The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1907-07-31
The New Owner

n we did have to wear silk gowns
that you washed. turned, mended and
made over. Guess what ! just heard"
what did you Just hear?" I asked.
why" proceeded Marion. delight
sdly. 81 was standing over by those
ferns a minute ago. and Just round the
corner l heard Mrs. Lewis say to
Claude Brooks: I don't see how the
Hsrcourt girls manage to dress SO
WELL and Claudia-spiteful old thing
said: I 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 It 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 fiattered?"
"Dreadfully." answered. Any
thing more?"
Yes. indeed" whispered Marion.
THE best Of 1t all was that he asked
right away II you were 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
so. thought. and after Mrs. Lewis
had presented him he sat down be-
side me. He had talked about a good
many things and had almost wearied
Of my monosyllabic replies. fancy,
when he finally brought up Harcourt.
and l proceeded to astonish him by
forgetting that we were strangers. and
telling him the most ridiculous things
with characteristic recklessness.
told him how we. Marion and l, went
round about way to avoid passing
the dear old place, and how. when
there was no way out of 1t, we went
BY with our heads turned away. be-
cause we loved II 90. told him we
had been born there. and that every
big room and every dingy panel
brought up a memory that We loved.
And It was not until Marion came for
me 10 go home that I realized that he
had listened to me silently for about
IN hour.
In the weeks following he came
frequently and We met at several
places. I got to thinking a good
deal about him and to liking him
very much There was only one
thing to dampen our pleasure. One
day the news came to us that Mr.. Grit
On. who held . mortgage upon Har-
court, had sold Il to strangers. and
Marion and told ourselves that from
that time our claim upon 1t would be
only that Of any other outsiders. who
might look At Its dear old walls and
pass It bxs AS I say, this darkened
our lives 4 little, but there were
sdn Mr.. Maxwel's visits to look for
ward to, 90 II was worth while exist
Ing. But one evening when he called
he said: Miss Eleanor. I am going
away tomorrow and want you to do
something for me. Will your"
Il don't know" l answered in a
low voice. Somehow / couldn't for
the life of me manage anything else.
But he didn't seem to notice that
said nothing about regretting his 60
Ing away. He simply asked me II
would go down to Harcourt with him
I 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 hanginss. l felt couldn't
stand any more. What does this
mean!" l cried.
THE purchaser hopes to live here"
ting ready for occupancy"
Here. suppose. the poor man was
bewildered enough. for I had restrain.
Cd myself As long as l could. and
! rushed to the one place where the
hated crimson did not cover the pan.
els. laid my head against their friend.
" support and burst out crying.
"oh. why did you bring me here!"
I said. Il can't stand everything. i
would rather have the old place burn.
ID to the ground. with only the poor
old chimney left to show where 1t
stood. than to see 1t fitted with the
most beautiful things in the world by
strangers. Everything l care about
turns out wrong" l concluded. with
. sign. Il am losing my home. and
now you"
II stopped. frozen with horror.
What had l said! But Norman Max.
we'll suddenly put me into the window
seat and sat down beside me- Eel.
eanor. look at me-" he said. But l alb.
solutely couldn't lift my head. so he
put his hand under my reluctant chin
and turned my face toward him. EEL
eanor." he went on, don't you know
I've loved you all the time and tina,
was going away with the heartache
confident that you did not care for
NET Don't you care just q little more
about me than for an ordinary
triend?"
"Oh!" exclaimed. very much afraid
that my stupidity had forced him into
It. II shouldn't have said-I didn't
mean to" But he put his arms
around me and then knew it wasn't
because of what ! had said.
Well. was so happy that l cried
and laughed in my own ridiculous fash
ion. aud when he went home Marion
says 1t was di6cult to tell which
beamed the brightest. my eyes or m,
nose. But l think l have went tn,