The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-07-01
The New Owner

I we did have to wear silk gowns
hat you washed, turned mended and
made over. Guess what just heard.
What did you just hear?" asked
Why" proceeded Marion, delight
idly. II was standing over by those
erns minute ago, and Just round the
corner | heard Mrs Lewis say to
Claude Brooks; ] don't see how the
iarcourt girls manage to dress so
we'll and spiteful old thing
said; l think they ought to be
ashamed; everybody knows they can't
afford it, But just then that grand
looking Mr.. Maxwell came over to
them and II wasn't two minutes be-
fore heard him ask who that striking
girl with the red rose in her hair
was. That was you, Eleanor. Now,
aren't you flattered?"
"Dreadfully." | answered. ANY
thing more?"
Yes, indeed" whispered Marion.
The best OF 1t all was that he asked
right away If you We're one Of the
Harcourts who had owned the old
| place up town, and he asked her
Oh look!"
| Marion's volubility was checked at
this point by the appearance of the
already mentioned Mr. Maxwell with
| our two hostesses on his arm. He
was a grave, handsome man, about
30, | thought, and after Mrs. Lewis
| had presented him he sat down be-
side me. He had talked about a good
many things aud had almost wearied
| OF my monosyllabic replies, | fancy,
when he finally brought up Harcourt,
and | proceeded to astonish him by
forgetting that we were strangers, and
telling him the most ridiculous things
with characteristic recklessness. I
told him how we. Marion and |, went
round about way to avoid passing
the dear old place, and how, when
there was no way out of it, we went
by with our heads turned away, be-
cause we loved 1t so. told him we
had been born there, and that every
big room and every dngy panel
brought up memory that we loved
And it was not until Marion came for
me to go home that | realized that he
had listened to me silently for about
an hour.
In the weeks following he came
frequently and we met at several
places. / got to thinking good
deal about him and TO liking him
very much. There was only ono
thing to dampen our pleasure. One
day the news came to us that Mr.. Grit
fin, who held mortgage upon Har-
court, had sold 1t TO strangers, and
Marion and told ourselves that from
that time our claim upon it would be
only that of any other outsiders. who
might look at its dear old walls and
pass 1t by. As | say, this darkened
our lives a little, but there were
still Mr.. MaxwelPs visits to look for
ward to, so it was worth while exist.
ing. But one evening when he called
he said: Miss Eleanor | am going
away tomorrow and | want you TO do
something for me. Will your"
Il don't know" l answered In
low voice. Somehow | couldn't for
the life Of me manage anything else.
But he didn't seem TO notice that |
said nothing about regrettlng his go
ing away. He simply asked me If
would go down to Harcourt with him.
| was too miserable to resist and we
went
When we went up to the long hall
above and found that some impa-
tient person had removed our few
remaining pieces of old furniture and
had hung new paintings there over
crimson hangings, ! felt couldn't
stand any more. What does this |
mean?" I cried
"The purchaser hopes to live here"
explained Mr. Maxwell, "and he is get
ting ready for occupancy"
Here, / suppose, the poor man was |
bewildered enough, for ! had restrain |
ed myself as long as | could and /
| rushed to the one place where the |
hated crimson did not cover the pan
els, laid my head against their friend
ly support and burst out crying.
"Oh, why did you bring me here?"
I said. Il can't stand everything. I 4
would rather have the old place burn
ed TO the ground, with only the poor
old chimney left to show where it
stood, than TO see 1t fitted with the
most beautiful things in the world by
Strangers. Everything | care about
turns out wrong" | concluded, with
a sign. Il am losing my home, and
now you"
Il stopped, frozen with horror.
What had | saldl But Norman Max
well suddenly put me into the window
seat and sat down beside me. FL
eanor, look at me-" he said. But | abb
couldn't lift my head. so he
put his hand under my reluctant chin
and turned my face toward him. Ell
he went on. don't you know
I've loved you all the time and that
| was going away with the heartache.
confident that you did not care for
me? Don't you care just little more
about me than for an ordinary
iriendy'
oh" I exclaimed. very much afraid
hat my stupidity had forced him into