Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-11

gate As we approached my eyes wild
ened at the magnificence of our place.
There was a broad veranda with avn
ings, and lawn set out IN terrlfyng eA.
act flower beds. With a queer feeling OF
regret l discovered that everything was
modern. For an instant my eyes rested
on an adjoining garden, to find something
familiar. Its owner, bachelor, nad peen
our neighbor as far back as l could re-
member. and really tiresomely persistent
about-well, we are friends, tried and
true at any rate. and suddenly
caught sight of mother on the great wide
porch and a moment later l was up the
unfamiliar cement steps and hao her IN
my arms. She clung to me. an instant,
but she seemed clustered, uncomfortable,
and / found the cause in a most imposing
figure in black. standing in a side window
looking, / thought. with plying tolerance
on our gush. 1t was OF the point or my
tongue to ask softly who the stately crea-
ture was when Nora came forward and
introduced her as Nine. Something-or-
Other, mothers housekeeper. immedlate-
" she assumed. to my indignation, almost
the air of mistress, informing me she
would show me my room. When ! re-
piled. tartly Goodness, / could find that
with both eyes gone. Nora looked en-
barrassed and mother broke in hurriedly.
There have been so many changes, hit-
~. dear.
Before many hours elapsed | found am
pie justification for her words. At the
finish of the o'clock dinner the plebeian
time of noon on the dot had been the old
hour | felt that ! and father and mother
were visitors in some fash1onaDle. beauti-
fully managed hotel. being initiated into
the mode of life of the best people by
the stately madam. Mother, | was sure,
was mortaily afraid of her, else, enthu-
siastic housewife that she was, she would
not have submitted meekly to the man
agement of her home being taken COM
pIetely out of her capable hands. And
the new regime, / could plainly see,
though mother tried TO smile cheerily. and
constantly spoke of Dicks goodness, was
putting a wistful, tired light in her SOFT
gray eyes. AS the friend next door said
when he came over for a few moments In
the evening and I bluntly informed him
that I didn't like the revolution, Its a
case Of rushing the years, Kit, this taking
away from your father and mother the
work which to them was not work, but
life
Rushing the years The words
dweIt with me, and. as the days passed,
and / watched father and mother droop
more and more, | knew that old friend of
mine was right. Dick and Nora, III tax
ing away the little homely, daily tasks.
far from adding TO the years. rushed
theU.
1t would have been laughable if ] had
rot found it so pitiful. the way they con-
cealed their dissatisfaction from each
other But | easily figured it out. They
had been elated over Nora's capture; and
when Dick began doing such wonderful
! things for them and they saw the amaze
ment Of the neighbors they had been
proud and puffed up. possibly talking
around so boastfully that now, when they
found the old life. with its comforts il
not luNuries, infinitely preferable to the
new, they hid the knowledge in the
sacred recesses of their hearts. And
strange to say, they even deceived one
another each believing the other con-