El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-18

] the drawers which divided the upper
and lower cUpboards.
BE careful ma'am, wouldn't run
too hard" warned Nora.
ooh. this pumice is so fine-it can't
/ hurt ii" reassur1ngIy. -.
But this time, when she wiped OH
the paste she was Mortified 70 ina
she had rubbed through both the var
nish and stain TO the bare, light WOOD
Nora gave a little cry Of dismay,
and Helen stared at the bare spot with
a sick beating Of her heart. Had she
ruined it?
GO back to that paint store, eX-
citedly, SAY we rubbed too hard ana
took off the varnish, and that we want
some mahogany stain-or maybe he
can suggest something better Quickly
as you can
mahogany stain. But when Helen
brushed over the bare spot it stood out
in a crude reddish shade very different
from the rich, dark mahogany OF the
aOh. it's ruined-it's ruined" walled
Helen Right or the drawer where
if shows the most Oh, what will War
rem say-what shall dog
In the next half hour Helen tried
lead pencils. crayOn, brown Shoe pol
ish and other foolish futile experiments
to darken that light spot. At last IN
desperation she decided to take out
the drawer and send it by Nora to the
dealer to whom she had telephoned
The drawers were small and Nora
could easily carry down both; so very
lightly she rubbed down the other one
to the desired dull finish
Now Nora, I want you to explain
this very carefully Tell him I'm go
ing to rub down the whole piece like
1 this and I want him TO restaln ana
do over the drawer in exactly this
IL Z. 1,afH Ea
but whatever it IS you'll have to leave
it. And say we must have it tomor-
When Nora had gone, Helen went
to work on the rest of the closet, ana
after an hours very careful and very
light rubbing the piece was trans
formed. But the JOY she would have
I taken in this task was spoiled by the
! thought Of the drawers.
What excuse could she give warren
( for having sent them away2 She could
1 think of nothing better than to say
she was having the locks fixed
II only she could tell him the truth!
/ But since he had warned her TO leave
/ it alone, he would storm out at her
and claim she had ruined it
What did ne say2" eagerly, When
I Nora finally came back. can he fix
I it?"
Fears VVarren's Censure.
He said he'd try. ma'am, but that
/ he couldn't send It to You before Sat
urday He has to put on three coats
/ and give 'em time to dry"
/ Saturday, The china closet would be
/ disfigured until Saturday,
] She was positive that Warren's first
{ question would be Where's the draw
ers?" And she carefully rehearsed her
/ answer
But when a little after six she heard
/ him come in, her heart beat gultily.
Well. hOw's the china clOset2' was
| his greeting as he strobe straight into
J the dining room
"Oh I think it's wonderful" trying
} to hide her nervousness. Look how
/ perfectly it fits in that corneri Don
YOU love that tOp2 And the legs-Oh,
| I'm wild about those legs. Wait, I'll
/ show you cut in that book of Eng
/ lish furniture almost exactly like it. "
! Helen ran into the library and came
/ back with the book. nervously turn
ing the pages. Why didn't he ask
There were no keys for the draw
I ers. so sent them out to have them
| fitted" she volunteered, disconnected at
/ his silence.
"Um-m,' grunted Warren noncom-
Here it is" giving him the book
! and pointing to the illustration You
! see the lines are Just the same-thOse
/ same legs and the same shaped top.
! specimen of an original Sheraton cab
I met now in the possession of the Hon.
I 5. ". PARTRIDGE
/ "Um-m,' with a keen scrutiny over
! the dull finish of the mahogany. $50
1 you rubbed it down, did you?'
/ Didn't IT come out beautifully
/ hopefully. "Oh, if you'd only seen that
awful glazy pOlish2"
/ "Whatd YOU use2"
Just a little crude oil and powdered
! pumicestone. I called up one of the
! dealers and he told me how to do
/ it."
"Um-m. Ought to have done your
J experimenting on a place where it
I wouldn't show. Now they'll charge
( you as much to do over those drawers
I as they would 10 have rubbed down
/ the whole piece"
Heleh gasped. But dear she
/ began feebly.
ooh. cut it, Those drawers haven't
/ any locks" running his finger along
/ the upper drawer ledge. Nothing to
lock into If you've got to lie, for
: ........... -.-.. ..-- .....-.. IL.