The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-01
THE EVENING STORY
Gone at Five.
cRvI,o,,ise Merrif1eld.)


years ago. Just observe the hand
carving, will you? Everyone of those
punches of acorns is hand-carved. Mir
ror real French bevel. See that initial
hand carved right into the wood on
top? That capital K STANDS Tor KIT
tredge. and this here bureau is part
of the original black walnut, marble
tobbed bedroom suit that old Grandpa
Kittredge bought in Boston hfty-two
years ago. Amt that SO. Mrs. Kit
tredge?"
Standing near the veranda steps was
Grandma Kittredge, slender, erect. and
dignif1ed 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. It was hard. nobody knew
how hard, but they were all KIND 10
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, ana
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 was being sold.
With that soft. young hand holding
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 wedding
suite was put up, she smiled bravely,
and answered:
THAT is so, Billy"
They had bought it on their we'd
ding trip, the black walnut set" as
she called it. It had been madc to or
der in Boston, and she remembered
initial on each headpiece, the initial
that she had taken for her own
through life only a few weeks before.
There's nothing too good for my
I--s5 4-I- h
Tom Kittredge had said proudly. "And
you shall have the marble tops, too,
Kitty darling
Marble topsi 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 iashes this time, and Kitty, Jr.,
seeing them fall on the hand she held,
away.
Don't cry, grandma" she whis-
pered. 'I'Il 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
self again, how it must be for Kitty's
sake, Kitty the Third, as they had call
ed 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.
IT was right thatathe 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 ne 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 artis-
tically and effectively he would furnish
up an apartment for her, "all in mis-
sion STYLE"
, Grandma Kittredge had wondered
vaguely what the mission style was.
but she said nothing. 1t was perfectly
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
derstand 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
garments that had been tucked away
in it's drawers years and years ago;
of the dear old solid mirror that had
reflected the face of that other bride
from Boston, and beside her, bending
over her shoulder, the laughing, mer-
~, tender-eyed Tom Kittredge, fifty
II hyrf n
Kitty understand But it was for the
best; surely it was all fer the best,
Grandma Kittredge kept telling her
self, for the young people wanted to
go to New York 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
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 UP on the hill !
before him. and even the new trolley |
line that cut across the front lawn in |
the interests of modern improvements |
had not taken the beauty and dignity |
away from the old place.
But after that last Qu-et ride in the |
spring sunshine out to the pines on the |
hillside, they had told her gently and |
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 it
out for herself. 1t was not like Tom to
let 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
Bile, too so as it don't get smashed
Dick here, will help you. And you
rnirht as well hid I'm the rest of the