Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1916-05-04
CHAPTER ~.

1t was gray stone, with long roofs
of thick green slate. An architect who
loved the milder "Gothic motives" had
built what he liked: it was to be seen
,at once that he had been left unham-
pered, and he had wrought picture
out of his head into noble and ex-
lultant reality. At the same time a
Landscape designer had played SO good
"a second, with ready-made accessories
of screen, approach and vista, that al
ready whatever look of newness re-
manned upon the place was to its adj
vantage, as showing at least one thing
yet clean under the grimy sky.
Altogether, the new house was sue
cess. 1t was one of those architects
successes which leave the owners
yelled In privacy; it revealed nothing
of the people who lived in 1t save that
they were rich. In our swelling cities
rich families, one after another, take
title and occupy such houses as for
tunes rise and fall-they mark the
high tide 1t was impossible to imag-
Inc child's toy wagon left upon a
walk or driveway of the new house,
and yet 1t was-as Bibbs rightly called
ht-"beautiful."
What the architect thought of the
'"Golfo di Napoli," which hung in its
vast gold revel of rocco frame against
the gray wood of the hall, is to be con-
jectured-perhaps he had not seen it.
Edith, did you say only eleven
feet?" Bibbs painted, staring at 1t, as
the white jacketed twin of Pullman
porter helped him to get out Of his
oyercoat.
Eleven without the Frame" she ex-
plained. Its splendid, don't you
think? 1t lightens things up so. The
hall was kind Of gloomy before"
"No gloom noww said Bibbs.
"This statue In the corner is pretty,
too" she remarked. Mamma and
bought that" And Bibbs turned at
her direction to behold, amid grove
of tubbed palms. 'life-size," black
bearded Moor, of plastic composition
painted with unappeasable gloss and
Fbrilliancy. Upon his chocolate head he
wore a gold turban; In his hand he
held a gold-tipped spear; and for the
rest, he was red and yellow and black
and silver.
"HallelujahT was the sole comment
OF the returned wanderer, and Edith,
saying she would find mamma" left
him blinking at the Moor. Presently.
after she had disappeared, he turned
to the colored man who stood waiting,
Bibbs' travelling bag in his hand.
"What do you think of it?" Bibbs
asked, solemnly.
"Gran'v' replied the servitor. "She
mighty hard to dus'. Dus' git in all
Fem wrinkles. Yessuh, she mighty hard
TO dus'."
! 81 expect she must be-" said Bibbs.
his glance returning refiectively to the
black full beard for moment. SIS
there place anywhere could lie
hown?"
.Yessuh. We got one mem spare
rooms all fix up TO- you, sub. Right
up stains, sub. Nice room"
He led the way, and Bibbs followed
slowly. stopping at intervals to rest,
and noting a heavy increase in the
STAFF Of service since the exodus from
the "old" house. Maid and scrub.
women were at work under the pa
tently nominal direction of another
Pullman porter, who was profoundly
enjoying his own affectation of being
so ro ssad with IN ra
"Ev'ything got look spick an span
TO- the big doin's tonight" Bibbs'
guide explained, chuckling. "Yessuh.
we got big doIn's tonight! Big doin'sw
The room to which he conducted his
tagging charge was furnished In every
particular Nke room In new hotel;
and Bibbs found 1t pleasant-though
indeed. any room with good bed
would have seemed pleasant to him
after his journey. He stretched him.
self fiat Immediately, and having re-
piled mot now" to the attendants
offer to unpack the bag, closed his eyes
YEARLY.
white-Jacket, racially sympathetic,
lowered the window shades and made
an exit on tiptoe, encountering the
other white jacket-the harassed over