Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-11-09

packed miscel-
laneouS contents
Of an old trunk used for odds and
ends. q
Her summer clothes she had al
ready unpacked, but while she was at
1t. 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
ciled on the first bulky bundle. How
useless to keep it! 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
crumpled 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, Helen rewrapped
1t carefully.
A fiat piece of tin with narrow
Sits. 'The Eureka Knife Platter
Do Your Plating at Home" read
the printed label. The goods were sup
posed to be showed through the Sits
and ironed down on the other side,
but Helen had found that the plaits
were irregular and did not stay in.
Here, at least, was something she
could throw away.
A black sateen domino, with a red
lined hood and red heart on the
sleeve, that she had made for a mas,
querade years ago. Why keep it? I'm
pulsively she took 1t out to the kitchen
where Dora was ironing.
Dora. do you think you could get
a petticoat out Of this7"
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 QUO would she ever part
with the things in that box.
An ivory fan with one of the sticks
broken and the lacy gauze cracked ir
the folds. That last night she had
used 1t as a dance card. On the bach
were the names: ]. w. E. Curtis
2, Bob Morows. 3, w. e. Curtis
4, X. Matthews. 8, w. E. Curtis. 6
L. w. Hewitt. Z, X. Matthew'S
crossed out and Curtis" written ovel
1t.
Helen's eyes grew dreamy as she
Idly folded and unfolded the fan
That night Warren's dominant per
sonality had claimed her.
Her color deepened as she rewrap
ped in the crumpled tissue paper, the
broken fan and a blue chiffon scarf
to which still chung faint perfume
"The Home Physician" an old "doc
tor" book long In the family. "Studi
ously she turned through it. "Lumba
go, Influenza, Night Sweats," will
pages of Symptoms" and Doses
What quantities Of medicine people
used to takel She could not quite
throw it out, yet it was worse thar
useless. q.
Some old silk underwear Of War
rens. Now he wore cotton, and sh'
had kept these because they seemed
too fine to throw away. They would
make good busters. Resolutely sh'
put them on the discard pile.
A scrap-book, "Plays Have Seen,
half-filled with theater programs. Les
lie Carter In "Zaza," Warfield in 9Th,
Music Master" Warren had taken he
to that-it was before they were en-
gagged. She remembered her dress, ,
pale blue organdie. He had stepped
on the flounce-hOw cOntrite he hat
been! Determinedly she put back thu
book.
! A set of twelve whist boards. NJ
| one played duplicate whist now, We
it was q much better game thai
bridge. Perhaps 1t would come II
again.
/ A hideous cushion top-irregula
pieces of velvet and silk, cat-stitche'
together. Helen 1onged to throw
away, but at the memory of he
childish pride in the work reluctant.
she put it back.
! A hand-painted plaque, water lille
in pea-green pond. even NOR
hideous than the cushion. Last win
ter some artists had held "Ba'
Taste Exhibition" What choice con
tributions those would have made.
An old leather writing case o
Warren's. "Hotel Metropole, London.
was the heading on some letter pape
inside. That was his trip before the,
were married. An old White Star sail
ing list and q London Northwestern
time table were In one of the pockets
An envelope addressed to "Mr. War
rem E. Curtis, Care s. S. Adriatic."
was in a woman's writing.
Dear Warren:
81 am sending with this book tina
I think you will enjoy. You will &c
a good rest on the steamer and pei
haps meet some pleasant people.
certainly shall miss you and shall b
glad when you are back again.
Remember, you are to write me an
mail 1t as soon as you land. Yo
know you promised to write Often-t
answer my letters as soon as you re