The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-29
CA
By CELETT BURGESS


/ know I'll get home by shutdown
He monologued away thus as he helped |
me into my clothes. and. when / had fin |
ished, called 20 Leah.
She came IN, and ! took an arm of |
each. though l scarcely needed their help |
We descended a narrow. paneled stair |
way slowly but safely. without causing
me any pain, and turned into a door on
the left-hand side OF the lower hall. There |
/ found a Morris chair ready for me- !
drawn up before a wide brick fireplace |
where an oak log was burning. Uncle !
Jerdon left me with a wink at seeing /
Leah placing a footstool for me and |
drawing UP z taboTet on which were
cigars and cigarettes There ensconced, 1 !
looked about with interesto
II was Il large room finished all IN pan
eled unvarnished redwood most beauti- |
ful in color-a lighter red than mahog-
any. with more softness and bloom Two |
sides were lined with bookcases. except
for the chimney breast; another was
almost filled with a broad -OW window |
of loaded glass with a deep seat covered |
with corduroy cushions. There was a |
narrow shelf supported by carved brack- |
cts part way up. and a cornice above
that Between the aided beams OF the |
ceiling were panels of old Spanish leath- |
er lacquered and stamped The whole |
effect was a modified French renaissance |
worked out with many charming origi- /
nailties Of detail The pilasters, and the |
elaborate mattel with its ornamented |
holdings and graceful consoles, showed |
handicraft Of an interesting sort They |
seemed 10 have been carved by some 4
artistic amateur. being boldly cut with |
out the machine-like regularity OF the /
professional There was. besides the UNI |
usualness OF the wood. much to interest |
ma as an architect.
The library was well filled without ap- |
pearing crowded. and everything. furni- |
ture and appointments. betokened. as |
had my chamber. not only taste. hut lux /
ury. II was evident that Miss Fielding |
was very well of, and knew how 10 use /
her money, II was as evident that she /
had strong personality. for there were 1
details that We're unique. A large prism /
or rock crystal, for instance carelessly 1
resting In the sunshine upon the duh 1
brown cushions OF the window seat |
threw a prismatic spot Of splendor upon
the ceiling. IL was ike a gorgeous but /
terfiy pinned 10 the leather. There was i
a silver cage of waltzing japanese mice /
upon the mantel little grotesque. pied |
creatures that spun wheels, washed their |
necks with their paws, and nibbled at /
arranged
upon the shelves apparently not as re- /
CARDS subjects. but rather on account Of |
their bindings. giving masses OF color. /
green and red and brown and black and /
white
But Il had ali been individually so well |
lived IN, its properties all ministered so /
to ones comfort and the tones were all /
so restful and admirably composed. that /
could imagine 10 more charming en- !
viFonment for rainy day with Miss /
Fielding.
a great library table stood in the cen
ter OF the apartment one end of which |
was covered with mageZlnes-everything /
from "The Journal of Abnormal Psy- |
chOl0gy' to the Pink Tn" Upon the |
other end. resting on hide OF ooze /
leather. We're scattered tools and ma
terials, and the unfinished chest upon
which Miss Fielding had been working
This was covered with young caifskin. /
the soft hair still on. a pretty hrindled 1
tan and white, and il was bound on the /
edges with brass strips. These were |
fastened IN place by close rows or brass
headed nails. which accounted for the
pounding ! had heard. I was admirfng
the workmaniike way in which the chest
was made, when Miss Fielding came in.
What d'you think OF my .bossy cof-
fret1 she said Isn't 4 going 10 be a
beauty? Aly own Invention. Don't steal
the scheme. and I'll show you how"
She stOod up 10 the table, and, taking
one OF The brass strips, laid OF the divi-
sions and punched holes for the nails.
and then hammered 1t on. She kept up.
meanwhile. q running fire OF persifs sc.
Occasionally she would stop to toss her
hammer into the air and catch II nimbIy
by the handle as Il fell
/ thought you were going to call me
Edna, she said after a while, pausing
with some nails in her mouth 10 look /
over at me, Don't you ike the narne?"
i thought you didn't like it." I said.
my eyes turning from her brisk, clever
hands to her absorbed face 4 wave
passed over II as I looked-that baffled
expression I had noticed before.
Did l say so?" Her hammer was
poised In mid-air
Why, didn't your
''oh. yes. I suppose so. It doesn't mat
ter. Nicknames seldom stick. anyway"
She placed a nail in the hole.
"Oh, I don't object TO Chef AT all"
Chef goes, then" She drove in her
nail with a frOwn.
Before I had thought OF my promise I
said. It's funny you don't remember tn
Bang bang-bang! Another nail went
IN, driven viciously.
! fully expected that she would speak
of 1.-THE island" again, but she didn't. In
stead, she dropped her tools and said.
I'm building a house. toO!'
Where" I asked
She laughed and galumphed across the
room and back again without looking at
me before she answered. Then she stop
ped at the door and called up for Leah
to bring down her bunch OF keys. When
these had come she knelt IN front Of the
window-seat and unlocked a cupboard
below IT, From this she brought out a
little model house. built OF pasteboard,
perfect in all its details.
II had windows Of mica behind which
were white sashes and lace-paper cur
tains. The house, an old-fashioned New
England homestead, was placed IN a lit
tie yard Of green velvet divided by paths
of sandpaper and set out with toy trees.
A child would have loved It. A fairy
would have appropriated II at first sight.
As an architect, the model made a great
appeal 20 me. It had charm and atmos-
phere, good massing good proportions,
detail, and color. / complimented her
enthusiastically.
She was poking about the little front
porch and the platform in the rear,
where a miniature ash barrel stood. adj
Justing the doors and blinds with her
slender forehnger, when she frowned and
said.
why, some ones broken that tree in
'front.' Leah, have you been touching
this house? There's a blind gone. tooP'
mo. Miss Joy. I haven't touched 1T"
Leah protested.
Miss Fielding stamped her foot. you