The Columbus journal., 1907-06-26
KITTYC0MES
TO MYCASTLE
PAU u,EsWucx


D PAU CRESWlCK
"vSvvvv
(CopyrighA b. Joseph b. Bowieso ,
Everybody seems to be in town just
now" said Kitty. ~ she helped me to
a second cup OF tea. "Have you heard
that Nora Willis IL engAged?"
I sat down hurriedly upon the couch
Aclose to my little malicious hostess.
Air" I gasped. Give me air-and
another and stronger cup Of tea!
without milk or sugar. You have
broken my heart"
Kitty only laughed. 1T was Eyre
mont" said she. unfeelingly.
I sighed-with vigor. my best
friend-that's what always happens.
He VA chortlinE all yesterday that he
had news too good to be true And
I wouldn't listen. Now ! find It.
"Well!"
TOO true to be good. All my cast.
les in the clouds go tumbling."
you shouldn't have built them In
the Clouds" said Kitty, placidly. 1T
was ridiculous Of you; and 20 damp.
Give m rather . dear little cottage.
wistaria-covered. on the good earth.
With easement windows. and . big
old-fashi0ned garden-full Of sweet
old-fashioned flowers"
TT would be lonely living there an
alone" suggested.
81 didn't say all alone" retorted
Kitty. "One might find . twin soul"
There's generally something hshy
about twin souls" objected 1. II would
sooner have more definite tenants for
your cottage. II I might make a pro
position"
"A propositions" interrupted Kitty.
THAT sounds like Euclid. Don't
crowd me 50. Reggie, o. I shah get
up"
Talking about q cottage" I began.
reminds me ola rather queer story.
At least. 1t isn't exactly a story-it's
merely an episode. It deals with an
odd man. q very even little girl. and
q castle in the Clouds"
The opening is promising" re.
marked Kitty. smoothing out her
skirts.
THE castle must first engage our
attention." I said. carefully. 1T was
actually rather nice. 1t was In the
country, and 1t had easement windows.
believe there we're Old-fashiOned
towers in the garden-and roses.
There may have been wistaria,' but
I'm not positively sure. The castle
was semi-detached."
"How terribly prosaic! Semi-de
tached, Reggie-s0 that there were
two lots of people. and two pianos 90
ing! I don't like this story"
There were two lots Of people,"
agreed, but not two pianos. And the
people weren't exactly lots In either
instance. One was the very even lit
tie girl who lived with her mother
and looked after her-and the roses
Folks called her Honesty: and hel
side of the castle vas styled Honesty's
Garden. On the other side Of the
close-trimmed hedge lived q man."
"Only q MANI"
"A man, and his books. and his pipe
and one faithful retainer" I enumerat
ed. He was manifestly odd. and out
of Il. Nobody called to e him; and
he didn't seem to mind. He went to
town occasionally. and always came
back laden with books. Nobody knew
how he lived-hObOdy appeared to
care. The faithful retainer kept the
house tidy, and chastened the dog
and the cat who also resided at the
Haven"
was that the name of the castle?'
"The name of the mans side of it,
corrected 1T was the. oldest Haven
You ever could dream OF. l want you
to 20 over this house with me, and
tell me afterwards what You think Of
It. First, there was the strange old
furniture-always smelling family Of
beesWax and tobacco smoke. Old
9 covered with china and cut
Aint-glass decanters@
Empty, I trust?"
VERY often empty-sometimes full"
I went on. There was q grandfath
er's clock In the narrow hall, ticking
of the seconds in leisurely fashion
In the dining-room q medley of an
Gent chairs, rush-bottomed. q beauti-
ful oak table. black with age, a tOtter'
ing oak dresser on which were ar
ranged brass cooking-pans and candle
sticks. and more china. There was .
mirror opposite the window. rejecting
in q tiny round frame the picture OF
|. the garden"
"Honesty's garden?"
Part of both gardens. l imagine
that. on occasion. the man could dis
tinguish Honesty, as. with long apron
and big gloves. she tended her roses
and cared for them. Inside the case
ment windows we're self-colored fax
curtains, gathered back; but which
n could draw along a brass rail
The walls were distempered in plaiI
nat tints, and above the Intel of each
door was lettered q homely proverb.
Thus, in the hall over the front door
That thou may'st injure no man.
dove-uke be-: but serpent-like that
none may injure thee In the dining
NOM Better q dinner of herbs and
conteutment herewith than q stalled
~ and strife withal.' Then there
were ~book-shelves ceiling-high every