The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-22
Harmony House
The 'Good Anger Of the
Home
By CLARISSA MACKIE

4-&-**-s-*-s+*.S-s-s-s-s
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
house-spinsters of flfty 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
it's 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
I 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
Hepsy Biddle. the housekeeper, would
announce supper, and IL 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
IL saw her" remarked Alicia Pear
son-"small and scrawny, like a little
canary"
Some one laughed.
IT wonder If she sings like one" tit
tered Ellen Smith. her false teeth click
ing in unison with her tongue.
A sharp voice broke in from the door
way, a strange voice. the voice of the
newcomer.
II can tell you I don't sing like. a
canaryr' it snapped. And I don't
cackle like a hen or litter like guinea
hen, Oh, good evening, Mrs. Biddler'
Over the tiny form of the irate new
conner Hepsy Biddle doomed like an
! angel of pence.
: why. Miss Olivia, 1 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 came 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 sure!''
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 sailor collar that showed
a stringy little throat that was culver
| ing more than its owner would admit.
Olivfa's pale sandy hair was coiled
| in 1nf al l.aI,
ears. Her blue eyes had a strained
look, and there were hard little lines
around her nose and mouth.
Not one of the women present
dreamed that Olivia Laid had reached
what appeared TO her a haven OF ref
| uge.
For thirty years she had been a
dressmaker, out by the day. and, hav.
ing considered long and carefully how
| TO invest her savings. she had been
sent to the management OF Harmony
House
I'm going 20 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 up &c
date clothes.
II shall never make clothes for any
nne except myself" was another prom
Use Olivia had made. She felt rathei
forlorn in the midst of the women
and for one instant she longed for heI
tiny room in the crowded city.
But the old lighting spirit was in her
and she tossed her head and remarked
pleasantly:
II suppose there's chair for me
but don't seem to see IL"
Mrs. Matte Jones laughed good M
turedly.
Its right behind me, Miss Ladd
I'm so fat that shut or all tn,
view. Here. Miss Amber. shove tina
chair around for Miss Ladd. Now
you sit down by me and tell me al
the news from the city"
Olivia thanked Mrs. Jones and tool
the chair She told her about tn,
snow blockade on the city streets
about the near accident on the rail
road and finally how she had droppe,
a cherished plant-a rose geranium-
on the station platform and had seel
1t crushed 70 atoms by a heavy bag
gage truck.
she spoke OF the latest and mes
thrilling news Of the war, the sinkin
Of ships by submarines, news whicl