The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-07
THE OLD HOUSE
BY JACK LAYTON.
'SsssssS$ss sSS'Ssaisi
ICopyright. 1913. Western Newspaper Unionl

was an imposing residence to be point
ed out with pride. But now the bushes
in the dingy garden were dust covered,
and the twinkling lights of the tene-
ment windows seemed TO be laughing
down at the queer old house below.
| Linda, living on when her people had
all gone, seemed to take as years
passed, the air Of the lonely house,
reserved, living within herself. And
! though Linda was no longer young, yet
was she still not old enough to put
aside the dreams Of youth; and per-
haps had she not been like the house
between the tenements - removed
from life about her-Linda's dreams
might have come true.
AT first sentiment would not allow
her to part from the home she had
always known, then selling had be-
come an impossibIlity. For one dar-
ing moment Linda had thought of
renting her rooms to make homes for
business women, which at least would
bring companionship beneath the ST.
lent roof. But her long sheltered ma
ture shrank from the intrusion. There
was still no actual need, so the idea
was abandoned.
Before the CRATE fire beneath the
white marble mantel, Linda sat, pos
sessed of an aching longing for the
things that were gone. Then her idle
gaze fell upon the marker of book
which she had taken from the table.
"a recipe for happiness" she reid.
ado something for somebody quick"
Linda smiled. 1t sounded very sim
pie, TO do something for somebody, but
her best intentioned effort usually
ended In disappointing failure. Girls,
from the tenements to whom she had
made herself acquainted and whom
! she had invited In for social evenings,
| appeared TO find evenings in Linda's
home anything but social, excuslng
| themselves at an early hour, and
never returning.
From the shadowy veranda now
came persistent mewing wall.
"a lost kitten" murmured Linda,
| perhaps it may help to do some
thing for a lost kitten" so she opened
| The heavy front door to let the crca-
| ture in. 1t was a grateful white kit
/ ten, hunger was forgotten In the joy
of Nesting with contented purrings in
Linda lap. Then suddenly at the
front door came wild knocking, pound
| Ing as with two impatient fists.
When the little woman again opened
the door child stepped into the room,
beautiful bit of girl with tangled
| golden curls,
"Give me" she demanded. my kitten.
/ followed 1t over here. / saw you
take it in from the veranda. Give my
kitten back"
"0f course, dear" Linda agreed.
Maybe you didn't mean to keep it,"
she amended, "but every one over at
the tenement tries to steal my Fluffie
away. Fluff's all I've got since Daddy
went to war" Linda knelt before the
fire gathering child and kitten into
her arms.
| you live over there7" she asked.
"Who takes care Of youf"
"Mrs. MCGEE promised Daddy that
she'd look after me- the preeocioas one
replied, but mostly I'm alone. 'Cept
| every night when Mr.. Cameron comes
TO see me. He promised Daddy he
would. You know Mr.. Cameron"
Linda shook her head. Hes the
minister" the child confided, down
at the mission. Daddy likes Mr.. Cam
eron. He was good to my mother be-
| fore she died and he's good to me.
He is good to everybody. But
couldn't live In Mr.. Cameron's house
when Daddy went away, because it's
just two rooms, you see, back Of the
mission. The old lady who cooks for
Mr. Cameron don't like children. II
he had a wife it would be different,
he told Daddy So"
| The child withdrew from LInda's
clasp her longing eyes wandered re-
gretfully about the coy room. I'm
sorry I've got to go" she said. ats
| so-nice and pretty here and YOU
you're nice and pretty too"
( Linda flushed with strange pleasure
1 in the childish compliment. She
laughed happy little laugh straight
back from her girllsh years. why
can't you stay, dear2" she asked,
ITS the time Mr.. Cameron always
comes to see me-" the child told her.
II tapped" pleasant voice near by
said, "hut you did not hear. And
as the door was open, and / could see
my little charge within, you may par
don my intrusion"
| "Why here is Mr.. Cameron, come
for me, now" the child cried gleefully.
LET US stay a while, In this pretty
room with the pretty lady,"
So while the clock licked and mo-
ments flew miraculously, the old room
seemed to regain glow Of Joy from
the past, with the man and the wom-
an, the child and the kitten sitting be-
fore Its fire. And the earnest man,
whose kindly eyes read human nature
well, spoke of the needs of this moth
erless child. while Linda, flushing
little, showed to him the text Of her
book mark, and assured him Of her
readiness to respond to the needs.
SO through the long, silent halls
echoes now the laughter Of a child.
And Linda. happy as the little one,