Bridgeton pioneer., 1907-05-16
Gone at Five
80. By.
LOUISE MERRlFIELD.
Copyright, 1907, by E. C. PARCELS.
Copyright, 1907, by E. C. PARCELS.

ing, VIII you. every OuS VI lAoSS
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 for Kit
tredge, and this here bureau is part of
the original black walnut marble top
ped bedroom suit that old Grandpa Kit
tredge bought in Boston fifty-two years
ago. Amt that so, Mrs. Kittredge?"
Standing near the veranda steps was
Grandma Kittredge, slender, erect and
dignifed 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. 1t was hard, nobody knew
how hard, but they were all kind to
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 and
the other hand holding hers In close
clasp of loving comfort, was Kitty
Kitty, for whose sake the old home and
all it held were being sold.
With that soft, young hand holding
hers the strength came back to her as
she remembered what it meant for Kit
tvs sake each time one of the old
dear things was sold, and now. even
when the first piece Of her wedding
suit was put up, she smiled bravely,
closed her eyes to force back the tears
and answered:
THAT is so, Billy"
They had bought it on their wedding
trip-the black walnut 'set," as she
called it. 1t had been made to order in
Boston, and she remembered how
proud she had been Of even the initial
on each headpiece, the initial that she
had taken for her own through life only
few weeks before.
There's nothing too good for my
bride to take back home with her."
Tom kittredge had said proudly. And
you shall have the marble tops, too
Kitty. darling
Marble topsl And today old Billy
was telling her neighbors to bid up,
that even the marble tops were worth
buying for gravestones; real, good.
hawless marble was getting so scarce.
The tears forced their way through
her lashes this time, and Kitty junior.
seeing them fall on the hand she held.
raised it TO her lips and kissed them
away.
Don't cry, grandma" she whispered.
"Fll 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
~ the big colonial Kittredge home
ST. I, and reasoned it all out with
hersen again-how it must be for Kit
tvs sake, Kitty the Third, as they had
called 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.
1t was right that the 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 the 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 ar
tistically and effectively he would fur
nish up an apartment for her, "all in
mission style"
Grandma Kittredge had wondered
vaguely what the mission style was.
but she said nothing. 1t was perfectly
natural for Kitty to want her own
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 course
Kitty the Third couldn't understand
how she loved each piece of furniture.
feel sad over the old bureau without
the memory of the little baby gar
ments that had been tucked away in
Its drawers years and years ago, of
the dear old solid mirror that had re-
feeted the face of that other bride
from Boston and beside her, bending
over her shoulder, the laughing, merry,
tender eyed Tom Kittredge? Fifty
two years ago it was, but how could
Kitty understand? But it was for the
best-surely it was all for 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 70
her. She could not stay in the old
house all alone, and, then, there was
no money 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