The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1913-03-01
Her UNLIMITED GUEST
sy WILLIAM suRroN.

room than with any other.
This was curious. inasmuch a. she
was woman not much inclined to
sociabilisy, being fond of her own so
ciety. 80 why IN fancy she should
always be Furnishing that spare cham.
Der. laying the gray rug on its floor.
hanging the dimity curtains and
smoothing the Marseilles spread. she
herself could not explain.
She even arranged the books IN the
little white case. books calculated to
put . guest in good humor with him.
self. books which would bring about
that peaceful state Of mind conducive
to sleep. She would have no exciting
novels. no passionate poems, no soci-
illogical frebrands in her guest
chamber. There should be such vol.
umes as "The Measure Of the Hours"
Society and Solitude" Sesame and
Lilies" These would become the
shelves and crafty guest even II he
never got beyond the titles.
SO when by generous increase In
her salary the apartment was made
possible she took one with FIVE rooms
instead Of four. because, as she told
the agent, she must have spare
room"
The rooms OF reality are never as
well furnished as are those in the
houses OF our imagination. Still, her
guest chamber was a marvel of white
ness and daintiness. There was a
cred rug on the floor and French
striped paper with a pattern of tiny
rosebuds on the wall. The woodwork
was white and so we're the little iron
bed and the enameled dresser and the
stiff chair. There was another chair
rocker, covered with cretonne of
much the same pattern as the paper,
and 1t stood close to low wicker ia
Bile, on which was placed small rain.
bow glass vase, an Indian basket and
few books.
The covers Of the books we're Of
the same colors as those in the wall
paper-pink, TO match the buds, or
green, to match the buds leaves--and
they looked like the kind Of books one
is proud to buy, but never has time
to read. But "The Measure OF the
Hours" Society and Solitude" and
Sesame and Lilies" stood up fresh
and inviting.
had cost much thought and self-denial
to procure 1t. And 1t was ten times
more costly than her own.
But where was the guest? After
three months Of residence in her new
home she had never turned down the
Marseilles spread nor put flowers in
the rainbow glass vase, nor brought
out the guest towel that she herself
had embroidered. or course, all sorts
Of imaginary persons had occupied the
room and had expressed themselves
as having slept the sleep OF the just
and of infancy, and Of having felt a
strong desire never to be Obliged to
forter and the Marseilles spread that
covered it,
Sometimes the guest was cousin
whom she had known In her child
hood and who had gone through Har
/ ward and was now practicing law In
Boston; the rose comforter and the
/ Sesame and Lilies" would be none
: too fine for him. Then again It was
an old friend Of her fathers. an arts
| tocratic woman. who had visited them
! in the days Of their prosperity. and
who. being literary In her tastes
would be sure to appreciate the quail
ity Of the quilt and to pounos upon
the Sesame and Lilies"
One day, minute after she had
closed the door on the grocer's shabby
boy, who had consented to deliver hel
groceries after she had returned home
at night. abe heard q crash on the
back porch and the sound Of some on'
falling. She opened the door quickl,
and turned the electric light upon tn,
white face OF the boy who but mo
ment before had been explaining Il
her why he had brought white corn
meal instead OF the yellow she hat
ordered. Now his face was as whit
az the meal and he looked as II h
would never again deliver groceries
He was only a mite Of boy an
she had little difficulty in getting hin
into the guest chamber and on top o
the Marseilles spread. where he re
NAMED until the arrival of a strang
doctor, who ordered that he be place
under this priced coverlet and tina
he remain there until able to be RI
moved to lis home. That was not III
til the end OF the second week.
Those two weeks she declared
be the happiest Of her life, though tn
, guest who occupied her spare chan
Der showed no interest either
books or bouquets. After he ha
gone she used to love to sit alone
the little rocker, staring meditativel
at the backs OF the books and at tn
roses on the wall,
But this Ia not all OF the story Sh
married the doctor and turned he
back forever on the little room thu
never knew the presence Of an 4
vited guest. Yet she says that Ii
3 spare chamber more than fulfilled Il
J. DurDose-it brought into her life