The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1915-05-12

merry, tender eyed Tom Kittedge ?
Fifty-two years ago it was, but how
could Kitty understand But it
was for the best--surely it was all
for the best-Grandma Kittredge
kept telling herself, for the young
people wanted to 60 to New York to
live, and she was to go too. They
were very, very kind to her. She
could not stay in the old house all
alone, and, then, there was no
money to keep it up with.
Money? She had hardly ever
bothered about the word until the
judge had died. There had always
been plenty of money. She had
never even asked how much or what
was left. The Judge was the Judge
that was enough. His father had
owned the big white colonial man
sion upon the hill before him, and
even the new trolley line that cut
across the front lawn in the inter-
ests of modern improvements had
not taken the beauty and dignity
away from the old place.
But after that last quiet ride in
the spring sunshine out to the pines
on the hillside they had told her
gently and carefully, so as not to
worry her too much, that there was
no money left-that the judge had
left nothing except the old home
and the land it stood on.
She had tried so hard to reason it
out for herself. 1t was not like Tom
to let things go along like that and
never tell her. And they had al
ways had plenty. Kitty had gone to
college with the other girls. There
had never word been said of
money.
"Going, going, gone-to Miss
Podmore for fve." Billy's voice
broke in on her reverie. Better
take that glass right off, Miss Pod
more, and the marble, too, so as it
won't get smashed. Dick, here, will
help you. And you might as well
bid up on the rest of the set. It's a
shame to break il"
'Iand, I don't want the heavy old
stuffw exclaimed Sue Podmore,
staring blankly at the big old bu-
reau. "My ceilings too low for that
top piece, and it's so heavy to lug
around. / only bid up five because
it did seem such a pity. l felt as if
we were fairly insulting the old
thing cheapening it so. But l don't
want it."
Didn't want it when it was worth
it's weight in gold to her! Grandma
Kittredge crossed over to where
Dick Lane was trying to take the
screws out of the mirror, the screws
that had not been loosened for fifty
two years and came out hard.
'1t's fearful hefty, Mis- Kit
tredge," he said, tipping it against
tree to get at the back better, and
then something happened - some-
thing so amazing that it stopped
the whole Kittredge auction, for as
Dicks hands pulled on the hand
carved, acorn trimmed bottom piece
along the side it gave way in his
grasp and fell out, and there in the
bright sunshine lay exposed Judge
Kittredge's private home bank.
"Of course, grandma, you'll do
just as you please" Kitty the Third
said after every one had gone and
Billy and Dick had carried all the
precious unsold things back to their
places in the house, "but Dudley
and i would love to have you live
with us in town."
Grandma Kittredge smiled happi-
ly to herself and swayed gently back
and forth in her little low sewing
rocker that Miss Podmore had kept
her eye on ever since the sale had
begun.
"Well, it's real sweet of you to
say so, dearie," she answered, "and
l know you both mean it, but as
long as there's the means to keep it
with-how much did Dudley say
your grandpa had put in that draw
er-twelye thousand and some odd?
Well, 1 kind of think that I'll stay
right here. You can come out to
visit me often, and there may be
others to consider, YOU know"
"Others?" said Kitty the Third
inquiringly, "Others, grandma ?"
"There may be Kitty the Fourth
some day, dear heart, who would
love the old place and even the fur
niture some day, dearie, when you
are old, too, and l am up with
grandpa on the hill, and black wal
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