The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-03
The House
They Took
BY JULIET WILBoR TollPKINs,

Not more than seven rooms, whether
it's house or a fat" Ada had stipulated
And be sure that the servants room isn't
in the basement. for no woman would
sleep there, and I won't have Chinaman;
they are just as likely to murder the
whole family as not. The baby has got to
have a sunny nursery. and we must have a
guest chamber of course. II would be
nice II there was music room where
coluld practice without rotheriRg Harvey
and a little smoking der oUt Of the dining
room would Be
Eat. Ada" Beth interposed. that's a
great deal more than seven rooms.
Is It? On, OF course / forgot the
kitchen. Well, leave cut anything but the
nursery As lcng as the walls are pretty
and the house IS sLnny-you'd better get
corner house, Beth-yes. dear, mothers
e0miHg And E2iGd, BeUh'-this from the
staars-'Hye cant pay cent over $40. and
we'd rather pay thirty-fve. Be sure it's
nice neighoG-hCCd and hot and cold
Buc Beth had fed.
For three hours SIZE had tran1ped Up and
down the Western Addition, list in hand
rushing in where anyone but a house
hunter wcgId have feared to tread, and
getting gi0riCusiy. snubbed in cons quence-
She broke up tete-a-teteS, interrupted
family rows. assisted at Z fire. and barely
nightmare Ct glazing pIvements. and plG-
cl-ded windows that eutiCed her III with
their impG5ent To Let and grinned ma
IciCusly when she 1t away disappoint-
ed- There had always been a tradition 10
the effect that Beth was q little shv but
SITTER the first half hour she found that she
was by nature b-azen- = woman could not
walk down her own front steps without
Beth's piungIug after her TO ask now much
. rent she paid, and which was the sunny
side OF the street. Gradually she began to
/ feel 4 growing dislike for her sister-in- law
and positive hatred for the baby That
I sunny nursery was like ghost at her
elbow. warning her away from every door
There was just one house left on the
/ list II was the most promising Of all but
she had avoided Il before When YOU We
/ told man you never could care for him IN
| that way, and parted from him with some
/ riling very Ike quarrel, 1t isn't exactly
nice 20 take house for your sister-in-Iavv
directly across the street from MS home
when everybody Knows you spend more
than half Your time with her Il would
/ look as + you wanted-peOple are silly
enough to say anything. For herself. she
GiGn think much CT a man who could ask
yCu 10 marry him one month, and 20 BIZ
! cycling all the time with that Cragafl girl
/ the DeXt- Beth honestly believed those
were the reasons she had left that house
TIL The last II anyone had suggested that
! Waiter generally got hCne about D she
I would have wanted TO know what earthly
oiHeTence that made to her. and would
( nave been very angry, indeed
Il Was q pretty little house as near
+ WhatTnet Ada wanted as II was reasona-
/ BE 70 expect. with q sunny corner. room
! Tor the nursery, and q clean odor of new
paint and paper.
It is exactly what they want she de-
/ clced, looking around the nursery with
GeeP satisfaction And It is. all il such
. nice order I wonder which way the house
+ Ircnts2 She went to the window. then
{ opened It with an unnecessary amount of
noise, and leaned out regardless of the
. fresh varRish- = young man passing be-
I lev. glanced up. then stopped short in
! surprise. On, Beth. Beth, You who de-
SpiSe The CTasau girl because she IS not
@poFe small naneuvres, you who never
walk past The club unless that is uudenfa-
( bly, your way. who pride yourself on bav-
+ ing no small motive for word or deed. aft
! eT eIi you IRE but a woman There was no
harm N Ringing Up the window. or even
IN knocking On it If you had wanted TO.
hut IN that l0ok Of genuine surprise as You
heard your name. there was
I ing
How do you do. Walter. she said in
+ the grave, refusing tone we use to Deo2Ie
whom We have vowed never % sDes Il IN
{ again as long as We live.
" nat are you doing up there he
asked, trying to be easy and natural
Have you set up housekeeping BIZ vor5r-
+ seJf2'' ~
Pm looking for house for Ada" she
explained This is the best I have found
I yet. though l don't like altogether like the
neishborkOcd-"
/ Perhaps you would like it better II 7
moved cut Of it he said, meekly. This
! was exactly what she had meant. but She
had not expected him 10 show that be nm
/ derstood, 50 she answered hastily:
/ It's rather far from the cars. that's all
Harvey has to go down town early, you
! know"
I see" he replied. Then he looked VI
/ at her with a sudden smile Please
! can't I come Up and shake hands ,r-i+b
you2' he asked. Beth had smiled back be-
fore she realized what she was doing ga
up he came, several steps at q tine. He
| found her standing in the hall looking
rather frightened
"Oh, Walter, she said. IN q low tone
/ i Just heard such funny noise, as though
someone sneezsd right behind me- wa.
in heTe''-goiGg into the corner room
rather fearfully-'-and it seemed to come
from that side. near the chimney"
You always hear spook noises in empt7
houses. he answered, STOPPING to look III
the chimney No burglar could get int
that little fiue- It wouldn't even hold hi!
jimmy"
Perhaps it's haunted" suggested Beth
''Oh, ghosts have gone cut of fashion
/ like valentines and keeping Sunday h
. answered You never would find one II
tits Eeighborhood. There's an old suit O
clothes behind the door-maybe you hear,
1t Tag at its knees But, seriously Beth
you ought not to 90 around empty house
by yourself. hate to have you
You do, do you2" thought Beth def
antIy, to cover a little thrill of delight
Aloud she said. AT the last moment Har
, vey found lie couldn't get away. and va
tired Of putting 1t OF, so I Just came alone
Ada does so long 10 be settled and sb
isn't able to 90 around herself vel. r
careful of that varnish. it's sill wet TT
going to get most Of the furniture for hen
too, and see about mattings and Garnet
and rugs Do give ne some artistic ideas
| [ don't know where to begin" Beth w
talking nervously, trying to ward of tn
awkward pause that was ready to fall q
any moment
Have lots Of Ie7aps and places for ope
fires, and dark sin floors that will re
feet the legs of the chairs" he began.
You don't put down hardwood floors
: rented houses" she interrupted
oh well you would in this .pe." i
! said. Have deep leather cha. with
! standard lamp beside II where fellow ca
! read the papers"
with a rose-coIored shade to throw
! pink glow over everything" added Bet
. | growing interested. And little sive
: lamps on the dining table.
a little round table. Just big enough fl
1 a man and his wife" he went on, excl
H.