The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-28
Harmony House
The 'Good Angel" of the
Home
By CLARISSA MACKIE

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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 fifty and over and
INDECENT childless widows.
This "home," with its annual fee of
$50 each, assured the inmates 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 March afternoon,
and twenty -four guests Of Harmony
House gathered in the general sitting
room on the first floor. Promptly at g
Hepsy Biddle. the housekeeper, would
announce supper, and If 1t wasn't
Hepsy Biddle it would be one Of the
mattresses. Anyway, some one would
ring the supper bell.
81 hope it's Hepsy. l 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 q little
canary"
| Some one laughed.
II wonder If she sings like oneP" tit
tered Ellen Smith, her false teeth click
ing in unison with her tongue.
A sharp voice broke in from the door
way, q strange voice. the voice of the
newcomer.
II can tell you 1 don't sing like a
canaryr' it snapped. "And I don't
cackle like hen or litter like guinea
hen! Oh, good evening, Mrs. Biddle"
| Over the tiny form Of the irate new
conner Hepsy Biddle doomed like an
angel Of peace.
"Why, Miss Olivia. I 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 l came down."
"'That's right. Make yourself al
|. 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 hare
! at them and said pertly:
PLEASED to meet you, I'm surev'
Hepsy drifted away toward tn,
kitchen. and Olivia was left in thu
middle Of the sitting room. with forty
eight eyes focused on her sprightl.
, little form.
Olivia Ladd wore black cashmer,
: skirt. made narrow in the latest mode
}, She wore black high heeled slippers
: with silver buckles. and a white shir
waist with sailor collar that showe'
u stringy little throat that was culver
ing more than its owner would admit
Olivia's pale sandy hair was collie
in two small fiat circles behind he
ears. Her blue eyes had a straine
look. and there were hard little line
y around her nose and mouth.
Not one Of the women preseu
dreamed that Olivia Ladd had reache
what appeared to her a haven Of rel
1t uge.
> For thirty years she had been
dressmaker. out by the day, and, ha'
II ing considered long and carefully ho'
to invest her savings, she had bee
& sent to the management Of Harmon
u House.
s, I'm going to do nothing for week
1t and weeks" Olivia had promised he
lie self. So she fixed up her wardrot
e. and felt sense of triumph in d.
lie scending upon the rural inmates {
ID Harmony House in the glory Of up
N date clothes.
81 shall never make clothes for an
one except myself" was another prom
n Use Olivia had made. She felt rath'
OF forlorn in the midst of the wome
and for one instant she longed for III
tiny room in the crowded city.
II But the old fighting spirit was in he
O. and she tossed her head and remarkt
ar pleasantly:
rs II suppose there's chair for IN
but / don't seem to see It."
ne Mrs. Matte Jones laughed good n
turedly.
r. Its right behind me. Miss Lad
I'm so fat that l shut of all Il
h. view. Here, Miss Amber, shove tn
to chair around for Miss Ladd. No
nd you sit down by me and tell me {
n the news from the city"
Olivia thanked Mrs. Jones and to,
!, the chair. She told her about t
ha snow blockade on the city street
=. about the near accident on the "a
-. road and finally how she had dropp
n cherished plant-a rose geraniun
=, on the station platform and had Sc
In 1t crushed TO atoms by a heavy bs
"A gage truck.
She spoke of the latest and me
y. thrilling news of the war. the sinki
of ships by submarines, news viii