The herald., 1918-02-07
LITTLE GRAY HOUSE
BY HllDA MORRIS.

standing lonely and deserted at theI
turn of the country road. Mildred camel
upon it early one morning in JuneI
when she was searching for quletI
/ place to read and dream.
Mildred was teacher, and she hadI
/ come to spend her long summer vaca-j
| ton at Willow Lake hotel. She wasI
/ slim girl, pale and pretty, with al
soft charm that needed only rest andI
fresh air to make it bloom into real
beauty.
/ The little gray house looked like al
/ haven peaceful enough for anyone. III
| was shaded by Il huge oak tree andl
the patch of lawn before it was greenl
! and smooth as velvet. A large For!
| Rent" sign decorated its front window.
Mildred climbed the steps and peeredI
/ In at the window. She saw clean
swept room with painted white wood
! work and an old white wooden mani
| tel. There was a glimpse of blue-l
walled kitchen on beyond.
"Oh"' the girl exclaimed to herself. |
81 do want 10 see the rest of it. II
| wonder"
She turned the knob softly and found
that the door was unlocked, so she ex-
/ plOred the quaint interior, growing
more enamored of the place at everyI
step.
1t was not hard to find the man whOI
had charge of it-he lived a half q
mile farther down the road.
That's the GOrdonS' house" he ex-
planned. They're all dead now except
| one young Teller that's moved to the
city. He wants 1t took good care of,
and he'll rent it cheap to anybOdy'n
do that"
"Oh will take good care Of it,"
Mildred assured him, smiling. 'Tn
| even paper some of the walls"
So she got the house for the absurd
| rental of 81 mOnth-leSS than half
the sum she paid for her stuffy room
| in the hotel. Mildred had q little fur
niture in storage in the city. She sent
for this. and set about the process Of
redecOrating the sunny rooms.
BY the time the living room was
complete, with its chintz curtains,
braided rugs and gate-legged table, it
was as delightful a room as any wOm-
an could wish.
There came q dusty August day
with a hint of thunder and rain in
the air. There came also letter.
most unwelcOme letter to Mildred
In her little house. It was from the
principal of the private school where
she was teacher. 1t said that she
was expected to return to her post on
the 18th of September
She lit fret was really cool for
August, and she was always ready to
light a fire at the slightest excuse be-
cause it looked so coy.
Mildred sat before the fire, trying
her very best to think of some plan by
which she could escape her year at
the school. If only she could paint,
or write, or do some clever thing to
earn a living at home! The threat Of
rain had become a reality. 1t began to
fall in sudden torrents. AS Mildred
stood at the window she saw q man
come down the road, running. He
turned suddenly, and sought shelter
under the big oak tree before her
house. At that moment a glimmer of
lightning flashed out. Mildred rushed
to the door.
"Please come I'M" she called. "You
might be struck under that tree. It
isn't safe"
GAIL right" he called back in a pleas
ant voice, and in two or three bounds
he was on the veranda, shaking him.
self like big Newfoundland.
"Pm pretty wet" he smiled. IT
hope"
But Mildred interrupted him with a
sudden exclamation.
"David Gordon!" she cried. "How-
ever did you come to me-here?"
II came to see my house." he re-
piled, "and you. Didn't you know, Mil
dred, that was your landlord"
"NO" she said. II didn't. What
ever do you live at Mrs. Green's for
when you have a place like thisT
"Why couldn't live here alone" he
said, "and make it look like thisi
Goodness, Mildred, what have you done
to the old place? 1t hasn't been so
hOmelike-since mother died!"
Mildred laughed, a little ruefully.
81 know it's homelike," she said.
Sand the worst Of it is I've got to
leave 1t and go back to work very
soon. I-hate to give It up"
David nodded, a little absently. He
was looking at the brown-haired girl
in the blue gown and thinking how
lovely she was, how well she fitted into
the cozy little room.
"Why don't you move in yourself?'
Mildred was saying.
81 couldn't-now," he said. "Its
rented. It's your house. There's Just
one condition under which 1 might live
here. That is"
She waited, wondering, her heart
curiously a-fiutter.
"That you will stay here with me.
Could you marry me, Mildred, even
though I offered you nothing better
than this little house, and love?"
"Oh, David" she whispered. 81
could. And nobody in all the world
could wish for any more!"
Copyright, 1917. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)