Bridgeton pioneer., 1915-09-09
Harmony House
The "GoOd Angel" of the
Home
By cLARIssA r1AcKIE

Harmony House dwelt in the midst
of pleasant green lawns, noble trees
and many scattered flower beds.
| The rooms were arranged in suits Of
three small bedrooms bath and sitting
room. and to each suit the manage
ment allotted three guests" of the
bouse-spinsters of fifty and over and
INDECENT childless widows.
| This "home," with its annual fee of
$50 each, assured the inmates a home
for life provided peace ~dwelt within
its walls. IN case of disSenSion the
malefactor must bid farewell to Har-
mony House forever.
And Harmony House had been the
gift of Miss Keziah Todd, a peace low
ing spinster of ample means.
| Her portrait hung over the high man
telpiece in the front hall and gazed
benignantly down upon the guests of
Harmony House, whose lives she had
tried to brighten while her own faded
away into another world.
1t was March, and there was hint
of spring in the sharp air, even though
the snow lay eight inches deep over
lawns, fields and highway.
Five o'clock of a March afternoon,
and twenty-four guests of Harmony
House gathered in the general sitting
room on the first floor. Promptly at 6
Hepsy Biddle the housekeeper, would
announce supper, and if it wasn't
Hepsy Biddle it would be one Of the
mattresses. Anyway, some one would
ring the supper bell.
II hope it's Hepsy. | want to ask
her about the new lady who came this
afternoon" fused Mrs. Bennett.
81 saw her," remarked Alicia Pear
son-"small and scrawny, like little
canary
Some one laughed.
II wonder if she sings like oneT tit
tered Ellen Smith. her false teeth click
ing in unison with her tongue.
sharp voice broke in from the door
way, a strange voice, the voice of the
| newcomer.
81 can tell you 1 don't sing like a
canaryr' it snapped. "And l don't
cackle like hen or litter like guinea
4
Over the tiny form of the irate new
conner Hepsy Biddle loomed like an
angel of peace
"Why, Miss Olivia, l didn't know
you had arrived! Did some one show
| you your room?"
| "The girl did," said Olivia Ladd.
"And she said it was most supper time,
| so Gaze down."
That's right Make yourself at
home. I'll introduce you to your room
mates, and they can introduce you to
the rest"
Hepsy led Olivia up to Alicia Pear
son and Ellen Smith
They both bowed and said, PLEASED
to meet you" And Olivia stared hard
at them and said pertly:
PLEASED to meet you, I'm surep'
Hepsy drifted away toward the
kitchen, and Olivia was left in the
middle of the sitting room, with forty.
eight eyes focused on her sprightly
little form.
Olivia Ladd wore a black cashmere
skirt, made narrow in the latest mode.
She wore black high heeled slippers.
with silver buckles, and a white shirt
waist with a sailor collar that showed
stringy little throat that was culver
ing more than its owner would admit.
Olivia's pale sandy hair was coiled
in two small fiat circles behind her
ears. Her blue eyes had a strained
look, and there were hard little lines
around her nose and mouth.
l. Not one of the women present
dreamed that Olivia Ladd had reached
what appeared to her haven of ref
uge.
For thirty years she had been a
dressmaker, out by the day, and, hay-
ing considered long and carefully how
to invest her savings, she had been
sent to the management of Harmony
House.
I'm going to do nothing for weeks
and weeks" Olivia had promised her.
self. So she fixed up her wardrobe
and felt sense of triumph In de-
scending upon the rural inmates of
Harmony House in the glory of uu to
date clothes.
Il shall never maize clothes for any
one except myself" was another prom.
Use Olivia had made, She felt rather
forlorn in the midst of the women.
and for one instant she longed for her
tiny room in the crowded city.
But the old fighting spirit was in ber.
and she tossed her head and remarked
pleasantly:
Il suppose there's chair for me.
but I don't seem to see it."
Mrs. Matte Jones laughed good ma
turedly.
Its right behind me, Miss I,add
I'm so fat that l shut off all the
view. Here. Miss Amber, shove that
chair around for Miss Ladd Now
you sit down by ME and tell me all
the news from the city
Olivia thanked Mrs. Jones and took
| the chair. She told her about tbe
snow blockade on the city straats
about the near accident on the raS,.
road and finatly how she had dronnad
4 n cherished t,laut-a roco ,.on.