Show summer shower by ALICE DUANE e by mccau OPE at felt something HOPE hof of a fool as she settled nettled down at t the quiet and comfortable farm of fsr it and mrs wwickham ham it was waa located locate in a region for the most part taken ul ap with big estates nope hope felt so foolish at crof she had bad gone to pieces after her brek break with boll bob johnson perhaps the old oh family doctor sensed the real situation lie ile had known both hope and pol bob since their childhood youre worn out nope hope he had bad told her yes tes im worn out she ans answered ive been going to too many parties anil and things too many pa parties artles yes you ton need arest a rest I 1 know just the place for you its on a farm up in the berkshire the bams are old frie arlenda lift of mine that was the way nope hope found herself settled in a real farmhouse A week after her arrival she start ed out one sultry overcast afternoon thinking motoring would be leis breath less than sitting on the shady porch or under the old gnarled apple trees tree by the side of the house she hadnot gone far when a sharp thunderstorm broke and she turned tor for refuge into the driveway of a small cottage on the e edge d e of a village it a creten preten gloni place at all a little white con onial house done over just enough to make it charming As nope hope ran back to the house from the garage where she had parked her car she noticed that it was a two car garage so BO he mind monopolizing half of it she thought of the trees only as I a menace she was wag frankly afraid of 0 thunder and lightning she let the big knocker drop sending its loud summons through the little house nobody answered it it though thon li she sounded it again and again then in a lull for a moment she ran round to the back of the house tried the back door and slammed it shut behind her as it gave to her push the kitchen was in almost deal dead darkness outside the black clouds clonte seemed to settle closer and closer down over the root roof the roar of thunder and wind the sighing and gnashing of trees were deafening A searing flash of lightning came and its lt brightness was worse than the darkness before it was a cosy kitchen in which she found herself lier self bright with red and white gingham curtains clean with blue and gray paint A box of groceries was on the table a kettle hummed bummed softly on the coal stove thoughts of tea and toast came into hopes mind it was one thing to tate take refuge from a terrible storm in aomen some blodys kitchen it was another to make a feast of tea and toast and the jar of marmalade you saw sticking from froin grocery order A resounding knock echoed through the house but it was so mixed up with thunder that for ft a moment hop sure what it meant but it sounded a second time and a third slid and at last she realized that somebody WM was pounding on the front door knocker groping through the strange dart dark dl dining room and living room and hall ball she ae finally found the door she see clearly and bungled with the opening the knob sticks mrs tracy mm came a cheerful voice through the door and hopes heart stood still it was as bob give it an extra twist to the right and come open hope twisted it smartly to the right and almost fell backward into the din dim hall as the door came open in her hand 1 T h ats fine mrs tracy rm im mr J johnson bob johnson I 1 saw the light in the kitchen so I 1 knew YOU yoa were here I 1 left the back door open for you had bad to run down to the post office and got caught in this storm fl awfully good of you to promise to look after me you see ive been X little tired out and my old doctor recommended om this village and this house as a good place to rest up and his wife remembered that you sometimes helped out the summer people so I 1 wrote you and here you are I 1 wonder if I 1 could have bare some tea and toast and add maybe some marmalade marma ladel I 1 ordered things at the grocery and on the table hope shrank back into the darkness dar knes found the door into the back entry and faded away into the shadows shadow once more in the bright kitchen she set quickly about making tea anil toast she spread the pretty china she found in the cupboards on a table onder the window and as she browned the bread over the coals her cheek flushed with heat beat and excitement perhaps it been such a ser berlon fOllO quarrel between bob and her they were both too stubborn that was wall the th trouble but nothing that a little explaining PI pla ining cure perhaps the door opened and bob MOO cani bi blinking into the kit kitchen h en he hid had obviously changed his wet things tot for house slippers and a dressing gown ile he looked boyish and young as be b stood there tired too and a little pale and worn he looked first at 06 ali tea table set get for two and then he saw sav hope halt half an hour later sirs mrs tracy found them with all the windows clo closed s ed the th shades down and the lights on though the summer shower had passed and a bril brilliant I 1 lant late afternoon sunshine bathed n R glistening world tea and toast and marmalade and something ended tho the shower for or teem |