The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-06-15
KITTY CONES
TO MY CASTLE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
(Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
By PAUL cREsWIcK.

Everybody seems to be in town just
now" said Kitty, as she helped me to
q second cup of tea. Have you heard
that Nora Willis is engaged?"
sat down hurriedly upon the couch
CLOSE to my little malicious hostess.
"Air," l 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.
/ sighed-with vigor. MY best
friend-thats what always happens.
He was chortling all yesterday that ne
had news too good to be true. And
/ wouldn't listen. Now find it
"Well?"
Too true to be good. All my cast
les in the clouds go turabling."
You shouldn't have built them In
the Clouds" said Kitty, placidly. 1T
was ridiculous of you; and so damp.
! Give me rather a dear little cottage.
wistaria-covered, on the good earth.
With easement windows, and a big
| OlQ-ldSulOucQ VI S"SSs
old-fashioned flowers"
1T would, be lonely living there all
alone" l suggested.
Il didn't say all alone" retorted
Kitty. "One might find twin soul.
There's generally something fishy
about twin souls" objected !. Il would
sooner have more definite tenants for
your cottage. If l might make pro-
position"
"A proposition?" interrupted Kitty.
THAT sounds like Euclid. Don't
crowd me so, Reggie, or / shall get
up"
Talking about a cottage" / began,
reminds me of rather queer story.
At least, it isn't exactly story-it's
merely an episode 1t deals with an
odd man, a very even little girl, and
a castle in the clouds"
THE opening is promising" re-
marked Kitty, smoothing out her
skirts.
The castle must first engage our
attention. said, carefully. 1T was
actually rather nice. 1t was in the
country, and it had easement windows
believe there were old-fashioned
flowers 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-so that there were
; two lots of people, and two pianos go
} ing, don't like this story"
, There were two lots of people"
' agreed, "but not two pianos. And thu
, people weren't exactly lots In eithel
!, 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 he
: side of the castle was styled Honesty
8 Garden. On the other side Of tn
Q close-trimmed hedge lived a man."
e "Only a MANI"
4 "A man, and his books. and his pipe
o :. and one faithful retainer" enumerai
? ed. He was manifestly odd, and GU
of It. Nobody called to see him; an
. he didn't seem to mind. He went t
: town occasionally, and always cam
back laden with books. Nobody kne,
how he lived-nobody appeared t
care. The faithful retainer kept tn
house tidy, and chastened the do
! and the cat who also resided at tn
a Haven"
WAS that the name of the castle?
> "The name of the mans side of it,
L. I corrected. 1T was the oldest Have
8 you ever could dream of. l want 20
!, to go over this house with me, an
It tell me afterwards what you think {
e it. First, there was the strange oil
Ia furniture-always smelling family {
n beeswax and tobacco smoke. Oh
- presses covered with china and CT
!. fiint-glass decanters-"
= Empty, trust?"
Every often empty-sometimes full
y / went on. There was grandfatl
~ er's clock in the narrow hall, tickin
II OF the seconds in leisurely fashion
- In the dining-room a medley of a
ly Gent chairs, rush-bottomed, beaut
le full oak table, black with age, totte
r. ing oak dresser on which were a
Of ranged brass cooking-pans and candl
,r sticks, and more china. There was
y mirror opposite the window, refiectir
:. in a tiny round frame the picture
the garden"
30 "Honesty's garden?"
~ Part of both gardens. imagiI
that. on occasion, the man could di
tinguish Honesty, as, with long apre
IN and big gloves, she tended her ross
ne and cared for them. Inside the cas-
be ment windows were self-colored fl;
ns curtains. gathered back; but whit
e. one could draw along brass ra
The walls were distempered in pla
fiat tints, and above the Intel of ea'
T" door was lettered a homely proven