Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24
BY
W. B. MAXWELL,
Author Of
1.-THE GUARDED FLAME."
CHAPTER VII.

~
IL ing Of a dressmaker's shop,
soon had news on the very grand
est scale-something to startie It, to snake
1t, to drive away its midsummer drowsl-
ness. Within the memory of the Oldest
Inhabitants, this was the most astound-
ing piece o. news Two months had
passed since the lamented ath OF the
Dowager Countess of Haddingham. when
the thunderbolt came from clear SKY.
Hill Rise was for sale!
Hill Rise, houses and land, was to be
sold as a building estate. One morning
white bills were up. here and there' III
conspicuous positions-on the gate OF the
Tennis Club, on garden walls. at the
White Hart stables preliminary an
nouncement,'' said the bills. sale by
auction on the 22d of July. Further par
ticulars shortly" To citizens gathered
and whispering awefully, the nils seemed
like a declaration of war. like a procIa-
nation of pains and penalties, ike the
manifesto of a revolutionary government
like what not appalling and ineXplicable.
The vicar of st. Barnabas at once spoke
of the bills as 1.-THE writing on the wall.
Day after day the excitement was In
tense Hill Rise, the time-honored nome
of ashton and aristocracy. was in the
I.
was to be broken by the rough assault o.
the speculative builder. People could talk
or think of nothing else.
Sir John Vincent Of Hill House talked
about it without cessation his energy
and rsstlessness were wonderful. He
wrote at once to Mr.. Abnger, asking:
Can this thing be true? Mr.. A. mourn
fully replied that he feared 1t was TOO
true. But he knew nothing now for Ger
tain. He had been superseded - after
thirty-one years faithful management of
the estate Mr. A. thought if the new
authorities could dismiss MIN. they couid
do anything. Then Sir John wrote to
Messrs Firmin & Firmin, demanding an
explicit answer to the question: Is 1t a
fact that Hill Rise will be sold2 1t was
a act, said Messrs. Ffrmin, that Hill
Rise would be offered for sale. They
could not, of course, promise that 1t
would be sold
Then Sir John called upon all the ten
ants o. Hill Rise. Untringly he passed
from house to house, working up ag1ta-
ton and horror. Meetings must be con-
vened-a series of meetings In which
gentry and tradesmen must join hands.
The corporation must assist; government
must be petitioned to come to Medford's
- aid; heaven and earth must be moved to
prevent the desecratioD and ruin of Hill
Rise Sir Johns eloquence evoked prom
ises of stanch support Hill Rise well
coined such a leader; all would fight
under his banner. Admiral Lardner of
No. II was unfortunately away in Switz-
erland. But Col. Beaumont of No. IL
was here bursting with Indignation. Mr.
Garrett of No. 5 would use all his diplo-
matte skill; Mrs. Page. Mrs. Granville,
the Misses Vigor would write circulars.
get up a bazaar, do anything Sir John
told them to do.
Beaumont" said Sir John. ut will be
the very deuce If we can't put stop to
1t. Rows of COMPOUNDED houses up to the
garden walls. The end o. the Tennis
Club, the end of privacy, the end of every
thing
1T must be stopped" said Col. Beau
mont. Call a meeting without an hours
delay"
Yes" said Sir John, I'VE can't act too
quickly. This morning 1 saw a fellow
measuring all along the meadow fence
one of those city-looking fellows-fellow
in a white hat and red tie-just the
sort of fellow to buy the estate. believe
that fellow meant business"
Sir John, after explaining to the Hill
the nature of the threatened d; sast y.
hurried off to explain it to the town. He
spent his days in the town, carv1uily Ca
planning. He talked To every prominent
citizen he met; he allowed no member of
the corporation to pass by him; he talked
to every one who would listen-because
in big public movement you cannot have
too many people on your side, and no one,
however insignificant, should be set down
as without influence.
Aedford Advertiser, Immediately took Sir
Johns view. The most important organ
of public opinion-the only organ, as Mr..
Hope always declared-was therefore on
the right side from the first. Mr. Hope,
taking up Sir Johns task, explained the
matter. as he said, urbi ct orbi- Mr..
Hope. In consecutive numbers, delivered
himself of some grandly dispassionate
leading articles that were full of balanced
sentences, well-reasoned argument, split
fnfinitives and foreign language.
ITO fully appreciate the havoc on the
Hill, the loss in the town, one must
visualize the result as a accompli. De-
lenda est Carthage. - The Hill will be
gone. the best residential neighborhood
wiped out; the supporters of our trade
and the ornaments of our society will be
driven away to enrich and to adorn some
rival town" The Medford corporation,
said Mr. Hope finally and emphatically
in each article-but in different words, of
course-should itself purchase the estate
and thus avert its doom. Some of the
meadows should be converted into pub
the club grounds and all the existing
amenities should be preserved in statu
quo. -.-
YES" said Mr.. Crunden. 'if you had
husbanded your resources, you might
perhaps think of giving the town another
recreation ground-f you'd kept your
money and not built town hall"
This was to Councillor Holland who
with MIR. Bowling and Mr.. Eaton, after a
walk up and down Hill Rise, had looked
In at Kings cottage.
Its never any use, Mr.. Crunden, cry
ing over split milk said Mr.. Eaton.
II cried before they split it, said Mr.
Crunden, shortly.
Mr.. Eaton was by nature a sharp
nosed, sandy little man, and by profess
SION a solicitor. He was newly estab-
hshed and very pushing. By unwavering
push he had created a business; he was
bad ttyf ha he hoy ~
enter municipal life. and he affected the
whom he curried favor. He was. per-
haps too fond of a joke to please every
body.
Anyways" said Mr.. Holland, "all
that's ancient history. And you can't
blame me, Mr.. Crunden. ] wasn't on the
council In those times
NO. but you're on it now" said Mr.
Eaton. currying favor, land jolly good
man for the place
Thank you. Mr.. Eaton. Well. Mr.
Crunden. / don't mind saying l, for one,
am doubtful If we can go so far as some
would have uS-about this park and the
rest of it,
And then Councillor Holland told them
that in his opinion, "all this Hill Rise
excitement" was already abating. The
affair" had been discussed at the council
last night. and the feeling was for mod
Grafton. no blind launching out, no heroic
measures.
II don't wish to see the old families
interfered with" said Mr.. Holland I've
always held that the upper gentry are the
backbone of Medford-not SO much for