Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-14
COUNTRY HOME

Il have come to get the key which |
understand Mr.. Ames left here when he
moved away" said the young man.
"Oh, yes" said the old lady. "Step
right in and III get it for YOU
A large cat made friendly advances,
and was settled in his lap by the time
the Cd lady came back. She sank pom
d~erously into her chair and locked at the
young man with kindling scrutiny.
Are you John Arnold, the new owner
of Mr.. Ames' house,"
Yes. The unhappy owner, | should
have said q few days ago, but now l
have changed my mind"
"1ndeed%' said She. L wonder why
you changed your mind
We'll. III tell you about it." he said,
leaning back comfortably in his chair and
stroking the purring cat.
i took the mortgage on the place With
cut having the slightest idea that it would
ever come into my possession. h was
five years ago. For some time Ames has
been getting behind on his interest, and l
did not look after hin as | ought, so l
was rather surprised and not a little dis
.gusted when | found last week that [ was
the owner of the place, and that Ames
had moved away. [ did not remember
much about 1t except that there was Il
small house on half an acre of land, and
that it was very tar from Salable. So
there | was with a white elephant on my
hands and no earthly use for him"
The old lady smiled.
well. in a day or two [ had q brilliant
idea. l was sick in the winter, don't
feel real good now, and the doctor, every
time l see him, tells me [ must get out
of doors more. My boarding place is
only five minutes from the law office
where [ work, and when one is tired he
doesn't feel like walking, or even riding
the bicycle, just for the exercise. SO it
n.rJ1raI RI mo 70 conn ont hnpn 10 1.-Two
Get my own supper and breakfast, you
know, and putter around in a garden. l
can 20 into town on the electric cars till
the roads get settled enough to ride my
wheel
At noon he went to his old boarding
place. where he was to continue to take
his dinners. He had lived with Mr.. and
Mrs. Austin for 4. number of years, and
Mrs. Austin felt i motherly s%olicitude
for him. She almost overwhelmed him
with questions as to whether he slept
well. and II he had breakfast enough, and
wasn't he very tired, and didn't he think
he had better stay in town that night,
and was the house properly aired before
he went into it.
For the first week Arnold himself was
4 little doubtful about his experiment,
and Mrs Austin's fears and questions
rather annoyed him. but at the end Of
that tne he began to get used to his new
life, and he became more cheerful han
1t IiGtt DGCl 1UE nIOLlnS.
By the time the grass began to turn
green he could not have been persuaded
to return to his old way Of living. His
house seemed more attractive as time
went on. He tidied the yard, trimmed
the rose bushes and grape vines, and by
the middle of April he began, with great
enthusiasm, to spade up Il garden patch.
Mrs. Austin sighed and shook her head
until June came. Then, as she saw no
prospect OF getting him back, and rs she
was lonesome evenings, she took a sch0o!
teacher to board. She was a very pretty
girl, Grace Howard by NAME, and she
vas quite talkatlye. Mrs. Austin's din
ner table was a very pleasant meeting
place.
Arnold was not used to girls. but Il
seemed to him that Grace Howard must
be different from. most girls, he felt SC
friendly toward her and she seemed such
q conCenial spirit. He told her all about
his house, his garden and of the long
rambles he took on Sundays. She list
med with interest to all he told her Of
his rural experiences.
The summer went by and Arnold be
came more and more enamored IF his
country home. The Littlefields were 4
constant source of pleasure to him and
the two households were very neigh5orly.
Then one night, just on the edge of WIN
ter, Il neW idea came to him. "HoW much
pleasanter it would be if Grace were
here" he thought. and he sat in a ~reyerie
for a long time. After that he kept think
ing of her being there, and of how well she
would become the house. Especially did
he think of it when he sat opposite her
at dinner.
In March he began housekeeping. He
tore the paper from the walls, bought paint
and brushes and began energetically to ap-
ply the former with the latter TO the in
side woodwork. Then he got large books
of wallpaper samples and asked Mrs. Aus
tins and Graces advice about the choice
of the designs. When he ordered the pa
per it was in every instance the kind that
Grace had. liked.
All this time he was getting deeper in
love with his home and with Grace, but he
told himself he must wait till everything
loOked at its best before he would ask her
an important question.
It was in May, on Sunday after church,
that Mrs. Austin and Grace took the cleo
trio cars and went to see Arnold's house.
He met them at the corner of the street,
and the three went along together, chat
ting gaily.
Mrs. Austin admired everything along
the way. and when she came to see the
interior of the house she was Que in her
praises. Grace agreed to everything, but
did not say much.
They had lunch together. and at length
Arnold went and saw them on their car,
then stood watching until il was lost to
view. He was very happy, and as he
went back home he apostrophized his
house. as it had become his habit to do.
4 think you made d good impression"
he said. and l hope the time is coming
when you won't be left all alone day
times
The next night, as he was getting on
his wheel to go home, he saw Grace walk
ing along the opposite sidewalk. He
crossed over, ana, trundling his bicycle, he
walked beside her.
"How did you like my house?' asked
Arnold, as they paused at Austin's
gate.
1T is very pretty she said. judicial
ly. But it must be horribly lonesome. |
should die, | know. if | had to live in
such a place. Still" she added, smiling,