Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-16

casual observer. Do you think, Thomas,
!. that you could find us a customer who
would regard such transaction as-as
confidential?''
Hillary Looked doubtfully about the din,
drawing room, whose treasures of old ma
hogany, rare china and quaint bric-a-
brac fruits of the voyages of adventurous
ancestors, would have caused a connois-
seur to swoon with rapture. But it may
as well be at once admitted that the
young attorneys ideal home was that of
hic sister Celia, who at sixteen had mar
ried a fich plumber and had gone to
Peoria Ito reside, according to one of
the local papers, 'in one of the most eie-
CANT mansions of which our enterprising
city can boast" The plumber was a gen
erous man who had been quite ready 10
undertake the maintenance of his wife's
impecunious relatives: but Tom, although
only a boy at the time. had elected to re-
main in his native town, where he had
managed to work his way through the
law school and later into good practice
by dint Of pure grit and determination.
He had, however, made frequent visits
in Peoria where he had been innocentlv
elated to find his mother and sister living
in an aggressively modern house, of which
the architecture was as venal as the
plumbing was above reproach, and which
fas furnished with all the Unchastened
spendor of a Pullman palace car.
1t would be unjust to condemn unre-
servedly my hero on that account. for the
average man, unless he has been coaxed
or bullied by some cultured sister, mother.
wife or sweetheart into an appreciation
of the modern craze for the antique IN
household art evinces the same fondness
fog nneretricious glitter and barbaric
briyhtr ess of color that is seen in the
child or the untutored savage.
The esthetic warnings of Hillary
mother and sister were as yet of that
rudmentary character which finds full ex
preston in machine-made furniture of
golden oak. brass beds with silesia Lined
lace "shams. red plush parlor sets and
walls hung with expensive gilt papers AMI
adorned with various kitchen utensils VIC
iently hand painted and decorated
Wife he had none, nor sweetheart, since
day when pretty Cynthia Lambert had
been suddenly taken by her parents to
Paris to complete her education and 20
recover from "a foolish schoolgirl infat-
uation'' for certain impecrnious law
student. Although several years had
passed since then. the Lamberts were
still abroad. living in the various cities of
Europe where rich Americans most do
congregate,'' and so it happened that this
big fellow, who radiated cheerfulness and
good humor like some great Newfound-
land puppy, carried about with him q
hidden hurt which rendered him imper
yious to the wles of the charming girls
who smiled kindly on the rising young
lawyer, and no cultured damsel had ever
had the opportunity of teaching him
proper appreciation of old mahogany and
faded Persian rugs.
AS to the Misses Buckingham, pride and
rier between them and their kind that
even the most brazen of collectors had
not ventured to penetrate, and although
the faded rugs and old mahogany were
they were as ignorant as Hillary himself
of the market value of their household
gods
At their request the young man made
list of those articles with which they had
decided to part, following them submis-
siyeIy about on a tour of inspection from
attic to cellar. But he viewed without
emotion the treasures thus revealed. from
the dining and card tables with their
claw and ball feet. the Chippendaie and
Sheraton sofas. chairs, h!ghboys and low
boys, and great mahogany four-posters
carved I'm pineapple designs in the cham
bers down to the black dressers i'll
the kitchen.
IN bet no one would take that heavy,
clumsy stuff as gift he reflected irrev-
erently.
BY his business friends Hillary was sup
posed % have more heart than CONNER
cial instinct and it would therefore have
been no surprise to them If they had over
heard him on his return to the dim draw
ing room offer to become the purchaser
of what was. in his estimation. distinct
Iy undesirable lot of household goods at
a price which caused the two old women
to gasp with increduIous delight
But, Thomas what can you want OF
it?'' cried Miss Marilla. DO you contem-
plate entering the-the holy bonds of
matrimony?" she added with a faint
blush, for to Miss Marlla there was some
thing flavoring of improperly in mention
ing such subject to one of the opposite
sex.
Hilary's sunburnt face flushed like
girls.
Not on your life he said. hurriedly
But I'm expecting my mother to live
with me. I've bought the old Willard
place, and I-er-think it would be a good
plan to have the furniture sort of match
the house"
But I'm afraid 1t isn't worth all that
money" quavered Miss Lucinda.
We'll. you see. Miss Lucinda" rejoined
the young attorney promptly. there's SO
much wood in the furniture of yours that
at the present price of lumber ] wouldn't
feel justified in offering less"
The two old women looked innocently
relieved, and Miss Marilla said impui-
siyely:
I'VE don't mind parting with our things
if you are going 10 have them, Thomas,
and Miss Lucinda beamed assent
Then that is settled" said Hillary
and | think that this amount added
TO your remaining capital ought. properly
invested, to bring you in enough to live
on comfortably. But perhaps" he sug-
gested somewhat difidently, lit would be