A wistful gleam in Aunt
Milly's eyes made Nancy lean
over and kiss her again. At that
moment the door opened and
Aunt Sabrina walked in. Then
it seemed to Nancy as though a
shadow crossed M,iss Milly 's face.
The glow in her eyes died com
pletely. She seemed to shrink
back among the cushions.
“Oh, you have met our
niece,” Aunt Sabrina said in her
eold voice and with no curiosity
us to how it had happened.
Nancy looked at Aunt Milly
and Aunt Milly’s glance seemed
to say: “Please don’t, tell her
1 peeked through the blinds.”
Aloud she answered meekly: “1
told her we were glad she had
come 1”
Aunt Sabrina nodded as
though to approve such action.
Her eyes turned around the
room.
“Is there anything you want
done? B'lituly’s washed the oth
er covers for your cushions, but
they aren’t dry enough to iron.
The color didn't run a bit—
they'll he more sensible than
those white ones, for they won't
he needing washing all the time,
ami B’lindy has enough to do!’’
“Oh, yes, they’ll he more sen
sible.” Miss Milly agreed weari
ly. “No, 1 don’t want any
thing.”
There were two or three mom
ents’ of silence. Aunt Sabrina
went about the room straighten
ing a picture here, a “tidy”
there. Nancy watched her with
angry eyes—what wus there
about her that had killed that
precious glow in poor little Miss
It ■
gardener who is a descendant of
i EtHan Allen.
“In fact, everyone I’ve seen is
old and, Webb said, is descended
from ‘somebody or other.’
“But the inside of the house
—oh, horrors! I don’t believe a
ray of sunshine has gotten into
it since the year one, and if it did,
it would be shut out mighty fast.
Dad would go wild with delight
over the old furniture, and the
dishes are beautiful, but the wall
paper looks like green lobsters
crawling all around, and you
walk on brown red roses as big
as cabbages. Does it torture my
artistic soul? Oh, ye gods! And
my own room 1 No wonder that
other Anne Leavitt died! I never
saw so many tidies in my life—I
shall never draw a happy breath
among them. Oh, I can shut my
eyes right now and see the dear
old tower room—you sitting in
the middle of the bed (unmade,
of course), playing your uke,
Anne digging at her French Four
on the window seat along with
the fudge dishes which I forgot
to wash, and a week’s muss all
around us. Oh, Claire, wern’t we
happy, though? And to think
it’s all over.
“Aunt Sabrina is very hand
some and very Leavitty. I think
Anne, in her manner, when we’ve
done something she doesn’t ap
prove of, is like her Aunt Sa
brina. She’s very tall and parts
her hair straight in the middle
and has the longest, straightest
nose and a way of talking to you
that makes you feel like an atom.
B’lindy, who is the woman-of
all-work around Ilappy House,
but somebody, just you believe, is
very much like Aunt Sabrina and
looks at. you as if she could see
1 the littlest thought way back in
your mind. And, of course, with
me acting a part and feeling as
guilty as can be, you can imagine
that I don't enjoy B’lindy’s
searching glance! However, I
asked her some questions about
the Leavitts and it warmed her
up a little.
“But there is an Aunt Milly
that Anne didn’t seem to know
about and, Claire, she is human
—the dearest, sweetest, prettiest,
timidest little thing. You can’t
tell, looking at her, whether she
is old or not, but being my great
aunt—or Anne’s—I suppose she
is. But she is an invalid and
evidently can’t walk. There’s
something about her that makes
you feel dreadfully sorry for her
and like taking care of her, and
I sort of imagine that for some
reason or other Aunt Sabina
treats her horridly. When Aunt
Sabrina comes into the room,
poor Aunt Milly acts scared to
death.
iviniy 7
She rose abruptly. “May I
go to my room? 1 want to write
a letter.” Miss Sabrina said,
“Why, of course, Anne,” and
Miss Milly flashed a little ghost
of a smile that entreated: “You
see what life is like for me, so
please, please come again.”
Upon Nancy’s face, ns she
closed her own door behind her,
was a mixture of relief, indigna
tion and apprehension. And a
little of each of these emotions
crept into the lines of the letter
that-—to give vent to all that
was bursting within her she
flashed off to Claire.
“-You'll just better believe
that if I bad that precious dar
ling, Anne Leavitt, back in our
beloved tower room I'd tell her
that all the fortunes in the world
and alt the suffering Russians
wouldn’t hire me to spend one
more day with her ‘family.’
“And yet, Claire, darling, it s
so dreadful that it’s funny. 1
just wonder that 1 haven’t been
scared pink! Can you picture
vour little Nancy surrounded by
mahogany, so old that it fairly
screams at you, that it was
brought over on the Mayflower
and walls as high as the library
■» tower (please substruet poetical
license) and just oodles of Leav
itt traditions—though I’ll admit,
just being a plain human mortal,
I don’t knowr yet quite what the
Leavitt traditions are, but believe
me, I expect to, very soon, for
Aunt Sabrina tulks of not lung
else!
“Of course, sweet child, you
can’t, make head or tail to all my
jibberish, so I’ll write lucid Eng
lish now. The island is wonder
fully beautiful, everything about
it seems different from any other
part of the world—the trees are
bigger anrl the grass is greener
and every now and then you
catch a glimpse of Lake Champ
lain as blue as Anne’s sapphire
ring and hazy purple mountains
beyond. And the whole place is
brimming with all kinds of his
torical stories.
“They ealj this house Ilappy
House. It was named that by the
first Anne Leavitt, and she had
a mantel made in England with
the letters earved on it, and the
day after it was put up she died
in the very room I’m writing in!
Isn’t that tragic and exciting! I
can’t make a story out of that,
though, for it’s been all written
up in a book they sell at North
Hero.
The bouse is big and built of
stone that was quarried on the
island, and it’s all covered with
vines and beautiful—outside. It
has trees all around it that meet
overhead like a canopy, and in
stead of a regular garden in beds
^he ground’s all covered with tig
«er liilies and Sweet William and
«phlox and lots of flowers I don’t
jknpw the naiqe of. that look as
<*£«Rlgfc they'd spilled out over
their {farderts and grew every
where. And there’s a darting old
“.lust how 1 11 come out of it
all I can’t guess. I’ve got to
keep my head and see the thing
through for Anne’s sake. But
—so far—I don’t like it a bit. It
was easy enough planning it all
with Anne back in college, but
somehow, now that I’m here, I
feel so underhanded, deceiving
these people. And Miss Sabrina
talks so much about the Leavitt
honor that it makes me feel like
30 cents. There is a lot of mys
tery about the place, but I feel as
though 1 had no right to try and
find it out, though I’ll admit I’m
dreadfully curious. I rode over
from North Hero with the fun
niest old man—his name is Webb
and he said he was one of Free
dom’s ‘first citizens.’ Modest—
yes. Well, with a very little en
couragement, he would have
poured out the entire Leavitt his
tory, only it didn’t seeir nice to
let him talk. But he spoke about
a ‘Leavitt trouble,’ and he said
something about Miss Milly being
‘happier in the grave.’ Isn’t
that interesting? And the very
strangest tiling of all is that Aunt
Sabrina has forbidden me to ever
mention my father—or Anne’s
father and grandmother! Of
course Anne will want to know
all about it, and maybe it is my
duty to find out why. Anyway,
if the chance comes to me, well,
I won’t shut my ears.
“Speaking of Webb and riding
over from North Hero, Claire, I
did the most dreadful thing, and
if l tell you, you must swear that
you won’t ever tell Anne, though
goodness knows when either of
us will see dear old Anne ugain.
We’d driven along for miles and
hadn’t seen a soul—even the
cows in the pastures weren’t
moving—when suddenly, around
a corner, dashed a man on horse
back. He went by us like a flash,
but I could tell even with all the
dust, that he rode well and waa
very handsome and sort of differ
ent from—well, Webb, and the
people you’d expect to see on
North Hero Island. I was curi
ous—you know, I always am—
and I turned around. And what
do you think he did--he wheeled
that horse around and stopped
dead still to stare at us, and
caught me turning, of course,
though I was just curious be
cause he seemed different. And
that isn’t all—he had the nerve
to wave his hand and here’s the
confession! I nodded back to
him! I always am so impulsive
and it seemed so good to see
someone that was young. And
he did have the grandest eyes
even through the dust. But
here’ the worst—I asked Webb
who he was, and Webb said he
was ‘Juclson’s hired man!’ Oh,
Claire, what would Anne have
said 1
“Well, of course, the fellow
had his nerve, and if I ever see
him again I shall show him his
place and make him understand
that I am a dignified, unap
proachable young person.
“Oh, Claire, dearest, I wish I
was with you at Merrycliffe.
You don’t know how lucky you
are to have a jolly home and a
jolly mother who knows how to
love! That’s the trouble here
—they act as though it was a
crime to show a spark of affec
tion. Aunt Milly comes the
nearest to it, but I don’t believe
the others know what love is.
“Write to me often, for it will
help keep up ray courage, and
I will keep you posted as to all
that happens to poor irtie—es
pecially about the hired man. I
can't wait to see him.
“Once your happy and now
your perfectly miserable used-to
be Nancy.
“To be known for the present
as,
“Anne Leavitt.”
h CHAFER V.
Bird’s Ne3t.
“Joshua Leavitt was Justin’s
son and he married Abigail Clark
over at Isle Le Motte, and they
had three sons, Joshua and John
and Jacob, all upright, settled
young men. Let me see, it was
either John or Jacob was killed
in the war of 1812, wasn’t it,
B’lindy!”
Nancy’s mind was working
faster than the knitting needles
in her fingers. For three days
now she had sat very close to
Aunt Sabrina, learning “all
about the Leavitts.’’
“It’s lucky I have a good head
for history,’’ she said to herself,
nodding to ^liow Aunt Sabrina
that she was deeply interested
in these Joshuas and Johns and
Jacobs.* “If I’m here long
enough she may get down to
the present generation! Joshua
—John—Jacob,” she repeated
softly.
“Dear me, where is B’lindy!
My memory isn’t as good as it
used to he. I'm growing to be
an old woman. But the Bible in
there tells how either John or
Jacob fell at Fort Niagara. The
Leavitts have always been brave
men—and men of honor!”
At this point Nancy, quite in
voluntarily, dropped a stitch.
The sudden color that flushed
her checks escaped Aunt Sa
brina’s notice, for B’lindy’s
voice came suddenl ythrough the
open .door.
“Miss Sabriny, if Jon’than
don’t get that cornstarch from
Eaton’s there won’t be no corn
starch puddin’ for dinner. He’s
worse than no good round the
house and a body takes more
steps huntin’ him than doin’ all
his chores for him!”
Nancy sprang to her feet. “Oh,
please let me find him! I—I’d
love to walk around a bit, too.
I’ll speak very sternly, B’lindy
—you just see if he doesn’t go
at once!” Tossing her red wool
into the cushion of the old rock
er she had been occupying,
Nancy was off before the aston
ished B’lindy or Aunt Sabrina
could utter a protest.
She found Jonathan at his
everlasting digging. Nancy
shook him playfully by the arm.
Jonathan could not guess that
her eyes were bright because, for
a few moments at least, she had
escaped from the oppressiveness
of Aunt Sabrina and her ances
tors ; his old heart warmed to her
infectious smile.
“B’lindy’s as cross as can be!
She must have the cornstarch
at once! I hate cornstarch pud
ding worse than poison, but you
must hurry as fast as you can,
and please go by the lilac side of
the house, because Miss Sabrina
is sitting over on the hollyhock
porch talking ancestors and I
want her to think that it’s tak
ing me forever to find you!”
*' Cornstarch! Bless my
boots!” A hundred wrinkles
crossed the weather beaten old
face. ‘ I’ll go off to Eaton’s
fast's ever 1 can, Missy.”
“Nice Jonathan,” and picking
a posy, Nancy stuck it into the
buttonhole of the gardner’s
sweater. ‘‘And I’m going fast’s
ever 1 can, straight out to the
lake.”
With a wave of her hand she
flew down the path through the
row of old apple trees. She
wanted to shout and to sing, but
as that might startle the entire
island, she indulged in a joyous
handspring instead!
‘‘Of course, Anne, darling, if
you could see me you’d look
shocked—you’d say, ‘Nancy
Leavitt, when are you going to
grow up !’ But Annie if growing
up and up and up is going to be
to grow like you Aunt Sabrina,
sitting all the day long dwelling
on the glories that are past and
gone—never—never — never!”
The girl flung her arms out to
ward the blue waters of the lake.
‘‘If I had a wish I’d wish that I
could swim straight out across
you—to those purple mountains
—over there!’’
It was very still in the orchard;
cool, too, for the hot June sun
only penetrated in spots the out
spreading branches of the old
trees. Gradually the tumult of
longing in Nancy’s mind quieted;
a sense of delicious quiet inspired
her.
‘‘It’s heavenly here—just as
though 1 was all alone in the
world.” She turned slowly
around. Not a glimpse of any
habitation could be seen, the
rows of trees hid even Happy
House. And beyond was the
stretch of sparkling water, with
its rim of hazy, purple hills.
Nancy ran to the apple tree
nearest the cliff. It was very
old, its branches grew close to
the ground. In a moment she
had climbed them and had
perched herself comfortably upon
one with her back resting against
anoiner.
“It must be nice to be a bird,”
she mused, touching lightly the
glossy leaves about her. “Play
ing in tree tops and when you’re
bored to death, simply flying off
without as much as an excuse!
Or a wood-nymph,” wistfully.
Then her drooping shoulder
suddenly straightened, under the
stimulation of an idea. She
sprang to the ground. ‘ ‘ Oh, rap
ture !” she cried, and raced back
toward Happy House.
Half-an hour later Jonathan,
having made peace w'itli B’lindy,
found her in the old carriage
house. Two shiny nails protrud
ing from her teeth and a ham
mer in her hands betrayed that
she had found his tool box. Her
face, through smudges of dust,
wore a look of determination.
“5You’ve come just in time to
help me, Jonathan. I must get
the top of this box off and fasten
it to that box—so it'll open and
shut. Then you must find a
piece of leather for hinges and
some oil cloth. I think that you
have everything on earth hidden
in this place—except carriages!”
Because, with Jonathan, it had
been love at first sight, he obeyed
with only a “wrell, well, Missy.”
With the boards of one box made
a snug door for the other box
and he found, hidden away, some
precious leather that could be
cut into strips for binges, and a
square of oil cloth and canvas,
too. There were more nails in
the tool box, and though old
Jonathan guarded that tool-box
like a treasure ehest, he’d give
Nancy anything it held!
They labored feverishly and
within an hour Nancy declared
their work done.
“Now come with me, Jonath
an, and I’ll show you my secret.”
She lifted the box and started
toward the orchard, Jonathan
trudging after her.
When they reached the last
tree near the cliff Nancy set her
burden dow’n. She turned to her
companion with a solemn face.
“^Jonathan, no one is going to
know this secret but you and
me! I am a dramatist. Yon
don’t look as though you knew
what that was, but it is some
thing that it’s very, very hard
to be, and I shall have to work
—like everything! Right up on
the branch of that tree is where
I’m going to work. I wrant you
to take those nails I put in your
pocket and fasten this box se
curely to the trunk of the tree.
Then I’m going to keep all my
things right in it and fasten it
with this padlock I—borrowed—
from your tool box. It ’ll be just
like a nest—and I’ll steal out
here and work and and then,
some day, when I’m famous, all
the newspapers will print a story
telling how I wrote my first play
in an apple tree and that it was
a secret between you and me, and
they’ll want your picture! Now,
right here, Jonathan. I’ll hold
it and you nail it tight/’
(Continued next week.*
HAT Tanlac is a wonderful med
icine for delicate children is con
clusively proven by the remarkable
results accomplished in the cases of
the three children shown in this pic
ture.
Little Blanche Blair, of Providence.
It. I., age 13, gained 10 pounds; Re
gina McCabe, at right, age 9, of
Scranton, l’a., gained 15 pounds; lit
tle Richard Leary, Jr., of Philadelphia,
who was very delicate, is now In fine,
robust health. The statements made
by their parents are as follows:
Mr. A. M. Blair, residing at 20 At
wood street, Providence, It. I., said:
“We are just so happy over the
change Tanlac has made In our little
girl that we can’t do or say enough
to show our appreciation. She had
lost nearly 20 pounds in weight and
looked so frail and weak that her
mother and I were botli almost wor
ried sick over her condition. Since
taking Tanlac, she has already gained
10 pounds, her color Is better than it
ever has been and she looks and acts
like a different girl.”
Mrs. Catherine McCabe, 414 Dick
ens Ave., Scranton, Pa., said: “The
‘flu’ left my little Regina in such a
had condition that 1 have no idea she
would be with me now if it hadn't
been for Tanlac. It Is a mystery to
me how she lived on t*e little she
was eating and was so lifeless she
never even cured to play with the
dolls and toys she got at Christmas.
Since taking Tanlac she is as hardy
and well as any child could be and
has gained 15 pounds in weight. 1
will always praise Tanlac for restor
ing little girl’s health.”
Richard Leary, 2342 Paletliorpe St.,
Philadelphia, said: “There is no
doubt in my mind but that Tanlac
saved my little boy's life. I'or two
years I wouldn’t have been a bit sur
prised U) have seen him drop off at
any time. lie had stomach trouble
and many a time the gas pressed up
Into Ids chest until Ids heart palpl
Cities as Thunderstorm Spots.
The conclusion has been reached by
a well-known engineer who has given
the subject considerable attention
that certain cities, If not indeed most
Inland cities of say 100,000 population
or more, appear to be “thunderstorm
spots.” The observation has been
made by E. U. Horton, of Voorliees
vllle, N. Y„ who also points out that
“a shallow lake with snndy margins
located in a forest may serve as a
thunderstorm breeder” and cites as
proof observations made by him
over Oneida lake, New York.
Old Court Has Much Power.
in Liverpool (Eng.) there still exists
ono of the very few remaining medi
eval borough courts of record. At one
time there were 210 In various parts
of the kingdom. The Liverpool court
of passage, as It is called, has prac
tiudly unlimited jurisdiction in caus
es of action arising within the city,
find lias more power than has the City
of London court which has jurisdic
tion only when the defendant Is em
ployed In the city Itself.
Misery loves company, hut the com
pany isn't apt to make a second call.
tated so 1 thought sure lie couldn’t
breathe but a few more gasps. But
Tanlac gave lilid back to us strong
and well and we will praise it to our
dying day.”
The effect of Tanlac on the deli
cate stomachs of the young is one of
the strongest evidences of its whole
someness ns well ns its unusual
merit. Although a powerful recon
structive, Tunlac contains no harm
ful ingredients, minerals or opiate*
which are so often found in other
medicines. Being composed of the
most beneficial roots and herbs
known to science it is purely vege
table and can be taken by the most
delicate children, and does not upset
or Injure the weakest or most deli
cate stomach.
There is a Tanlac agent in every
town.—Advertisement.
Nature's Supreme Wisdom.
If it were not for the check that win
ter interposes, vegetation would
climb skyward until we had tropical
jungles and flowers high In the branch
es of the forest, instead of violets and
daisies and lady’s-sllpper orchids. As
it Is, the year’s tender growths decay
in the wet and cold of winter, furnish
shelter to the seeds of grasses and
small woodland plants, and so foster
a new growth for the coming of spring.
Even in decay there Is a purpose; in
nature always there is a new begin
ning.—Youth's Companion.
Jewish Physicians to Popes.
Many examples might be enumerat
ed of popes who patronized Jewish
physicians. An exception was Paul
IV, who introduced the Ghetto Into
Rome, but at least a score of popes
seem to have gone out of their way in
extending friendly recognition to tha
medical members of this race.
The Alibi.
The Secretary—This speech may get
you into trouble.
The Honorable—Then you had better
prepare a statement saying that I was
' misquoted by the newspaper.—I.ife.
. —I ■ i.. I. i —i— .. I.-.- .
A “balanced diet” may sound
confusing to many people
The facts, as explained
here, are simple.
The secret cf a “balanced diet” is to have food
containing all the elements needed for proper
nutrition. These elements are protein, to nourish
the tissues; starch and sugar to furnish energy;
fat to supply heat; and mineral salts to provide
the material necessary for building nerves, brain,
and tooth and bone structure.
Grape-Nuts, the nourishing cereal made of
I whole wheat flour and malted barley, served with
cream or milk, is a complete food for young and
old alike.
Go to your grocer today and get a package of
Grape-Nuts. Eat it with milk or cream for
breakfast; or with stewed fruit, jelly or jam, as a
delicious dessert for lunch or dinner.
Every member of the family will relish this
palatable and nourishing food—
1 Grape-Nuts—the Body Builder
“There’s a Reason”