It but the rain has begun and I dont seem tt to see myself sitting under the hedge In a drenching shower Ill hobble along with you Well We come as fast as you OU can It cant be more than a quarter of a mile mUe As the they limped elastic tread subdued to tr the speed of her com rain began to descend it In sharp hurtling earnest CHAPTER III Mr Ir Adam Doolittle reputed to be the meanest the most obstinate and the most meddlesome man In the whole territory was driven In from the fields by the sudden downpour He was gloomily engaged in computing the loss los he would Incur b by the probable hours idleness or of his hands when the telephone rang and he creaked across the kitchen and into the shuttered dining room to answer It When hen he returned he was In a good humor Its just what Ive Ie always told you ou he said dropping into a chair by the table where Mrs Doo Doolittle Doolittle little with practiced wrist trimmed ribbons or of dough from her pies The telephone e certainly does beat all 1111 Mr Doolittle as Instigator and chief stockholder of the Circuit Telephone Company Compan never lost an opportunity to sound the praises of the system it done now noVo asked aked Mrs Irs Doolittle without much interest as she punctured her upper crusts with a fork Its the Home for Incorrigible Girls announced Mr Ir Doolittle Impressively Mercy me What do they w want nt of you The superintendent is sending out an alarm for two runaways They got otc off this but missed tin till dinner Two or of the worst of the bunc t he says and andas as smart as you make them If the they stop anywhere fO fa supper or a nights lodging he wants them detained and he wants to be notified have hae to do It it he says sas for they aint got any money he knows of How old Nineteen and 20 he says Now Kow before I started that telephone movement what would he have had to do to warn us Ul about runaways lIed Hed have bave Lands sakes Interrupted Mrs Doolittle rising from before the oven Theres some one at the front door Whoever can it be Xo No one aint used that door since the man back In March She hurrIed forward closely followed by Adam Two hipping young women stood on the threshold shaking pools of water from their duck ha hats soiled and battered specimens or of youthful femininity A broad smile lighted up the face or of Mr Doolittle as he saw them themI I b beg g your pardon said one but ma may we stay here here until the storm Is over and then could you ou drive us into Why of all the began the Injudicious Mrs Irs Doo Doolittle little But her huband elbowed her aside Certain YOU can can wait here he said and I reckon we can make g some kind of a bargain for a rig when Its cleared off a mite Come in and set by the kitchen fire awhile You are ver very good said Maude We Ve would like to dry out a little before going on Have you come far today toda inquired Mr Ir Doolittle when his guests were seated From Mount Hope replied Phoebe Mr ir Doolittle laughed and gave gae his wife a look which was equivalent to a wink a matter of sixteen miles mUes he said Better make It nearer home Phoebe stared in haughty haught amazement but he went on onGoing onGoing Going Jar farT To Green river said Maude Were Vere on a walking trip Oh To Green river Well eU a long walk for two girls You thinking or of doing it all today Mr Doolittle leaned forward smilingly There could be beno beno no doubt douht as as to the jocose Impertinence Ot of his attitude Phoebes head went up with a gesture not unknown to Mr David White I dont understand your our manner she saId sharply sharp We Ve have asked you ou to drive us to the me nearest village as soon as the weather will allow and Dont you mind me girls their host Interposed soothingly Maybe I 1 aint so polished as the folks where you come laughed with hearty enjo enjoy enjoyment ment of his own but Im a man I 1 reckon we can strike a bargain satisfy you O Id drive you ou for nothing If it comes to that Dont you worry Angry puzzled Incredulous of the Impertinence the girls looked at each other Before they could reply their host had creaked cr aked into the closing the door after hit In a few minutes his voice pitched at the unmistakable telephonic key droned out to them but buthis tits his words were inaudible Mrs Doolittle Impenetrable suspicious sat still and stared Perhaps we Ip could walk the rain Is stopping said Phoe Phoebe e gutturally whispering in German M My pointed dramatically to her feet I 1 can this day no longer walk Alter After aU all he cant be bet bea a t lu lunatic or lle he be at large And he cann cannot t harm farm u ua on the highroad In the middle or of the afternoon And Ind it far Meantime Doolittle was closing his conversation with the words Oh Its them sure Answer the descrIption ion tion as slick as you please All right Ill fetch them over ever Yes 3 Then he be hung up the receiver CHAPTER IV Wen Nell grumbled Mr Geoffrey White While turning from froma a r prolonged contemplation of the dripping end and the drenched flowerbeds or of the Bluebell Inn yard I 1 hope rope Davids satisfied Mrs White who held herself hersel in a slippery haircloth rocker ocker by bracing her feet against the polished guard or of orthe the he big which occupied half haJ the room looked up rp from her Iier book It was rhe Ibe Wide Ide Wide Vide World falling ailing to pieces from much usage and she had taken It from rom the marble whose other literarY attraction Ion tion was The Wonders of America Satisfied she replied to her husband Hes wild He to pictures them as washed away in a torrent think hink Ii a s summer afternoon shower was the Johnstown flood lood onearth did didd he persuade me mc to bring the theina ina chine over otter those hills reflected Geoffrey He told you oU you do the forty miles mUes of at the J I zy Jt t 1 f L III l f s l lI I f 4 I 4 9 6 I v 7 A b road broad smile r lighted J h ted u UI p tl the IC face 31 1 Mr ur D na as J he le saw thorn hill hili route rout In a forenoon and you ou had to prove that you ou could and with time to spare Now dear dont interrupt Inter 0 |