The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-06-08
GONE AT FIVE.

we have this fine old piece of black
walnut. Must have cost at least ST.
tfty years ago. Just observe the
hand carving, will you? Every one
of those punches of acorns is hand
carved. See that initial hand carved
right into the wood on top? That
capital K stands for Kittredge, and
this here bureau is part of the origi-
] nal black walnut, handicapped bed
room suit that old grandpa Kittredge
bought in Boston fifty two years ago.
Amt that so, Mrs. Kittredge?"
| Standing near the veranda steps
was Grandma Kitrredge, slender,
erect and oignifed in her mourning
Her sweet old face was tear stained,
as she watched her precious furni-
ture go under the hammer piece by
piece. It was hard, nobody knew
how hard, but they were all kind to
her, even old Billy Masters, the auc.
tioneer, 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 a close
clasp of loving comfort was Kitty
Kitty, for whose sake the old home
and all it held were being sold.
With that soft, young hand hold
ing hers the strength came back to
her as she remembered what it meant
for Kitty's sake each time one of the
old dear things was sold, and now,
even when the first piece of her wed
ding suit was put up, she smiled
bravely, closed her eyes to force back
the tears and answered:
"That is so, Billy"
They had bought it on their we'd
ding trip-the black walnut "set, y
as she called it. 1t had been made
to order in Boston, and she remem'
bered how proud she had been Of 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
bride to take back home with her,
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
flawless 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 whis.
pered. "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 di.
ming room chairs, shut out the scatter.
ed crowd of old neighbors and strang-
ers that spread out over the lawn in
front of the colonial Kittrrdge hoLle:
IlStcdu, ESsao~.-~~a A. Csii Vut Will
herself again-how it must be for Kit
tvs sake, Kitty the Third, as they 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 Kit
ty the First was only poor old Grand
ma Kittredge, 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 seven
teen-year-old Kitty was left.
1t was right that the girl should
have the full benefit from the ole
place, Grandma Kittredge told her
self over and over again. She. too
would be sleeping up under the pine:
before long, and then only little Kit
ty the Third would be left, and what
good would all the old fashioned fur
niture be to her? Dudley liked new
things and they were going to live II
New York after they were married
She had heard him telling Kitty how
artistically and effectively he woulc
furnish up an apartment for her, "al
in mission style"
Grandma Kittredge had wondered
vaguely what the mission style was
but she said nothing. 1t was perfect
| ly natural for Kitty to want her owl
things, just as that other Kitty year'
ago had wanted to go up to Bostoi
and have the Joy of buying her owl
things for the home wonderful. O
course Kitty the Third couldn't un
derstand how she loved each piece o
furniture. She was too young
How could she feel sad over the oil
bureau without the memory of th
little baby garments that had beef
tucked away in its drawers years ant
years ago, of the dear old solid mir
ror that had reflected the face of tha
other bride from Boston and besid
her, bending over her shoulder, tn
laughing, merry, tender eyed Tor
Kittredge? Fifty-two years ago !
was, but how could Kitty understand
But it was all for the best-surely
was all for the best-Grandma Kit
redge kept telling herself, for tn
young people wanted to go to Nev
York to live, and she was to go too
They were very, very kind to hel
She could not stay in the old hous
all alone, and, then, there was n
money TO keep it up with.
Money? She had hardly ever both
cred about the word until the judg
had. died. There had always bee
plenty of money. She had never eve
asked how much or what was left
The judge was the judge-that wa
enough. His father had owned th
big white colonial mansion upon th
hill before him, and even the me-
trolley line that cut across the tror
lawn in the interest or modern in
provements had not taken the beaut
and dignity away from the old place
But after that last quiet ride in th
spring sunshine out to the pines on th
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