The Monroe journal. [volume] (Monroe, N.C.) 189?-1965, 1911-08-08
THROUGH THE
PANTRY WINDOW
By CLAUDINE SISS0N


in ri rickety picket gate ana Gus
,rounted before the porch CT Tiny
shabby. neglected house WIN tne
re,ns upon her arm she stood looA'
ing about her with tender. remember
Inc eyes The u;tle yard vas grown
nm with mingled grass ard weeds n
~. corrsr was a bit Of garden where
ecrn lad ripened and was cHrlhs
where Il stood. where few reu %
r,a,ees which the birds lad net eat
o. rlowea iewel-wise upon '%eihs
vines. aud yellow PUMPKIN ana
rreen Hubbard squash lay side oy
So A, the right side Of tie narrow
rath which led UP to tie door
flower bed showed le" ar',
reranium blossoms. Iron me sae'l
v,,h,n the little porch stood an oNalis
and a cactus dead for want Of NOS
ure The house blinds were smut
I, was a very pitiful little house, IKE
n she'll without its mo!lusk or BODY
without its soul.
Tears came to Elsie's eyes as she
thought Of the dear woman WHO "'e
animated II with her kindly presence
She felt that she would like TO 20 III
and look about and try In imaginauon
20 refuruish the abandoned rooms ana
IN people them with the gentle hs'
ures that had once frequented theui'
The thin old horse, q ireeSied gray
from the livery stable In town. Wac
milling NJ the reins In an effort 10 ge'
his nose to the grass. Elsie sough'
for some place TO make him secure
and remembered the little barn
tho eoor was not nailed up she coul'
= nut him in there.
The door WAS rot halleu UP
/ slid open easily and she led the hofs
/, and tied him to the stan Wt.ie
| had held only cobwebs and lay aus
for a long tine \ little hay II
manned In one corner. She carried
% the horse who received 1t
eagerly as ii II had been the freshe'
Of fodder Then she went 70 u
house
II was locked securely. SGe wei
about trying the shutters Al last 81
found one rarity "a the hinges
blown off h. a high wind 70 dou'
she swung il clear and put her ha'
n the window underneath. To p
snrrrise. il raised as she pushed W
II. She seemed to hear iaili'
voice sayias in Ler car:
The ketch on that pantry "'nd'
needs Gxine bad, but | cant seem
do il mt. ia' what difference d'
II make There amt no burglar s
inc n here lor tie little trash
eol II one did come ip he'd he Z
eroneh to get ont again after Id
on It TO him good and lively with 7
old pair Of brass tongs ! Keep ha'
for TIE purpose.
Aunt Hopes dear rolco' \
Homes own remembered words!
this WIS the pantry window =
locked in. The tiny place was 4
Tho cupboard doors shut; an old
srider hung against the wall.
locked perlectlA natural and ri
cutie as II Aunt Hope had lust $
ned out Clarissa Mains, the heir
Ind left some things as they sE'
be.
The window-sill was only knee-l
. from tie ground, and Elsie elm
- over It easily. She let down the
dow behind her The floor gave
- an emrty sound beneath her ice
she walked across Il to the kltc
The Kitchen, too, was quite uneh
&c cd There stood the old-fashi
stoye from which she had cate
- many Of Aunt Hopes good an
w. In the diningroom the chairs anC
opth table gtill stood In their places
! ttil the painted floor, But the dishes
Tues gone from the shelves where
AIDES Fore had kept them Clarissa y
their had appreciated the fact that sue
some blue ware was valuable,
class After the diningroom came the
; a lor tie room that in Aunt Il
ar,,,s lifetime Elsie had always loved
- II WIS a good-sized room IN the
49, ~ Of the house. She lifted WI
II ~. end turned the Stats OF the
all OF shutter The yellow afternoon
these came in across the bare floor
,e life Vulnerable notes danced in It's
: for Tpon the walls a few old PIX
oetite. sin hung. and the wall paper s.
, most fresh spaces upon its faded s.
ties of where others had been. There
no mad what.not ii one corner; few
MUTTON waited as IL for occupants: q
icy aaI and a large cheap vase were up'
1890 mantel. OF all Aunt Hore's
lred In ured parlor furnishings these
rights only remained.
rive up Elsie sat down upon one Of I
asses oil healing chairs and clasped her
re spe- in their riding gauntlets abou
= 1asn knee. There was chill OF 4
soioie' ness and stale air in the rooi
she did not feel It, She was u
N. c. Of the last time she had been
Tor room. There had been flowers
room and many people In the
Law Aunt Hope. always hithe
~ gracious and genial, so quick
IN spond to the love of her frien
|JU neighbors. Her hands were