The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-04-30


Grandma Kittredge, slender, erect and
dignifed in her mourning. Her sweet
old face was tear stained, but cour-
ageous, as she watched her precious
furniture go under the hammer. piece
by piece. 1t was hard, nobody knew
how hard, but they were all kind to
her. and even old Billy Masters, the
auctioneer, was making it just as easy
for her as he could, and, standing next
to her, one arm around her waist and
the other hand holding hers in close
clasp of loving comfort, was Kitty
all 1t held were being sold.
With that soft, young hand holding
hers the strength came back to her as
she remembered what 1t meant for Kit
tvs sake each time one of the old
dear things was sold, and now, even
when the first piece of her wedding
suit was put up, she smiled braveiy,
closed her eyes to force back the tears
and answered:
THAT is so, Billy"
They had bought it on their wedding
trip-the black walnut set" as she
called it. 1t had been made to order in
Boston, and she remembered how
proud she had been of even the initial
on each headpiece, the initial that she
had taken for her own through life only
few weeks before.
There's nothing too good for my
hr~fln 10 lob I10a
Tom Kittredge had said proudly "And
you shall have the marble tops, too,
Kitty, darling"
Marble tops! And today old Billy
was telling her neighbors to bid up,
that even the marble tops were worth
buying for gravestones; real, good,
lawless marble was getting so scarce.
The tears forced their way through
her lashes this time, and Kitty junior,
seeing them fall on the hand she held.
raised it to her lips and kissed them
away
''Don't CRY, grandma" she whispered
'I'll win it all back for you, dearest.
Don't you cry"
Then while Billy's voice sounded far
off she closed her eyes to shut out his
figure standing ON one of her dining
room chairs, shut out the scattered
crowd of old neighbors and strangers
that spread out over the lawn In front
of the big colonial Kittredge home
stead, and reasoned it all out with
herself again-how 1t must be for Kit
fxyse 90 lxa Iyftfv tho Third nc +box, had
called her when Kitty the Second had
laughed and cried the first time her
baby daughter was laid in her arms by
Kitty the First. And today Kitty the
First was only poor old Grandma Kit
tredge, and Kitty the Second lay up
under the pines in the judges family
lot on the hillside next to the judge
himself, and only little seventeen-year-
old Kitty was left
1t was right that the girl should have
the full benefit from the old place,
Grandma Kittredge told herself over
and over again. She, too, would be
sleeping up under the pines before
long, and then only little Kitty the
Third would be left, and what good
would all the old fashioned furniture
be to her? Dudley liked new things,
and they were going to live in New
York after they were married. She
had heard him telling Kitty how ar
tistically and effectively he would fur
nish up an apartment for her, "all in
mission style"
Grandma Kittredge had wondered
vaguely what the mission style was,
but she said nothing. 1t was perfectly
natural for Kitty to want her own
things, just as that other Kitty years
ago had wanted to go up to Boston and
have the joy of buying her own things
for the home wonderful. OF course
Kitty the Third couldn't understand
how she loved each piece of furniture
She was too young. How could she
feel sad over the old bureau without
the memory of the little baby gar
ments that had been tucked away In
its drawers years and years ago, of
the dear old solid mirror that had re-
fiected the face of that other bride
from Boston and beside her, bending
over her shoulder, the laughing, merry,
tender eyed Tom Kittredge? Fifty
two years ago it was, but how could
Kitty understand? But 1t was for the
best-surely it was all for the best
Grandma Kittredge kept telling her.
self, for the young people wanted to
go to New ork to live, and she was to
go too. They were very, very kind to
her. She could not stay in the old
house all alone, and, then. there was
no money to keep it up with.
Money? She had hardly ever both
cred about the word until the Judge
had died. There had always been
plenty of money. She had never even
asked how much or what was left.
The judge was the judge-that was
enough. His father had owned the
big white colonial mansion upon the
hill before hjn, and even the new troll
ley line that cut across the front lawn
In the interests of modern improve
ments had not taken the beauty and
dignity away from the old place.
But after that last quiet ride in the
spring sunshine out to the pines on thu
carefully, so as not to worry her too
much, that there was no money left
that the judge had left nothing except
the old home and the land 1t stood on.
She had tried so hard to reason 1t out
for herself. 1t was not like Tom to lei
things go along like that and never tell
her. And they had always had plenty,
Kitty had gone to college with the
other girls. There had never a word
been said of money.
"Going, going. gone-to Miss Pod.
more for five." Billy's voice broke in
on her reverie. Better take that glass
right off, Miss Podmore. and the mar.
bic. too, so as 1t won't get smashed
Dick, here, win help you. And you
might as well bid up on the rest Of the
set. It's a shame to break it,
Land, 1 don't want the heavy old
stuff exclaimed Sue Podmore, star
ing blankly at the big old bureau. my
ceilings too low for that top piece
and it's so heavy to lug around.
only bid up five because 1t did seem
such a pity. felt as If we were fair
ly insulting the old thing cheapenine
1t So But don't want It"
Didn't want 1t when 1t was worth its
weight in gold to herl Grandma Kit
tredge crossed over to where Dick Lane
was trying to take the screws out OF
tho mirror tha sorovva that had moi
been loosened for fifty-two years and
came out hard.
Its fearful betty, Mis- Kitredge.
he said, tipping it up against tree tc
get at the back better, and then some
thing appened-something so amazing
that 1t stopped the whole Kittredge
| auction, for as Dicks hands pulled OF