The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-08-26
geleft @istellany>
Mantel from the Red Room.

| uA WI ~ VAA VAO AvON AVO~AAAs
1t was the night before be had to
leave the party and return to his con-
sulate that Fulton Blender told Mollie
Putnam about the mantel in the red
room at home. Why the days ride
through treeless yellow and ochers OF
the desert, hemmed in by violet peaks,
should have made him think of an old
fashioned house on Twenty-First
Street, New York, was something
which he could not at first determine
Later, when the purple night had fal,
len, and the large kind stars lit the
heavens, he knew that it was be-
was in love with Mollie Putnam, and
wanted to lead her into every tender
recollection of his life.
at is one OF the those foolish man
tells" he rambled on, while in the dis
lance Mollie's Aunt Lucia complained
that the girls should sit out so late
when the sleep tent was already pitch
ed for them. "Marble, you know
with convoluted edges and punches
of grapes and cherub scortching above
the fire. And the walls are hideous-
red, in stripes, with little guilt leaves
and things up to and down every
other stripe. You know. Any my
mothers things-middle Victorian,
black walnut, much carved-oh, hope
less, according to her new school! l
loved it. l used to hang my stock
ings up there every Christmas Eve.
But l must be boring you stiff"
"No," said Mollie softly.
"Reall>? You're good to let me
talk. I'm homesick. Out here ten
years now, and-of course l have
seen other American, but-tbey
haven't made me feel like this! You've
made me want to go back home, Miss
Putnam! l was only fifteen when
she died-my mother, you know.
She was always there, in the red room
when I came tumbling in from school
I went there to her with everything
torn jackets and cut fingers, lessons
rows. prizes. 1t was an ugly old house.
| suppose Twenty First Street has
changed? 1t was quiet, homely old
block them
"Shops aud business buildings are
creeping in," admitted Mollie.
II sometimes wonder how she hap
pened to marry into our family" he
went on. We're such quarrelsomc,
pig headed brutes, we Blenders; and
she was all gentleness and sympathy
and lovely mirthfulness. wish that
you could have known her"
II wish I might have,' said Molie.
She slid kind hand out to him in
the darkness and lie thanked it with a
pressure Then he put brakes upon
his crowding impulses. He, outcast
from his fathers house, professionless,
dawdler for so many years in the East
what had be to say to Mollie Put
naman? He sought safety in the red
room again.
at was there" he said, "that-You
knew that my father and I had quar-
relied"
Il have heard it, said Mollie, loyal
ly suppressing the additional informa-
ton that Aunt Lucia was a compcn-
dunn OF New York gossip, and that
all her sympathies in the mysterious
Blender affair were frequently pro.
claimed to be with Adam BENDER and
not with his amazing son.
EYES," Fulton went on. cit was
in that room--in her room-that he
chooe to announce to me his intention
to marry again.
Mollie was silent for a minute. Her
tender sympathies were with the exile
who had so loved his mother; but
Mollie had sense of justice.
He was of age, you know" she
suggested mildly.
ooh, yes? Blender YEARLY acquiesc-
ed. He was quite within his legal
rights, no doubt But-well | dare