The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1916-09-20
THE new DINING ROOM
BY FANNY GRAY.

lug man had its appeal, TO say nothing
Of the fact that she had only bit Of
money laid by, while he had not only
good farm and farm lands, but
Idly sum In the bank, left him by his
father.
When Wifred first showed prefer
cnce for her. she had been inclined to
scout the idea OF marrying him. But
better acquaintance had proved his
sterling qualities, and the nearest
thing to love She had ever known
for any man had grown up in her
heart. Also, she reasoned that his
money would allow her 10 crafty
some Of her rrpr,-~cd ambitions, and
she expected to remodel his views to
meet her ideas.
But there are two sides to every
question. When the two were mar
red and settled down in their farm
house, Mary found that the habits of
middle age ARE not 50 easy to change.
Wilfred had been brought up by II
good and conscientious, but perfectly
commonplace mother. who had no
Ideas Of her own, and believed TINT
what had been good enough Tor her
parents was good enough for her.
After some weeks Of effort ON
Mury's part, the farmhouse took ON
81 new aspect. The best room" was
open all day and every day, with
new screens at the windows. and the
sun shut out during the heat of the
day with awning blinds. A small gas
range had been Installed in the kitcli-
IN beside the big coal stove. Old
carpets had been taken away. and cool
mating rugs had taken their pluc,
in the bedrooms. And, wonder of won
dcrs. there was brand new bath
roOml
How Mary had brought about thes,
changes she scarcely knew herself
But the results stood, and. II truth
were told, wilfred secretly enjoyed
the new regime.
However. there was one point on
which he stood firm rs rock. Mary
had approached it from every angle
but he would not bulge. She could
not make him give up eating in the
kitcheni There was an extra room
between the kitchen and the sitting
room, which seemed to serve no par.
ticular purpose. Mary had planned
to turn this into a dining room ever
since her arrival at the farmhouse,
but Wilfred was up in arms ut each
new attack she made.
lie always had eaten in the kitchen
he liked II, II was less trouble for ev-
eryone, he wasn't going to buy new
furniture, and so forth and 50 on. All
through the early part Of the summer
the eating In the hot kitchen had gone
on, with wilfred in his shirt sleeves
at the head of the table. Mary's soul
rebelled. but. as it seemed the one
thing she could not gain without an
open fight, she resolved TO bide her
time.
with the beginning of August. the
work Of taking the heavy loads Of gar
den truck to the nearby city grew
greater. Several times week vii
fred himself drove Unto town. return.
ing late And the blink ~ cunt grew
Meantime. Mary Planned her dining
room campaign.
She Ind resolved upon bold move.
With every preparation made as fur
ahead as possible, she watched VIII
fred one morning as he drove away
at sunrise from the farm. By the
time she had cleared away the break.
fast, the woman engaged for the day
had made her appearance. The one
time storsroom was emptied of ev.
erything in It, the floor was scrubbed.
the windows and paint washed.
Then Mary and her helper ad.
Journed to the woOdshed, and unpacked
the results Of Mary's visit to the city
the week before. When bngging and
excelsior had been removed, there
stood revealed very pretty oak din.
ing table and six chairs. And out Of
another package came a straw rug.
When all had been put in place, and
the china moved rom the kitchen
shelves to the glass-doored, old-fash-
Toned closet, Mary looked around her
with satisfaction. She was very tired
but very content. The muslin curtains
she had been secretly making were
hung. Truly, the room was inviting
and tasteful.
Mary kept her helper to assist in
preparing an unusually good supper,
and little before time for Wilfred to
arrive she appeared downstairs fresh
and smiling in a pretty afternoon
muslin.
When Wilfred came, she managed to
oaf hIrr, hv tho aIpaaI door nm