Show I JT I HOW THE MINUTES SLIPPED AWAY TO MADGES MADGE'S DELIGHT Bett Betty Kane smiled cheerily at me as she propelled her wheeled chair through the door and stopped at distance from me You must pardon my ray delay she said apologetically O but t you see I am lilone this gl glO morning and I lO was putting some biscuits In the oven I had to wait walt to remove my floury things and see that my fire was safe before coming In If you ou are a stranger here you ou probably do 10 not know that we burn pine mostly and It is treacherous stuff And fire Is the one bugbear of our existence down here She spoke in the most moat ordinary tone evidently giving givIng- me only the explanation tion of her delay which she considered my due But my throat constricted as I the round of arduous duties I which must be hers the constant terror of fire and other things which must hover over her in the lonely life which I saw now was her constant portion A VALUED ACQUAINTANCE I I I am a Stranger certainly I 1 re returned returned returned re- re turned smiling and I 1 have yet et to assocIate associate asso asso- elate anything but beauty with the pines But Hut that snapping fire is most tive I wonder If I might have a cup of or tea beside it that It-that that Is If It wont won't make you ou any extra trouble The woman at atthe atthe the telephone office told me you sometimes sometimes some some- some some-I times served It In the morning Mrs Irl Hollis Is I's a very good friend of of mine Miss 1 Kane interposed She al always always al- al ways directs ec people here Instead ea of to t the 11 more pretentious et r s here shere tearoom r o a halt half mile down clown the street treet And I J shall be most happy to give you a cup Don Dont Don't t tou you rou ou think It might be a good plan however however how how- ever to wait walt for the biscuits They will willbe willbe willbe be done In fifteen minutes or so so and I really can recommend my biscuits an and anda a abit abit bit of home made Jam with the tea She gave ave me a a. whimsical little smile and my heart warmed to her I liked Betty Kane thoroughly upon this first glimpse of her and foresaw many I j pleasant hours before her blazing fire I I fancied that behind her placid face was wasa a could O hard te teach won h my philosophy IO chafing h of spirit life which many I I I IO things I S I haven't heard anything as nice as that In a long time I 1 1 said heartily j I casting about for or some way of making the single cup more remunerative without without without with with- out offending her But It wont won't be per be-per- per perfect feet unless you Join me Wont Won't you ou be bemy guest for tea I said trying to tomake my S U k-U fg anta it iniel make my tone e significant without being obtrusive i S She Hushed flushed slightly but met my eyes bravely I S I shall shaIl be glad to do so she sho said S simply and I thank you for the j I 5 thoughtfulness You evidently belong to Ir Is i S that r rare sisterhood er 0 of those who o al always always al- al I I ways s see see and and help I Now 0 01 If you will excuse me a moment I will put my roy kettle kettie kettie ket ket- tie tle on with fresh water I am alwa always s 's sr sr most particular r t to have freshly drawn i 5 water r to boll boil for r my tea I ITHE THE MESSAGE ARRIVES I I I see ee we are kindred fussers I J said S a as she wheeled her chair toward her S kitchen hen again and I heard beard her gurgling S little laugh of appreciation from the I next room I didn't offer to help her I Ifor I for I guessed that she was proud of her I ability to perform her tasks unaided soI so II i iI I simply sat quietly by the fire until she came back again I May lay I look at your our I 1 asked pumping up an apparent interest I do donot donot donot I not much care for picture postal cards I but I was determined to buy a liberal E supply and rack my brains for people E Eto to whom I could send them I Oh surely she said I think you E will like this one She took from the case a card showing a single twIg of the long-leafed long pine I holding In the center of Its long spines i ithe the odde oddest t blossom I 1 had ever seen It looked like lIe a cluster of purple berries t from which e extended t tiny fuzzy y sticks t I d' d of fo foh white h like miniature I re candles I It was really beautiful despite its 9 queerness and I 1 express expressed d my admiration I It Is really a wonderful representation E EE tion tinn of the blossom Miss Kate said E You will see that for yourself I when E you look at the real ones They are not quite In perfection yet et but In a week or two you ou will eee see them everywhere Here Is IB another card which has more delicate sprays of them and here J are h views of the winding wood r roads through O tg the pines How preferable these are I said delighted to the usual resort views of or E the churches and stores of the villages I We have those too she laughed You pays pays your jour our money and you Ou takes your choice I I laughed with her and we spent a most delightful hour with the cards and the e curios hats at baskets and d beads made I tsa rs f of the pine needles e I and In leisurely H comfy talk over the tea and the real really S wonderful biscuits and Jam which she E served No one came Into the little shop 11 E while I was there and I had actually E forgotten my errand when small Agnes Hollis appeared at the door Theres a me message sage for you jou ou over at the theoffIce theoffice 1 2 office she said importantly I Tom was smiling at me with his frank friendliness I looked around th the table and there besIde Deside Mrs Ames was Philip I 1 wondered wondered won won- dered If ir the looking languid blond at hIs ils left could be his wire wife or which of be the party she might be And then I 1 I heard jeard Philip addressing her as Mrs Irs Reynolds Tom talked to me as if he had for- for I gotten the incident of the parlor a and ad d he toe seemed to be on the best of termo with John Jthn Ames Lila Llla was brilliant She was conversIng conversing convers- convers Ing ng animatedly and taking Philip f for r granted Philip however was out of tune une He lie scowled once or twice at Tom I noticed Up the table a way was a youth slim faced haired black-haired weak looking who vho was talking much ana saying lit lit- tie le I 1 wondered who he was and what Lila saw In him The blond was talking to Philip Youre a wretch Phil I heard her drawl If Ie I were your our wIfe Id I'd have havea a little private hanging party some night when you ou came home homo from an affair and hadn't taken me Philip Ames AmIS muttered something and slashed savagely at the turkey on his plate late Some party you ou had last night It was the haired black slim-faced slim youth talking His voice was loud He lie was as looking at Lila Llla Ames Tom was trying to say something to me me-I me I couldn't hear I was trying desI des des- I to divert rt the attention of John Johnw'S Am Ames es I w'S wS would The youth he tell was babbling on on on- What Copyright 1922 b by Newspaper Enterprise I To be continued |