Show A NEW V ENGLAND ENG ND I 1 T it y X N wit A I 1 X t oa they had something to sell he had the price but there was no deal made alade after all A by ELEANOR PORTER k author of pollyanna just david etc k X copyright by eleinor eleanor rr porter borter X t SA f ephe hapgood twins were born in the great square house that set back from the rond road just on the outskirts of their baby eyes had opened upon a world of faded portraits and somber omber haircloth furniture from babyhood to girlhood the charm of toe old place grew upon them so EO much so that the thought of t leaving it for homes of theli their own became d distasteful Is tasteful to them and they looked with scant favor upon the occasional cas ional lonal village youths who sauntered up the path presumably on courtship tient bent rev john hapgood a roan man who ruled himself and all about him with R rod of rigid old school orthodoxy died when the twins were twenty and the frail little woman who as ills his wife had bad for thirty years lived and moved solely because he be expected breath and motion of her followed soon in his footsteps and then the twins were left alone in the great square house on the hill miss tabitha and miss bliss rachel were not the only children of the family there had been a son the first born and four years their senior alie headstrong boy and the iron rule had dashed clashed nod and the boy when sixteen years old had fled leaving no trace behind him it if rev john hapgood grieved for bis wayward son the members of ills household knew it not save ris na they i might place their own n constructions on the added sternness to ills his eyes and the deepening lines about his brouth raul paul when it designated the graceless kunn runaway was a forbidden word in the family years had since passed year of f peaceful mornings and placid afternoons and paul had never appe appeared ired on the of june their thirty y fifth birthday the place neier had looked so lovely A small table ined at d with spotless linen and gleaming f f lver iver stood beneath I 1 the lie largest a apple tree rachel came cama out of the house and sniffed the air joyfully delicious she murmured somehow the loth of june Is specially fine every year in careful cn reful uplifted hands bands the she bore a round frosted cake always the chief treasure of the bir birthday feast the cake was covered with the tiny colored candles candies so dear to the heart of a child bliss rachel always bought those candles candies at the village store with the apology 1 I went want them for birthday cake you know she thinks so much of pretty things tabitha invariably made the calce rind iced it and as she dropped tile tho bits of colored su SUT U into place slie would explain to who occasionally helped in the kitchen 1 I miss the th candy for the world my amster thin thinks so much of it 11 so ench each deceived herself with till this pleasant hit of fiction and yet had what she herself most wanted rachel irefully placed the cake in the center of the table tabie fc resisted acted her eyes on its toothsome loveliness loveli nem then the n turned and hurried bark back to the house the door had scarcely ighut her when a small ragged urchin darted in ila at the street gate suat snatched ched the cake and at t a Pi sudden ridden sound found froni from the hoube dashed out of t right behind a r shrub close by tile the sound that had the boy bor was the tapping of the tb leetis of TR bithas shoes aloag the lak porch the lady the crossed tu ile taw lown and placers placed ft saucer of f pickles and a plate of f vaud wibb on the why I 1 brought tap eake bake she salt alt lul it h je in UK tile louse LOUBO tw chwa res other ether clings to ret get IM KU allu lck azala again uie ui click citric of c tle the door Ili rought uie tle cammil ami iry boy to the table alil lui lu irth ha millot knitli alb le be lic hind ake tt shrub enst ks abe lactea came out ont of f the koew e fahr ft hr hatcel calion a 1 canall tiny laden with and nd tarts thit oze with nater anti ua lea As AB alli bearrd tm the table edich ick ali alitia tit apiu A her why wheres ahr say and acid my its lovsted yr her uller anti all knur lobely aj jill most bobbed tn Ti iltha kaltha it it wi yours youns too paid the th other a eat cibit b in ID ker her voice boti oh durl dri what can n have happeny d to the rt artera had long lone ago f set t trays upon the j arild were now syringing their hands helplessly kud denly a small figure beferie thein thain holding out exit four ally badly crushed cri cru ilie hed sandwiches and half of a crumbled cake im starry awful corryl sorry 1 1 I 1110 think I 1 une miia so hungry im afraid there aint very much left tie he adlph alth rueful yes eves oil the he no I 1 should rily not 1 rachel her volee now that the size rue of the hii rii nr was nas declared Jec lared tabitta only gil ped the boy placed the food upon the empty plates mid 1 iti liels 11 lii l i Q i tu twit hed elied a as she saw that lie he cluin tried to arrange it in an orderly there maam that looks pretty good he be finally announced with soni sonic c prid pride e tabitha made nn an involuntary gesture of aversion rachel kachel laughed outright then her face grew suddenly stern boy what do you mean by such fictions actions she demanded HIS 1114 eyen fell anti and ills his checks showed red through the tan 1 I was aas hungry but you know it was stealing she asked lier her face softening 1 I stop to think it loomed so good I 1 help it lie he dug ills his bore bare toes in the grass for a moment in silence then thell lie he raised ills his head with a jerk and stood squarely on both feet 1 I faint got tiny any woney money but ill work ork to pay for it bringing wood in or the dear child I 1 murmured two voices softly fc ive got to find toy my folks sometime but ill do the work first I 1 lebbe an courll pay for it liu most osti lie ile looked hopefully into miss rachels achels It face who are your falki folk she asked huskily by way of answer lie he handed out cut it soiled crumpled enT envelope elope for her inspection spec tion on oil which was written rev john hapgood why its fa father therl 1 what exclaimed tabitha Tab ltha lia her sister two towe the note open with shaking fingers its from paul she breathed hei hesitating tating a conscientious moment over the name naine then she turned her startled eyes on the boy who aho was regarding her with lively interest po do I 1 belong to you he be asked anxiously 1 I 1 I 1 dont know who are you if ilits your tinnie ralph apgood II Il tabitha Tab itna had caught up the note and was devouring it with swift moving ea ees es its rauls pauls hoy boy rachel she broke in only think of it pauls boy and slie she dropped the bit of paper and enveloped the lad ind in a fond but tearful ein embrace brace ile he squirmed uneasily im sorry I 1 eat up my own folks things ill go to work any time lie suggested trying to draw away and wiping a tear splash from the buck back of ills his hand on ills his trousers but it was wag long hours before ralph was allowed to go to work ills his story was vaa quickly told tol ills his mother was long since dead and ills father had bad ss written ritten ou on his dying bel beal the letter that commended the boy so soon to be orphaned to the pity and cure care of ills grandparents tile the trembled tiem bled and changed col coor or tit nt the story of the boys hardships hardship s on the way nitty to Fa irton that evening when the boy was sate safe in bed clean full stomached and sleepily content the talked it ow mer rev ev john ll Il apgood in ills his will had cut cit off ills hla recreant son s on with tile hie proverbial shilling sn BO by law there ans little coming it to ralph this s however the sisters overlooked in ill calm calill dit biln we keep him anyhow said ellel with decision Y YM indek indeed d the deur child iles hed twelve tor for til all Ms hd so small but lie he emd much schooling we alist see me to that we ne wait him sa well ell ducal d continued kin Eil lid llo a pin lu in either chek ch ek ladota ludo td wo we di wll send him film to college I 1 wonder now t lie uke to tie be a doc doctor torr perhaps Ier haps admitted the other eau or a minister sure lit lie might 11 like it till that at li better etter im toine going to t ink him an and she be tu to her feet antl tripped the room to t the pirir arun door ralph Bial pla site to cilla after turning the kloch are ar ym jw R RS jeep leep aih H ifft 7 na N aaa a masaju 7 voice berly gave the lie ll 11 to the wills well wel abar we vere re wondering you rathar be a Bilu lyler or fr a daitor da etor tora bhe asked a though itlie IK were fr for choice a poach iwach atut ciul a pear A dit doctor doc ictor tyr eanie canto from out adf f uie the dark there wai us uc favi sleep im the voice ii n ain ive almay ilmis 9 wanted to be u doctor you shall oti oh bimi Elin ll I 1 the e gociu bock back to tier her sister itter hid aud froidl that time nil their lives live wei afre e ordered witla that one cne end tn in I 1 ew ahr th Ht hviid iid twins were from they owned the but their iacomo was wa Pr ni ivull ill and the added mouth to nil fill and that ii hungry rie kwie counted ai the paol auldy ennie came anti and les Is frequently to help hell in the lie kitchen and the s gowns grew wore more und and more rusty rinty biltl darned I 1 troph noticed nothing indeed half the file your year tie lie was away tit at Rell ool but as tile the time drew near for the college course and its the sisters were troubled wo might inight sell a little cleote in her voice Inci 9 started why sisterly sell oh no do we do she fhe shuddered but bul alint can we do do why lots lois or of things It rachels achels I 1 1114 came together with a snap ws its coming berry time and theres our chickens and the garden did beautifully last year then theres your lace work and my knitting they bring mm something ething sell oh we do that hut but as the days and weeks flew by and september drew nearer rachels courage failed her berries had been scarce the chickens lind had died the gar den had suffered from drought mid nil but for their lace and knitting work their income would have dwindled to a pitiful sum indeed ralph had bad been gone nil summer lie he lad asked to go camping find and fishing with some of his school friends lie he was expected horne home a week before the college opened however tabitha grew more find and more restless every lay finally she spoke I Lathel well have to sell there any othir other way it would bring a lot she continued huml hurriedly edly before her sister could speak and we could find some pretty rooms somewhere it be so very dreadful I 1 dont Tab tabatha ltha seems as though hough I 1 bear ear even to speak of it of course lf if I 1 bod bad an offer a good gond big one that would he adoth mother thing but theres no hope of that rachels lips said hope but her henrt heart said danger and the latter ans was what she really meant she did not know that but two hours before ft a stranger had said to a fail Fair town lawyer 1 I want a summer home in this locality you dont happen to know of u good old treasure of a homestead for tale mile do you 1 I do riot not replied the lawyer theres a plaice place on the edge of the tillage that would be just the ticket but t W t r K V IL vr 2 J 4 AZ e wheres my cake and my sandwiches ll I 1 dont suppose it could be bought tor for loe oe or money where is it asked the rian man cn ca gerly you never know what money can call do to say ray nothing of love till you try the lawyer chuckled softly its the Il apgood place ill drive you over tomorrow its owned by two old maids and they worship every stick and stone anti anil made blade of grass that beloti belongs LN to it however I 1 harpen happen to know that cash is rather scarce with cheri and theres timple ample chance toiler lose e if tin the money tails falls he added voth a twitching of hit ill lips when the two men drove into the yard that augu 3 i 1 alie hapgood twins were g nasturtium and the yellows yellow 4 arid and scar lets lighted up their gowns and made madai patches of color against the gray house by joye its a picture exclaimed the would be purchaser pun anser the lawyer smiled aud and sprang to the gri ground milid s followed then lie cleared ills throat lit in kame ucal ameial Alie iii ive ITC lirou lit clr up hew here ladle ii because he ii luber tfx in your beautiful lice aur 1110 gaael mulled the smile af f proud then thea wit ll 11 tn in elum boomed to tighten and she blie caveat her breath sharply it la Is una fine d Hai ITs wHon llon and tle the view lc Is ga araud aud he conti continued nueL his egeto on the distant hills then he be turned abruptly La aadiel Lad diel lei I 1 believe iri coming straight to th clr point I 1 want n summer home mid and I 1 want thle one can I 1 tempt yoet yoa to part with it indri Ind wil cI no rachel flarnt fiercely Her erly then her volca voice SARIC to te a whipper wh inper 1 I I 1 diat think you could ronld lu bul abler hl ster tabitha hw her face ill lit you roa know you said tillit Is in there are rs ier hapa lie he would p pay enough yi nar er voice stumbled over the hated word then plopped whiles her face burned scarlet iny lift human mortal could pay for till INA hous fl nihil nih fla hed cl indig ti luin antly Hr then she turned to II Il azelton tier her form drawn to its g greatest Vea test height and her hands bands crushing the floi flowers ers the she t he in till the brittle stein adems snapped il fi a fluttering shower hoser of carl pt and gold clr hazelton to n caris out certain wishes very near to tn our hearts we need lioney mi enry we hlll nil show you the place und and and e will consider bour she d faintly jn in the end offer anas ans so to moir rig ng enis that lint their fur haip thou to refuse refuge it I til have tile the rie necessary cessar 1 18 tead renda to sign big in a few days ald caiti the law ei a ns the two gentlemen gent lemin turned to so 90 ali aal added if tit lit nuy any time before that you change your minds and find you cannot give it up just let me know and it will be all right just think it over till then 11 he be said kindly tile lie dumb woe in ill their eyes appeal appealing I 1 ng to him as tile the loudest lamentations could not have done but it if you dont mind id like to have nn an architect who ts is in town just now come up and look it it over with me he finished certainly sir certainly s said aid rachel longing for the man to go i mr II il azelton appeared tile the next nest rooming morning with two men nn an architect rachel was wa and a landscape gardener in tile the summerhouse summer house and tile the first she knew of their presence was the sound of talking outside io ull want to grade it down there the she heard a strange voice say land and fill in that little hollow clear awny away all those pos les and shrubs in the mass maas your flir flowering tack background ground those roses ore are no particular good I 1 fancy well move s such I 1 let I 1 and make a ns as are worth anything rose rosew bed on tile lie south side well talk over the varieties you want later of course these tipple apple trees and those lilacs will be cut down and the sum mer mei house howie will be out of tile tho way be surprised a few changes cli angos will do wonders and lie ile stopped abrupt lf A woman tall flushed and angry eyed stood before him in the path she opened her lips but no sound came sir hazelton was lifting his hat but the flush faded and her eyes closed as though to shet out some painful sight then she bowed her head with a proud gesture art ard sped along the way to the house once inside she bhe threw herself sobbing upon thie the bed tabithia lia found her there an hour later you poor dear gone now she comforted rachel raised her bead going to cut down everything every single thing she asbed gasped 1 I know it |