Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-06-16

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Mrs. Potter herself, smiling and radi
ant. Dutifully helping him off with hi
coat, she conducted him to the pleasan
apartment which, when there was NJ
company, served alike as dining anG
sittiting-room, and with an expectan
light in her eyes triumphantly threw
open the door.
Had Potter been alone he would In
stanuy, at the view thus presented, have
beaten q precipitate retreat, under The
impression of having intrud.d upor
some one else's premises. But as it was
he only stood still and stared bewilder
edly about.
81 knew you'd be surprised." ex
claimed Mrs. T., in delight. snow Just
see how clever I've been to do all this il
two weeks time, and with no help bu
Martha and cook. Only stand here 6
moment, dear, just inside the door, and
take in the whole effect. Isn't it beau
tifulp"
"Eh?" calculated Potter, yacantly
"Wh what is itp"
why. aesthetic arrangement-art
effect! Don't you recognize itp"
Potter didn't appear TO recognize any
thing in particular. He stared ut the
room and at the strange furniture. while
an expression OF preternatural solemni.
ty settled upon his countenance.
Isn't it rather cold here?" he said
with shiver, a, he glanced down u,
the stained and polished fl ,or. with lit
tie antique-looking mats sprinkled here
and there.
Ard his wife led him up to a great
yawning fire place, III which few slen.
der logs of wood were smoking upon q
pair of enormous brass andirons.
Potter looked around for his accu5
toned warm, cushioned armchair; bu,
it was gone, and its place occupied by q
cumbrOus leather-bottomed, straight.
backed mahogany affair, which he had
never before seen.
"This is your seat" said Mrs. Potter,
affectionately. sits a real Queen Anne
chair; no imitation, but a genuine one,
brought from England ages ago. Old
Miss Agnew's grandfather owned it, and
since his time it's been kept in a garrel
as rubbish. 1t had only two legs, and
the bottom WAS out and part of the back
gone; but I've had it restored at an
expense of only twenty dollars. Just
think-such a treasure as this for twenty
dollars!"
Potter, still shivering, made On at.
tempt to draw the chair nearer the fire,
but it had no rollers, and the solid ma.
hogany weight resisted his efforts.
"Oh," his wife fastened to explain,
"thOse kind of chairs were never in.
tended to be moved about! They sit just
so-a sort of fixture, you know; and
then, you see, you mustn't sit on the
HEARTH" pointing to q great square OF
ingy-cOlored tile extending in front OF
the fireplace. ''Iiave you observed the
mantle-piece? Isn't it lovelyp"
Potter looked up and tried hard to
discern the loveliness of the tell, narrow
piece of dark wood work, with its two OF
three shelves, rising nearly to the cell.
ing. He thought, with sigh, of the
broad, low, convenient marble mantle
piece whose place it usurpcd. On the
shelves were some odd-looking articles
of china and dingy metal. and in the
center panel hung faded and ghost.
like portrait in q black frame.
SHOW, of what does that remind
youP" inquired his wife, with anima
ton, As he contemplated these things.
TO have spoken the truth, Potter
would have answered, "Of kitchen
dresser;" but his wife was so undis
guisedly delighted, and 80 anxious tc
see MIN equally pleased, that he could
not find it In his heart to disappoint her
So he smiled feebly and said that he
really didn't know.
"Why, of old castles, and baronia
halls, and Elizabethan mansions, o
course!" replied Mrs. Potter, with en-
thusiasm. ''It's like going back into
those delightful medi1val ages only to
sit here and look around. That portrait
Is your Grandpa Winston's, and l had
to smoke it q little, frame and all, to give
it proper antique appearance. There!
nothing more shocking to fine, artistic
taste and sensibility than q glaring. gil
modern frame. Have you noticed thu
sideboard, dear?"
Potter had indeed observed the oddly
shaped and clumsy-looking affair tc
which she alluded, m0lnted upon eigh
tall, spindle-shank supporters, ant
adorned with articles of the same dull
dingy-looking metal which Ornamented
the mantelpiece.
"What has become of the silverP" ht
ventured to inquire.
"Silver? Oh. l put that out of sight
as being so very modern in pattern, ant
out Of harmony with aesthetic surround
ings. Why, its newness and glitter, t.
say nothing of its modern shape, woult
spoil the whole effect. And there's 8
perfect rage for old pewter; such a. be
longed to the time OF the Georges, y0u
know. Look at this platter?" proudly
displaying a hugh pewter dish; SAND
this punch-bowl!" holding up wha
looked remarkably like q wash-besin
"And where do you think I discovered
thema Why, the dish, with all its bot
tom melted out, in a pile of old ir0r
scraps in Blggs' junk-shop, and th,
bowl in old Aunt Chloe's back yard
where it had been used as pig-trOughl
/ got the two for fifty cents each. Wha
do you think of thatP"
Potter might have said that HI
thought them dear at any price; but ht
refrained.
OO HIS WIG WcuL Ou, tAuIDlttuH dHC
expatiating upon her treasures, while hi
stroked his whisker5 and endeavored tc
look pleased and appreciative. Ant
|, when the dining-rOom was gone through
with, she took him upstairs and exhibit
ed lofty, four-post bedstead with mus
ty hangings of antique pattern, heavy
square cabinet with antique mountingj
narrow settee, and various other arti.
Giles of obsolete furniture all, to Pot
ter's unenlightened mind, equally ugly
and inconvenient.
"Never mind" he thought, as tina,
night he lay in the lofty bedstead, and
microscopically inspected the ceiling
and took bird's-eye view of tho apart
ment and its aesthetic furnishing
''never mind. she'll come to her senses
by and by. l suppose it is sort of epi
demic, like measles and mumps, pecu
liar to women; but she'll get over it in
time"
The time, however, seemed to him
very long, and he grew almost tired oi
waiting for it. Instead of abating, Mrs.
Pottsr's enthusiasm on the subject ol