Newspaper Page Text
HKs; Ff m,m n
- ww,wmmmmmmmm
A
I.
THE MOVING SPjRIT
By George Elmer 'Cobb
(Copyright by W. G. Chapman.)
"New neighborsEzra,"'announced
Mrs. Perkins. -.
"That so? Hope we don't lose
them as quick as we did the last
ones."
"Maybe that was our own fault,"
submitted his wife. "They sort of
perked up with their stiff city ways
and it nettled me. You was down
with that spell of rheumatism
most of the time and Walden was
away at school. It's lonesome and
dismal to see the place next door va
cant all the while. Besides, every
new family we win to stay helps the
town. Let us try and make this new
family stay."
"Who are they?" inquired Mr. Per
kins. "Their name is Purtelle father,
mother, young lady."
"Just match us, don't they?" sug
gested Mr. Perkins. "Well, you're the
moving spirit, Janet, and me and the
boy will follow the leader."
Ned Perkins and his father humbly
took heed to quite a lecture that
evening. Mrs. Perkins showed that
she not only had studied out a plan
as to the treatment of their prospec
tive neighbors, but had pursued cer
tain inquiries that had resulted in the
gleaning of a good deal of informa
tion regarding them.
"They never lived in a country
town before, I understand," said
Mrs. Perkins. "Mr. Purtelle has just
retired from business and his wife has
worn herself out with her social du
ties, fussing for company, I suppose
that means. The girl is just out of
school. She is in love with flowers,
chickens, everything that grows and
runs. They are real nice people."
"I don't doubt it, if you say so,
Janet," observed her husband. "And
they will be good neighbors."
"You said a young lady in the fam
ily, eh?" remarked Ned thoughtfully.
"Yes, and you be good to her
them, Ned," warned his mother.
"I will, to her them," pledged Ned
with a broad smile.
"Now the city people are slow to
get acquainted with," went on Mrs.
Perkins. "Don't intrude yourself. Be
pleasant, but dignified. Show them
all the kindness you can. Above all,
do everything in your power to set
them in love with country life. Now,
Ned, do spare enough time from your
athletics and fishing to pay some at
tention to these people."
"Mother, mine,"- responded Ned,
with sunshiny alacrity, "I'll do just
Surreptitiously Placed in the Nests
that thing, and as to fishing, why, I'll
have this Miss Miss "
"Miss Edna Purtelle."
"Yes, Edna, a member of the An
glers' club inside of a week!"
"Don't be too forward, Ned,"
warned his mother.
That evening two big vans loaded
with furniture arrived and nearly all
night long their drivers were putting
up shades, laying down rugs and get
ting the house generally in order.
It was not until after dusk the nex$
