The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-03-19
s elett Stnrp.
THE MANTEL FROM THE RED ROOM.

1t was the night before he had to leave
the party and return to his consulate that
Fulton Blender told Mollie Putnam about
the mantel in the red room at home. Why
the day's ride through treeless yellows anc
ochers of the desert, hemmed in by violet
peaks. should have made him think Of al
old fashioned house on Twenty First Street
New York, was something which he could
not at first determine Later, when the
purple night had fallen, and the large kinC
stars lit the heavens, he knew that it wa:
because he was in love with Mollie Put
nam, and wanted to lead her into every
tender recollection of his life.
1T is one of those foolish mantels, he
rambled on. while in the distance Mollie' :
Aunt Lucia complained that the girls should
sit out so late when the sleeping tent was
already pitched for them Marble, you
know. with convoluted edges and bunches
of grapes and cherub scorehing above the
fire. And the walls are hideous-red, in
stripes. with little guilt leaves and things
mp and down every other stripe You
know And my mother things middle
Victorian, black walnut, much carved
oh. hopeless, according to the new school
| loved it. used to hang my stockings
up there every Christmas Eve. But |
must be boring you stiff.
No, said Mollie softly,
Really You re good to let me talk
I'm homesiek Out here ten years now,
and-of course l have seen other Ameri-
cans, but-they haven't made me feel
ike this You We made me want to &C
back home, Miss Putnam was only
fifteen when she died-my mother, you
know. She was always there, in the red
r,om. when came tumbhng in from school.
| went there to her with everything
jackets and cut fingers, lessons, rows,
prizes. 1t was an ugly old house sup
pose Twenty First Street has changed
Il was a quiet homely old block then. -
Shops and business buildings are creep
ing in. admitted Mollie
II sometimes wonder how she happened
to marry into our family, he went on
We r. such quarrelsome, pig headed
brutes. We blenders; and she was all gentle
ness aud sympathy and lovely mirthfulness
I wish that YOU could have known her.
Il wish | might have, said Molhe
She Sid a kind hand out to him in the
darkness and be thanked it with pressure.
Then he put brakes upon his erowding i'm
pulses lie. outcast from his father ;
house. professiouless, dawdler for 50 many
wears in the far East-what had he TO say
10 Monie Putnam He sought safety in
the red room again.
Ii was there, he said, '.that You
knew thar my father and had quarreled.
Il have heard it, said Mollie, Loyalty
,appre-zing the additional information that
Aunt Lucia was compendium Of New
York gossip, and that all her sympalhies
in the mysterious Bleuder affair were
frequently proclaimed to be with Adam
Rlender aud not with his amazing sou.
YES. Fulton went on. 1t was in
that room IN her room-that he chose to
announce 70 me his intention to marry
again
Molhe was silens for a minute Her
tender sympathies were with the exile.
who had 80 loved his mother, but Moilie
had sense Of justice.
He was Of age, YOU know, she sug-
ces,ed mildly
oh. yesr Blender YEARLY acquieseed.
He was quite within his legal rights, no
doubt. But-well, | dare say that we
both said things that had been better left
unsaid. He made quite an impossible
condition for our future intercourse
something about my attitude toward the
lady who Is now my stepmoiher She
was. as perhaps you know, from the stage.
Il may have heard, answered Molie.
i. But had forgotten everything exesp,
that Aunt Lucia says that she Is very much
liked and that she i devoted 10 Your
father
Blender srunted. And then Aunt Lu-
Ella ; Disappearing voice broke upon the
air
Moonlight or no moonlight, she de-
clared you young women are to come to
bed now. Really, Mr. Blender, it Is quite
inhuman Of this girl to have kep, you up
so la,e-you with that long day ride back
toward Joppa ahead Of YOU?
If Miss Putnam will never be more iu
human to me than that exclaimed Blen
der eestatie conclusions in his infection
Then he went on. When | 90 home in
the spring may look you up )?
oh! Are YOU contemplating visit to
America p asked Aunt Lucia. We
shall be so glad to see YOU there
Not visit, answered Blender, looking
hard at Mollie in the silyery gloom. II IN
coming home to stay hope