The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-04-10

TT WAS an old-fashioned trunk
with checked paper lining and a
highly colored picture in the
deep, curved lid.
There was mingled mustiness of
moth balls and lavender as Helen
lltted out the heavy tray Beneath
were the closely-packed miscellane-
Gus contents of an old trunk used for
odds and ends. -,
Her summer clothes she had al
ready unpacked, but while she was at
it, she had had the janitor bring up
| all four trunks. She was giving the
whole of this dismal rainy day to a
general clearing out. Their closet
space was so limited, she must make
room for the winter bedding.
"Warren'S Violin Music" was pen
teiled on the FIRST bulky bundle. How
useless TO keep it'll Warren, who had
not played since he was at college,
had long ago given away his violin.
Something hard and square in a
pillow case. An old shell box that
had belonged to her grandmother. An
ugly, clumsy thing with many of the
shells missing from their bed of
crumbling red wax. Inside were some
yellowed newspaper clippings of
Aunt Mary's funeral and an envelope
of faded rosebuds marked, From the
casket. Putting some of the loose
shells inside the box, carefully Helen
rewrapped it.
A flat piece of tin with narrow
Sits. THE Eureka Knife Pleater-
Do Your Pleating at Home" read
the printed label. The goods was sup
posed to be showed through the Sits
and ironed down on the other side,
but Helen had found that the pieats
were irregular and did not stay in.
Here; at least, was something she
could throw away.
A small pine cone pillow with a
pine tree crudely painted on its linen
cover. Helen's inquiring sniff found
not the faintest odor, and it was
thrown beside the knife pleater. She
felt encouraged-she was really
clearing out.
A black sateen domino, with a red
lined hood and a red heart on the
sleeve, that she had made for mas
querade years ago. Why keep it2
Impulsivehy she took it out to the
kitchen where Dora was ironing.
Dora, do you think you could get
petticoat out of this?"
ooh yes, ma'am," with pleased ex-
pectancy. There's lot there"
Again kneeling by the trunk, she
took out a narrow pasteboard box.
Fan, scarf, etc. KEEP" She need
not have underlined the keep" for in
no clearing out would She ever part
with the things in that box.
An ivory fan with one of the sticks
broken and the lacy gauze cracked in
the folds. That last night she had
used it as dance card. On the back
were the names: !, w. z. Curtis.
2, Bob Morrows. 3, w. z. Curtis.
4, K. Matthews. S, w. E. Curtis. 6,
L. w. Hewitt. 7, K Matthews
crossed out and Curtis" written over
il.
Helen's eyes grew dreamy as she
idly folded and unfolded the fan.
That night Warren's dominant per-
sonality had claimed her. That night
had held the thrilled moment when
he had first told her that he cared.
Her color deepened as she rewrap-
ped, in the crumpled tissue paper, the
broken fan and blue chiffon scarf,
to which still chung a faint perfume.
"The Home Physician" an old
doctor" book long in the family.
Curiously she turned through it.
"Lumbago, Influenza, Night Sweats,"
with pages of Symptoms" ard
Doses" What quantities OF medicine
people used to take! She could not
quite throw it out, yet it was worse
than useless.
Some old silk underwear of War
rens. Now he wore cotton, and she
had kept these because they seemed
too fine to throw away. They would
make good busters, Resolutely she
put them on the discard pile.
A scrap book, plays l Have
Seem" half filled with theater pro-
grams. Leslie Carter in Tara" War