OCR Text |
Show FROM LUCILLE'S -DIARY ft OTHER received a letter from V -Aunt Anna last week saying that she had had her guest redecorated. She said that the w pink and white rugs which ratidmother had helped her sew tha 'Rs for now harmonized so bcauti-IJi,y bcauti-IJi,y wlth the rosebud wall papor lut she wished mother and grand-l0ther grand-l0ther could pay her a visit ira-dlately ira-dlately while it was all so fresb nd pretty. "1 wish we could," sighed mother, fc'il I shouldn't consider it quite eafs 5 take mother into the country now. should be afraid of her catching 11. I'll write Anna that we'll go out lt(T. when the weather is more set-ed' set-ed' I do hope she won't bo dlaap-Ointed." dlaap-Ointed." "Mother." I said with sudden in spiration. "If you are afraid she will be disappointed I'll go out for a little visit. You know I haven't been to the farm for several months, and I think that a rest out there will do me good. It certainly is refreshing to both soul and body to get away from the social whirl once in a while." "Perhaps It will do you g-ood." Mother looked at me In a wistful way I could not understand. "But, Luclle, if you do go, please try to be very thoughtful about not making any extra work." VBBV DELIGHTFUL. "This is perfectly delightful," I said to Aunt Anna when she took nie into the guest chamber soon after my arrival at the farm. "I'm grla.d you like it, Luc tie." she replied us she gently fingered the crisp dimity curtains. "I have taken a lot of pleasure In fixing ft, and I had hoped so much that your mother and grandmother would be the first ones to occupy it." "I shall tell them what they have to look forward to," I said pleasantly, for I knew that notwithstanding Aunt Anna's tactlessness, t must of course be welcome. "I think," I said as wo were finishing finish-ing supper that night, "that mother was wise not to bring grandmother out here yet. as you splendidly rugged rug-ged people do not keep your house as warm as we steam-heated folks do at home. I ivally wi? ni little chilly while lying down this afternoon." , . "We mij'nt put the oil heat er in Lucilc's room. John," said Aunt Anna. "Yes, we miht," answered Uncle .Thn. not very ent husiastieally, I fancied. "Is It up in the garret or Copyright, l',l down cellar?" "In the garret, I believe." "How perfectly dear of you to go to so much trouble for me." I said gratefully, as Uncle John rose from the table and, lighting a candle, started up the stairs to the attic He very soon returned with the oil stove. which had not been used for so long that it had to be cleaned. "Now." said Uncle John, after the stove had at last been filled, taken to my room and lighted, "I hope your warm city blood won't be chilled any more." "The heater will certainly be cozy." I returned laughingly. Although Uncle John has a grumbling and ungracious manner at times. I know him to be exceedingly kind at heart, and I was sure he took the greatest pleasure in making me comfortable. I was pleased at the idea of hav-4. hav-4. by the fctar Company. Great Britain ing my room warm enough to read In, for I planned to retire to it early and enjoy the new novel and the marrons glaces that George Requier had given me when putting me on the train. So I ran up very soon to see how the stove was working. The room was not so warm as I had hoped and I turned tho wick up a little higher and returned to the kitchen to chat with Aunt Anna and Nan, who were washing the dishes. An hour later, when we were all sitting around the living room lamp, Aunt Anna looked up from her darning darn-ing and said that she thought she s me led smoke. "I wonder if Lu-cile's Lu-cile's stove is all right, ' she said. "It can't smoke."' replied Uncle John. "I was careful not to turn it up high." I hea rd this bit of conversation, con-versation, but did ,,ot comprehend its full meaning, for I was lost in a niacrnzir-p. Rights Rc.se rved. A TERRIBLE SIGHT. "Well, I'm sure I smell smoke," remarked re-marked Aunt Anna, after a few moments. mo-ments. "Please run upstairs, Nan, and see if everything is all right in the guest room." In a minute c were startled by a shriek from Na n. "Oh !" sho sci tamed, "everybody come up here qjick!" I actually thought the house must be on fire, and we all rushed upstairs pcllmcll to my room, which we found ii tera lly covered with soot, I never beheld such r, bight in my life. Uverything in the room had a thick coating of (creasy black. Fortunately Fortunate-ly I had not yet taken time to un-park un-park much of my things, but my pretty yellow crepe negligee in whe'h 1 had been renting before supper was completely ruined. Aunt Anna was eo terribly upset about the room thiit ehe did not appear to think my loss of any importance at all. "ICverythmg is spoiled the paper, the rugs, tho curtains, the counterpane! counter-pane! Isn't it a perfect shame?" sha Bob bod. "Yen, it's a ' Well, I won't repeat, re-peat, what Uncle John Mild, for it is mortifying- to have a relative, who Ufu-.s such violent language When 1 discovered that'l had to 6lcep with Nan, and that Aunt Anna continually bewailed the unfortunate little accident, 1 decided to b-ave the next morning I realK- thought l should b" .lust in IIk- iviiv whilr, thev wer, hr-vmg (he room done ovr The curtailing of my visit was rtwiniv a disappointment to me. a I y.'d hoped 10 have a niuc quiet re-t La f oi : East-r. Sometimes It seems to me, th-,L t Puffer more disapolntmcnta nia any one I know. "3n |