The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-05-02
FURNITURE
AND LOVE

chair. 1.-THE man who conceived the
idea Of building q hotel here should
have q monument raised to his mem.
ory."
Rather say that he should be per-
mitted to live here forever" suggest
cd Smithson lazily. why put him
under the sod so quickly?"
Il meant when he dies. Of course"
amended Miss Hargreaves. She
smiled brightly into the others eyes.
and. for the hundredth time that
afternoon. Smithson caught himself
wondering why he had never realized
before what a charming girl Grace
Hargreaves was.
He had known her for years but 1t
was not until they found themselves
among the first guests of the new
hotel in the Restigoughe region Of
New Brunswick that he had had his
attention particularly drawn to her.
The hotel had only been open two
weeks. and guests were still few.
How did you find the placer" he
suddenly demanded.
Mother wanted a new place." she
OARA0AA0us 0OW0 mCA WIZ uuutCU
through here last year told her about
the hotel that was being built and she
insisted upon coming"
Il am here for old furniture" he
volunteered. There are all sorts Of
odd pieces to be picked up for
song Their beauty lies in their genu-
ineness; old bits brought out genera.
tons ago and used by the pres
ent owners who cast longing glances
at the painted woods in the shops at
Dalhousie."
Grace gave little scream of de-
light. do you mean to say that
there are really places where you can
still pick up old furniture?" she
asked gravely. IT had only known!
/ shall have to telegraph for more
money. Old furniture is a passion
with me-"
Suppose we pool issues?" he sug
gested TN that way we shall not bid
against each other and raise the
prices. I'll buy 1t all up and when we
get back to town in the fall we will
have a division"
Smithson hired team for a month
and daily the three Jared forth in
search of treasure trove The others
at the hotel wondered at the long
drives upon which Mrs. Hargreaves
and her daughter went under Smith
sons guidance. but none of the furni
ture they picked up was brought to
the hotel and the nine day wonder
soon dropped.
Smithson picked up some wonderful
bargains and had them al shipped to
his town house. Before ri vacation
time was over he had skinned the
cream of the colonial collections In a
ten-mile radius but even the anticipa-
ton of unpacking his treasures did
not console him for the fact that Mrs
Hargreaves had elected to remain for
another month.
The long delightful drives behind
the fast team had deepened com
partnership into love as he cleaned
and polished his purchases with the
painstaking care of true enthusiast,
each piece was a reminder of some
little happening of the vacation.
He did not fully realize this until
some weeks later when at last Mrs.
Hargreaves returned to town and
Grace came to claim some of the
spoil.
II should like that old desk" she
said. as she pointed to ore of the &C.
QUESTIONS. Smithson's face clouded.
Il was hoping that you would not
want that" he said. THAT is a sou.
venir of our first drive"
I'VE got lot Of things that first
day." she reminded. then blushed as
she remembered that moment when
Smithson's hand had unconsciously
dropped upon her own upon the desk.
1t had been only an instant but 1t had
stamped itself indelibly upon her
brain.
She could not tell him that that
was why she wanted it herself, and
she wondered if that was also the rea.
son why he wished to keep it. She
passed on to other things but each
one had some association, and his for.
lorn expression as she made her
choices touched her
Il really hate to take any of these
things away" she said at last There
are no duplicates and they make such
a complete whole that it would be
shame to spoil it all by breaking the
collection"
THAT might be avoided" he said
bitterly. IF | had given less time to
the collection and more to the prompt.
ings of my heart. 1t is not selfishness
that makes me want to keep these
things. 1t is because each has some
association with that happy time. l
look at that table and remember our
lunch of bread and milk we made off
its surface. It's the same way with
everything else. Each piece reminds
me of you and | am loath to give IN
even one tiny souvenir of that time. !"
is 1t really necessary TO break the
set? she asked
You mean that-that you care for
mel" he asked.
Grace nodded.