The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-18
MY AUNTS HOUSE.

who wanted to do Us an i'll turn, died,
and left Us her house. OF course we
were very pleased at first. 1t was a
pretty, rambling place, with low
veranda quite covered with ivy and
roses, and an old fashioned garden, with
| trim straight borders and neatly kept
gravel paths
There were three of us-Matthew.
Jane and l. Matthew was a clerk in a
bank when he was younger, but as our fa-
ther had left us each little sum of money
when he died we persuaded Matthew
| to leave his work, for he had never been
J strong, and now that he was getting
! elderly we could not bear to see him
coming back pale and tired from his desk
in the evening. We were very happy
| together. We had nice garden to our
house, where Matthew spent most Of his
time, and though we lived in q small
way it never occurred TO us to wish for
more. But now that this unexpected
stroke of good fortune had befallen us
we began to consult what we should do.
II think we had better live in the
house ourselves" said Jane. Tenants
are always a trouble, and it would be so
nice to have that pretty place"
Jane is quite young-hardly more
than 40-and it is necessary to check her
when she is too forward in giving her
opinion; but Matthew is always very
lenient with her, and he said at once,
Eyes, the garden would be very pleas
ant in the summer, and we should have
no rent to pay"
always have to think for them both,
and spoke up decidedly: There could
not be more foolish idea. Live in it,
indeed! What should we want with
great place like that for dust and mice
to run riot in? We must let it of course,
and the rent will make a nice little ad-
dition to our incomer'
an the eldest, and-I say it without
pride-I have more common sense than
both the others put together; therefore
they generally fall in with my opinion,
even though they may not altogether
agree with me.
Let us go and look at it." said Mat
thew, land then we can decide what to
do for the best"
My aunt's house stands about three
miles out of the town, in pleasant lit
tie hamlet; branch line runs out past
it, so that it would be most convenient
place for gentleman of business.
1t certainly looked very pretty on that
summer afternoon, and l could almost
echo James wish that we should make it
our home, but knew better than to in
dulge such thoughts, and turned my
mind TO practical considerations. Let
us go over it," said. land see what re-
pairs it will want"
"There is something wrong with the
water pipes evidently" said Matthew,
as he pointed TO large pool in the mid
die of the kitchen floor.
''Yes, they must be thoroughly looked
to, of course, and / think the whole
place must be painted and papered; it
will never let while it looks so dingy as
it does now"
Il must say the rooms are very small"
said Jane. Don't you think while the
workmen are here they might knock
down the partition and make nice
drawing room"
generally snub Jane at once; it an
swers best in the end but this remark
had so much to justify it that could
not but listen to her, and Matthew took
up the idea eagerly.
well done, Jane!' he said. THAI
would be grand improvement; but if
we throw that piece of the passage into
the drawing room how shall we get
round to the dining room?'
I'VE must make another passage" said
Jane decisively.
"Yes, but we cannot make passage
without place to make it in"
had been silent so long only because
L had been revolving something in my
mind. Listen to me a moment. said
1--WE will carry out your idea, Jane, but
with an addition. We will throw the
passage into the drawing room and run
up an outside corridor, with French win
dows opening into the sitting rooms"
"Capital!' they both exclaimed at
once, and the matter was settled.
but to engage a working builder to car
ry out the plan under our own direc-
tions. 1t was much pleasanter way Of
doing it; there was no estimate to
frighten us, for we determined to take
one thing at time, and only 60 as far
as we found it necessary. 1t was con-
stant amusement to go over to the house
and see how things We're getting on, and
| think we both agreed with Matthew
when he said. Really. shall be quite
sorry when the work is done"
1t was not so pleasant, however, when
the bill came in. How il had mounted
up so enormously we could not tell. but
the sum total fairly staggered us. un-
dertook TO write % the builder and de
mand an explanation. but when it came
We could understand 1t less than the bill
itself.
Il think we had better put it into a
lawyers hands, said Matthew.
To this, however. would not give my
consent. I'VE shall only lose more in
the end" said. 1--WE must paw an in
stallment now, and when we have let it
We can pay the rest ont of the rent"
When we have let it!' The words
passed into a household phrase before
that longed for day arrived. We put an
advertisement in several pspers. and
many people came to see it. but they all
had some objection or other to make. |
Some thought IL TOO be. some too small
S0ule Iu.J ..,- . .--.,. sss-f.
too near; some wS~c-i more bedrooms
AMI some even dlsilAed our delishtful /