South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-23

Helen promptly started on the china
closet. As this polish was much
higher she reasoned she would have
20 rub much harder. Having no
longer any fear that the pumice
might scratch she vigorously went to
work on one OF the drawers which
divided the upper and lower cup
boards.
BE careful, maam, 1 wouldn't rub
too hard, warned Nora.
ooh. the pumice is so fine-it can't
hurt it," reassuringly.
But this time when she wiped Off
the paste she was Mortified TO find
that she had rubbed through both the
varnish 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 70 that paint store" ex-
| citedly, SAY we rubbed too hard and
| took off the varnish. and that we
want some mahogany stain-or may
be he can suggest something better,
] quickly as you can"
Nora returned with a small can OF
mahogany paint but when Helen
| brushed over the bare spot it stood
out in a crude reddish shade very diff
ferent from the rich, dark mahogany
Of the china closet.
"Oh, it's ruined, it's ruined" walled
| Helen. Right on the drawer where
| it shows the most Oh, what will
Warren say. what shall l dO?"
In the next half hour Helen tried
| lead pencils. crayons brown shoe pol
/ ish, and other foolish futile expert
ments TO darken that light spot At
last, in desperation she decided TO
take out the drawer and send it by
| Nora TO the dealer too whom she
had telephoned last.
| The drawers were small and so
/ Nora could easily carry down both
SO very lightly she rubbed down the
other one to the desired dull finish.
| Now, Nora / want you TO explain
this very carefully. Tell him I'm go
ing to rub down the whole piece like
| this. and that L want him to restain
and do over the other drawer exactly
this finish. Ask him what he'll
charge-but whatever IT is. you'll
have TO leave It, and say we must
| have ii tomorrow"
! When Nora had gone Helen went 10
work on the rest of the closet, and
| after an hours very careful and very
| light rubbing. the piece was trans
formed. But the JOY she would have
| taken in this job was spoiled by the
| thought of the drawers.
| What excuse could she give War
rem for having sent them away? She
could think OF nothing better than
to say she was having the locks fixed.
If 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 he say?" eagerly. when
Nora finally came back. Cannot fix
it,"
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 them 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
| drawers" And she carefully re-
| hearsed her answer
But when a little after six she
heard him come in, her heart beat
guilty.
"Wen, how's the china closet?" was
his greeting as he strobe into the din
ing room.
"Oh, I think it's wonderful" try
ing to hide her nervousness. Look
how perfectly it fits in that corner.
! Don't you love that top? And the
legs-oh, / m wild about those legs!
Wait, I'll show you a cut in that book
of English furniture, almost exactly
like it."
Helen ran into the library. and
came back with the book, nervously
turning the pages. Why didn't he
ask about the drawers"
There were no keys for the draw
ers, so I sent them down to have
them fitted" she volunteered, discon-
certed at his silence.
'Um-m," granted Warren, non
committally.
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
And look at what it says. a very fine
specimen of an original Sheraton cab
met now In the possession of the Hon
S w. PARTRIDGE"
"Um-m,' with a keen scrutiny over
, the now dull finish of the mahogany
; so YOU rubbed it down, did YOU 20
Didn't it come out beautifully
, Hopefully ooh. if you'd only seer
I that awful glazy polish -
"Whatd you use?"
: Just a little crude oil. and a little
powdered pumice-stone. l called VI
one of the dealers and he told me
how to use it,
"Um-m, ought TO have done your
experimenting on a place where il
: wouldn't show. Now they'll charge
you as much TO do over those drawer:
as they would to rub down the whole
} piece"
Helen gasped. But dear" sh,
: began feebly.
) "Oh, cut it-Those drawers haven"
/ any locks" running his finger alODf