Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-24

Invitation from No. Is Hill Rise"
Lizzie looked up in surprise.
IAN invitation?'
Very fiattering invitation-to subscribe
half guinea to the district nurses fund.
Well. I don't grudge that. Are you
ready? . Dear Sir
''Or 'sir'?" asked Lizzie. picking up her
pen. Perhaps dear sir sounds too
He calls me dear SIR" And then Mr..
Crunden spoke testify. "Oh. have it as
you like. Perhaps you'd better say: Sir,
my father will be glad to lick your boots,
because you are a major and live on the
Hill, and he is retired builder and lives
half way down the hill
Lizzie turned and took her fathers hand
affectionately.
Dad, how silly you are! I only meant
Il only meant-Tll write 1t just as you
wish = Any more letters after this
one?"
'Well, If it doesn't tire you. Liz" and
with his disengaged hand old Crunden
softly patted and stroked her pretty
hair.
"Oh, no Yes, dad, I do feel
rather tired today. May 1 attend to it
in the evening? I shall be all right
then"
Very good. The evening will be time
enough"
Thank you. dad I'll be in the other
Lizzie put the letters together on the
desk, got up, looked out of the window
again. and then. with slow footsteps,
went toward the parlor.
There" said Mrs. Price, very serious
ly; you see. Languid, listless; not the
girl She was" And with every word Mrs.
Price became more serious and solemn.
You can see it for yourself. If 1 was
you, I should take it as warning. She's
all you have left to you. Don't neglect
ohor M lya hnr &c
take
Mr.. Crunden started.
What do you mean by that?'
What say
"Is it your own thought. or an echo of
something you once heard?"
1.-The thoughts are my own, the words
are an echo. Yes-I meant them for to be
an echO.' ---..-f--f
Mr. Crunden walked over to the empty
fireplace and took his tobacco jar from
the mantelShelf. 49, 1.sis., s5;.e =.
"WelI," he said, you may go. And
you may mind your own business, :, 81. -
Left alone. he stood perfectly still, with
the china jar in his hands, thinking for. a
long time. AS he stood thus, it was as if
the walls of the room had faded,~as if the
years had rolled away, as if the past was
showing itself acting itself before him.
He could see dead faces, could hear dead
voices. He was standing here no longer.
He was sitting upstairs by sick bed.
Mrs. Price, on the other side of the bed,
had an arm round his wife-who was dy-
ing. The poor wife whom he loved lay
whispering, gasping, fighting for breath,
while she made him promise to guard and
cherish the girl that was left. He could
hear the whispering voice: BE gentle
with her Remember Dick-remember.
Don't make another mistake Then,
slipping from the chair to his knees, he
promised. It was night-the middle of
the highland before the dawn came she
was dead. Well, he had kept his prom
Use; there was no need for any vow; for
motherless girl. She was all of love that
was left to him. =
Presently he replaced the tobacco Jar.
He had forgotten that he intended to
smoke a pipe.
well! Who's that?"
On this warm afternoon the front door
was open. Some one had entered the lobby
and was tapping on the wood panels.
Mr.. Crunden-are you alone? May
come in?'
us that you, Mr.. Bowling? Yes, come
in. SIR
'Tve got something to show you that
will amuse you"
What is 2"
Look here" Mr.. Bowling laid his
billycock hat and his umbrella upon the
table, and extracted from his breast
pocket some neatly folded documents.
Particulars of the SALE"
"Oh!
IAN advance copy sent me out of COM
tioneers," and Mr.. Bowling unfolded the
auctioneers' printed papers. together with
a colored map, which he carefully spread
on the table. when they see this up
there" and he nodded his head in the
direction of the Hill, they'll be fairly
panic stricken
Mr.. Crunden came to the back of the
table and glanced over Mr.. Dowling's
shoulder.
"'Hill Rise building estate" he read
aloud. Ripe for development
They're sharp firm-Griggs. They
know what they're about" and Mr..
Bowling unfolded another map. and, in
his turn, read aloud. g" Suggested scheme
for laying out roads. to secure the long
est frontages, and Mr. bowling chuc-
II must say Griggs has got this up very
ncely."
4" No restrictions of any nature" read
Mr.. Crunden, "'are imposed upon the
land All! TO be sold
without reserve" Do you believe that?"
- mo, of course not
what reserve will they put on it?''
LAS guess. forty thousand. Thirty
thousand If they are in hurry to wind
up everything"
!. crunden grunted. and then read on
again. 80 F. '
IAN electric tram service would
further open up this charming area and
throw it practically into the heart of the
town." When he came to this point.
old Crunden gave most scornful. grunt
Trans couldn't get up the hill"
why not?' said Bowling. What is
the Fill after all? Look here" and he
reached for his hat and spread the map
across the crown of it. Here's the
bridge. Well. your tram swings round
here-up here-up the new road. Say
half mile-gradient not more than one
in twenty at the worst part. OF course
they could do it,
But said Bowling. impressively
you see what this would mean to Sir
John and the rest of them-blue ruin"
well, that's their lookout. 1t won't
keep me awake
but the town? How will the town like
1t now? No restrictions. That's a pill
they weren't expecting. 1t wants some
swallowing. Cheap houses - workmen's
dwellings-anything you choose-all over
here-over the Tennis Club-right up to
Sir Johns gates. OF course, it is Sir John
who stands to lose worst"
''Sir Johns freehold" said Crunden,
no more?"
mo, but that's too much to see spoilt.
forever. It's a pity, you know. Put
yourself in his position. Hill House be-
longed to his father, and his grand athar
before him. He has always been cock of
the hill, with the best people for his
neighbors. Oh, do say I am sorry for
Sir John!'
Mr.. Bowling had been STOPPING so long
over the table that he felt stiff. He stood
up, stretched himself, and then, begin