The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-16
THE FRONT ROOM.
BY HUGH PENDExrER.


 BY HUGH PENDExTER.
 tcopyright 1906, by Joseph B. Bowleso ..she won't knuckle under report ed Jethuel. gloomily ,., His wife. a tall. sparse woman ith heavy, dull eyes, paused in maxins bread and scraping one finger on t.e spoon. declared sentetiousli: She got ter" al. There was a world of finality In this utterance. and Mir. Philbrick. scratch ing his weak chin in perplexity ana remembering the gnarled oakiho solidity of his wife's character gave one sidelong glance at her angular person and sighed: "Yaas. guess s"e has" x uel Whose house is this? Is 1t yours or Lyddy Philbrick's?" And the dull eyes gave hint of hidden fire. brat her fer a quarrelsome old malu Here I've slaved an tuckered mysen out fer ten years an she piayin tn great lady an keepin' tn best room in tn house.
 .Tt's best fer me. Jethuel, ter have that front room She's had It TOT years: now I'm goin' ter have It Ter my sister. Mehitable is comin next month ter spend few weeks with us; an I'm not goin' ter tuck her Tn 'h attick." With this assertion Mrs. Philbrick returned to her doughpan with in- creased vtgor.
 But her decision had been over heard by the object of their converse tion. Jethuel observed her first, little slim. faded woman. who now % stood ID the doorway of the darkened hall.
 'swho talks of upsettin' dead mans will an trifiin' with the law" demanded Miss Lyddy. in shrlll voice. Then she continued; My father left this farm to Jethuel. an he left tn front room, fire wood an one COW. ter me. Who talks Of mak'h me quit my property?"
 why Lyddy. we's plannin' ter make a few changes in tn old place. an was figurin' on givin' you diff ferent room, that's all." explained JethueI. in a conciliatory voice.
 wye want that room." said Mrs. pbfibrick. in an even, determined tone. ''Tech 1t If you dare" replied the spinster, with none of her brothers weakness. "Jest dare ter tech or dis turb a single shingle or board an we'll see if there's any law in Maine. I've s400 in tn Waterford bank and I'll spend every cent of 1t lawin' of you both" And with this parting shot she retreated to her castle. the much wanted front room, while Jethuei es- caped through the back door to evade the storm he knew would come.
 It was the same old story of family dissension. When Squire Philbrick died he believed he had done justice to his two children by leaving a good farm to the son and living and the best room in the house to the augh- ter The room she was to occupy was specified in the will. and although Jethuers wife had accepted the situa- ton as a necessary evil she had not openly tried to oust her sister-in-la until this summer. Then listening to the promptings of her relatives she decided to effect. e change Jethuel had done we'll with the farm and there was no reason why the old, low structure should not be raised and remodeled and made the most pre- tentious of any on Pugsley hill But the will and its specifications could not well be ignored, and for some time she kneaded the dough and cast her mind about in a futile effort to devise a scheme to evade the terms of the in- strument.
 Miss Lyddy sat sadly at the window opening out on Pitchmope hill road. Years back. when her slight form was replete with grace and her wrinkled cheek glowed with the blush of wholesome youth, she had sat at that same window and watched young Gale ride away to join his company in Portland. Years back she had sat there, waiting dumbly for the York county boys to return. only to learn that the youth of her favor must ever remain behind. a victim of the last cavalry dash of the war. So the room contained all that was dear to her and worth living for. The old-fashioned chest held the finery of her mother. On the shelves were quaint bits of crockery, while over the window. framed with the flag. was the pntype
 <N-N | N,lrA NyNM oCt ington. just before he joined the ir- X Let em. try it if they dare" she murmured
 A few days later workmen arrived
 Don't dare ter tech my room, warned Lyddy.
 "They ain't goin' ter." explained Mrs. Philbrick. triumphant. They ain't goin' ter. But they be goin' ter cut your room out, and leave 1t, an move tn rest of tn house up front about fifty feet; that's all"
 An leave my front room all aloneT gasped Lyddy.
 That's about what" replied Mrs. Philbrick.
 'But tn will says I'm ter have a front room in tn house as long as live" she demonstrated.
 wal; ain't you got tn front room Tn will don't say we can't remodel
  don't say you are ter have front room In our new house, does iti Course you can't expect ter have two rooms. You can have tn front room of this house, or a back room in tn new house. Make your choice" AZ she delivered herself of this ultimatum Mrs. Philbrick's face took on a re- vengefully humorous look as she noted the perplexity of the, other.
 Miss Lyddy struggled with herself for a minute or two, and then drawing up her thin form to its utmost height cried: Cut 1t out an leave it.
 Mrs. Philbrick had expected sur render. Receiving this defiance hel black brows lowered and she nodded to the Erinning, waiting workmen tc go ahead. The task was a simple one Proceeding with great care. they de tached the front room and by the end of the week had moved the rest of the house forwar about fifty feet. Miss Lyddy in the interim remained locked