The daily sentinel., 1907-08-07
The New Owner

Wen, whispered Marion to me, p"
guess it doesn't make any differenc,
if we did have to wear silk gowns
that you washed, turned, mended anC
made over. Guess what just heard
What did you just hear?" l asked
Why" proceeded Marion, delight
edly, Il was standing over by those
ferns minute ago, and Just round the
corner l heard Mrs Lewis say tc
Claude Brooks: I don't see how the
Harcourt girls manage TO dress Sc
well, and Claudla-spiteful old thing
said; 1 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 1t 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." l answered ANY
thing more?"
Yes. indeed" whispered Marion.
The best Of it all was that he asked
right away If you were one of the
Harcourts who had owned the old
place up town. and he asked her
oh, looki"
Marfon'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 grave, handsome man. about
30, | 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. I 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. I
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 II. we went
by with our heads turned away, be-
cause we loved It so. 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 to go home that realized that he
had listened to me silently for about
an hour.
In the weeks following he came
frequently and we met at several
places. / got to thinking a good
deal about him and to liking him
very much. There was only one
thing to dampen our pleasure. One
lay the news came to us that Mr.. Grif- |
fin, who held a mortgage upon Har- |
court, had sold 1t to strangers, and |
Marion and told ourselves that from |
hat time our claim upon 1t would be |
'nly that Of any other outsiders. who |
might look at its dear old walls and |
)ass it by As | say. this darkened |
our lives a little, but there were |
still Mr.. Maxwelrs visits to look for.
ward to. so 1t was worth while exist
ng. But one evening when he called
lie said: Miss Eleanor. l am going
Iway tomorrow and want you to do
for me. VIII your"
Il don't know" l answered in
ow voice. Somehow | couldn't for
he life of me manage anything else
But he didn't seem to notice that |
aid nothing about regretting his go
ng away. He simply asked me If
would go down to Harcourt with him
was too miserable to resist, and we
vent.
When we went up to the long hall
.bove and found that some impa-
lent person had removed our few
pieces of old furniture and
iad hung new paintings there over
crimson hangings. l felt l couldn't
stand any more. What does this
nean?" | cried.
The purchaser hopes to live here"
Mr.. Maxwell, "and he is get
ing ready for occupancy"
Here, l suppose the poor man was
bewildered enough. for had restrain
ed myself as long as l could. and
rushed to the one place where the
hated crimson did not coverssSe pan
els. laid my head against thetr friend
ly support and burst out crying.
"oh. why did you bring me here?"
| said Il can't stand everything. /
would rather have the old place burn
ed to the ground. with only the poor
old chimney left to show where 1t
stood, than to see it fitted with the
most beautiful things in the world by
strangers. Everything / care about
turns out wrong" | concluded, with
a sign. Il am losing my home, and
now you"
81 stopped. frozen with horror
What had l said But Norman Max
well suddenly put me into the window
seat and sat down beside me. ''El-
eanor. look at me" he said. But | alb
solutely couldn't lift my head. 50 he
put his hand under my reluctant chin
and turned my face toward him. Ell
eanor." he went on. don't YOU know
I've loved you all the time and that
l was going away with the heartache,
confident that you did not care for
me? Don't you care just little more
about me than for an ordinary
friend?"
oh" l exclaimed. very much afraid
that my stupidity had forced him into
it. Il shouldn't have said didn't
mean to-" But he put his arms
around me and then ! knew 1t wasn't
because OF what had said
Well, l was so happy that l cried
and laughed in my own ridiculous fash