Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1907-07-25
GONE At FIVE.

L
we have this fine old piece Of black
walnut. Must have cost at least 5000
years ago. Just observe the hand
carving, will you? Every one of those
punches of acorns is handcarved.
Mirror real French bevel. See that
initial handcarved right into the wood
on top2 That capital K stands tor
Kittredge, and this here bureau is part
of the original black walnut, marble
topped bedroom suite that old Grand
pa Kittredge bought in Boston so
years ago. Amt that SO, Mrs. Kit.
tredge2"
Standing near the veranda steps
was Grandma Kittredge, slender, erect
and dignifed in her mourning. Her
sweet old face was tearstained, but
courageous,as she watched her precious
furniture 60 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 a
close grasp of loving comfort, was
Kitty-Kitty for whose sake the old
home and all it held was being sold.
With that soft, young hand holding
hers, the strength came back to her
as she remembered what it meant for
Kitty's sake each time one of the old
dear things was sold, and now, even
when the first piece of her wedding
suite was put up, she smiled bravely,
closed her eyes to force back the tears,
and answered
""That is SO, Billy"
They had bought 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 headpiecs, 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,
fawleas marble was getting 80 scarce.
The tears forced their way through
her lashes this time, and Kitty, Jr.,
seeing them fall Oh the hand she held,
raised it to her lips and kissed them
away.
"Don't cry, grandma, she whis.
pered, "I'll win it back for you, dear
est; 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 din
ing-room chairs, shut out the scattered
crowd of old neighbors and strangers
that spread over the lawn in front of
the big colonial Kittredge homestead,
| and reasoned it all out with herself
again, how it must be for Kitty's 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
Kittredge, and Kitty the Second lay
up under the pines in the judges
| family lot on the hillside, next to the
Judge himself, and only l7-year-old
Kitty was left.
1t was right that the girl should
have the full benefit from the old
place, Grandma Kittredge told her
self 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 fur
niture be to herr Dudley liked new
things, and they were going to live
in New York after they were married
She had heard him telling Kitty how
artistically and effectively he would
furnish 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 perfect
] " natural for Kitty to want her own