Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-11
The LITTLE GRAY HOUSE.
BY Hr.Ds YovT

I quiet plHc" 10 read a1d dream.
] MH@-.d war = tea"L.r, and ste hal come
/ 70 .~rnd her long sut. p.gI 'Hcation At VIII
Tow Lake o-el. Sne was slim "a /, pale
and pretty, with soft harm that needed
| only rest ard fresh air to make 3 bloo-i into
real beauty. She vas tired. however, des-
perately tired and lcnely Ts hotel prom sed
90 be less pieSsant than SO had eSs,cted.
There were no young people, Only Cd sdies
who sat on he versndas wi'h their kn.tiing
and embroi isrery discussing ellis ard OPP
erations. lldred wanted youth and jCll'ty,
or. falling that. at east solitude for dreams.
So. armed with plenty of books and maya
lines. she left the hotel ,vory morning di.
rectly after rsskfast
The little gray house looked like a haven
peaceful enough for snyon.. 1t was shaded
/ by huge oak tree, and .he pstch Of avn
before 1t vas green and smooth as velvet.
large ''For Rent sign decorated is front
window.
/ Mildred climbed the stnpt and pe,rcd In
at q. windo" She saw a cleanswept room
with painted white woodwork and an old
white wooden mante. Th"T, was a glimpse
| Of a biue-wa.led kitchen on beyond.
oh 'to girl o'claimed 10 herself II
do want to the rest Of 1t wonSrr--''
She turned the knob softly and found that
the door was unlocked. so rhe explored the
quaint interior. growing more enamored CT
.
and its door sills seemed TO 81 eak Of
years Of comfortable family lie Tn whole
house was in immaculate order as tho just
I swept aud furnished for a omecomins. II
was the most peaceful ho' that M dred
had ever been in 1t fitted L,r mood exactly,
'and she made suadon firm determination
to rent it.
1t was rct hard to find tie man who had
charge of it--he lived a han mile further
down the rosd.
That's flo Gordon's house. /, ex-
planned "rh,y' re all deat now except one
young feler that's moved 10 the city. He
wants il too, good care Of. and he Il rcrt u
cheap TO any ody Il do that
'oh, II! 'ako good care of it," Mildred
assured him, smiling 80 Il even paper
some OF the walls -
SO she got the house for the absurd i,utal
Of 81 a NOR th-less than az the sum she
paid for her stuffy room in the hote
Mildred lad a nttle furniture, from the
wreck OF hsr own dead and gone home, IN
storage in H.. city She sent for tNi', and
set about the process of\iedecoratiis the
sunny rooms
First. she papered them ith the help OF
boy from the villae, Fo. the living room
with its white fireplace she chose an old
| fashioned perrr with a dim pattern OF creamy
gray, and the two bedrooms she mact into
coby nests OF rose ana Sne rephlnleu
the blue kitchen walls stained the .loors,
and moved N her old furniture.
By the tits ,the living room was complete
with its chintz curtains braided rugs and
ate-legged table, II was delightful room
as an woman could wish. Mildred sar; over
her work, growing prettier and happier each
day. AT night she sa on tlr veranda watch
ing the fir.ffs and drinking in tn silent
beauty OF the place, or, il I was o,ol she
. 1...l f..- l.. - l..
in its embers. She tried to imagine how IL
would feel 70 live there will family about
her, to have other things than dreams for
company. 3ut she quite contented as
she was ard the country air WAS putting
fresh color in her cheeks, rounding thu deli
cate contour Of her face, so she no longer
looked like frail anG very 'ired teacher
| There came gusty August day with a
hint OF thrnder and rain in the air. There
came also % letter-s most unwolcomG letter
10 Mildred in her hule house. II was from
the principal Of the private school where
she was teacher. II sa'd that she wss
expected to return to her post on the l5tn
Of September. Mildred had been trying to
forget about the school; tnr thot of ieaving
her little home most depressing She
planned to keep II thru the winter end come
there for vacations, but vacations w,re SO
few And she was tired OF teaching, any.
way, shu otPtemVer loth vas oniY thrce
weeks off.
She lit hre-it was really cool 10,
August, and phe was always ready to lighr
fire at the slightest e. cuse bee sse IL
looked so ccsy That wns one reason she
longed to spend the winter there-she did
not have ,pcn fires in her furnish ID room
at Mrs. Green's boarding house.
Mildred sat before the fire, tryns ner
very best to think of some plan by which
she could Escape her year nt the school. II
only she cgpld paint, or wr.te or do some
clever thing TO earn liviag at homei Or
II she only had rich unc.s or father or
husband. She blushed at this last thot
and rose 10 pull down the window The
threat Of rain had become reality 1t be.
gan TO fall ~ sudden torrehts As Mildred
stood at the window she saw q man come
down the rad. running he tuIhed suddenly
and sought shelter under the big oak tree
before her ! cUse. At that moment a glim.
mer of lightning flashed out. Mildred rushed
to the door.
Please come inl" she called. You
might be stuck under thst tree. 1t isn't
safe"
IAN right" he called back in pie asant
voice. and IN two or three bounds he WAS on
the veranda shaking himself like big Now.
foundlsnd.
I'm pretty wet," he smiIed II hope
but mHufc' interrupted MN Win sudden
exclamation.
David Gordonl' she c led "However
did you come TO be-herel'
Il came to see my houfe," he replied,
''and you. Didn't you knew Mildred, that
l was your ie1dlordi"
MOL sh9 said. "I didn't Whatever
do you live At Mrs. Green for when you
have place ike 'hisl'
Why, I couldn's live here alone - he
ssid, "and wake it look like this Goodness
Mildred, wha; have you done to tn, old
placel 1t hasn't been so homelike-since
mother diedl'
Mildred laughed n little ruefully.
Il know It's homelike,'' che said And
the worst Of L is I've got tc leave It and 20
back to work very soon. hate to give
it up
David n'di,d. little Gtsent'y. He was
locking at tie brown-hairsd girl in tn. blue
gown and thinking how lovely she was. how
well she fttd into the cozy little room.
He had missed her at the boarting house:
there had hj.D no one to smile at him aci oss
the dinner Ia, lie or 20 play or Lin eYenngs
in the dingy arlor. He was a selfish fel.