Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-04-01
brow like Georges; a delicate-featur-
ed, refined woman with sweet, senai-
tive mouth and eyes like Carols; a
lovely little child with q cloud of fair

4ue OIu COuCn was at one Slde OIL
n fireplace. at a convenient angle
hiding the bookshelves. On the 9TH
er side, with its back toward the first
landing Of the rude staircase, stood an
J upright piano with a pile of shah
BY music on the top and a book Of
songs open on the rack. On the floor
in h space between was spread a
worn and faded ingram rug, its orig
tnal colors and pattern long since
blended into neutral grays and
with the rustic surroundings. A few
comfortable but shabby chairs were
scattered about in a homelike way,
and, a few pictures in plain frames
were hung on the clean new parti-
tons. Under one stood q small oak
desk and a few writing materials. A
little further on a plain library table
heid a rev magazines and papers and
a cherished book or two. There had
been no attempt to the wide
pare moor spaces, a v by a small
carefully brushed and flunk here and
there in front Of q chair. There was
no pretension and therefore no in
c%ongruity.. The only luxurious thing
in the place was the bright electric
light, and yet it all looked pleasant
and inviting.
Say, now, this is great" reiterated
the young owner Of the place, sink
ing into the nearest chair and look
ing about him with admiration. who
would ever have imagined you could
make a barn look like this? Why.
you're a genius, Miss HOLSTER.
You're a real artist"
Shirley in an old Bingham dress,
with her sleeves rolled high and her
hair fluffing wilfully in disorder about
her hot cheeks. stood before him in
dismay. She had been working hard,
and was all too conscious Of the brief
time before they must be done; and
to have company just now-and such
company-put her to confusion; but
the honest admiration in the young
equilibrium. She began to pull down
her sleeves and sit down to receive
her callers properly; but he at once
insisted that she should not DELAY on
his account, and, seeing her shyness,
immediately plunged into some ques-
TORS about the water-pipes, which
brought about a o businesslika
footins and relieved her embarrass-
ment. He was soon on his way to the
! a%rtitjoned corner which was to be
tile kitchen, telling Shirley how it wig
CONS to be no trouble to run a pipe
frcEl the spring and have a faucet pu;
in, and that it should be done on the
morrow. Then he called to Elizabeth.
kid, what did you do with those
cats you brought along? I think it
would De a good time to hand them
out. I'm hungry. Suppose you take
George out to the car to help you
nic!"
Then trrrir~ "a ch ir,o
planned:
Elizabeth and / are great ones to
have something along to eat. It
makes one hungry to ride, you know
The children needed. no second
word. but all hurried out to the car,
and came back with a great bag OF
most delicious oranges and several
boxes of fancy cakes n crackers;
and they all sat down to enjoy them,
laughing n chattering, not at all
like landlord and tenants.
Now what's to do next?" demand
cd the landlord as soon as the repast
was finished. "I'm going to help.
We're not here to hinder, and we
must make up for the time we have
stopped you. What were YOU and
George doing, Miss Carol. when we
arrived? {"
"Unpacking Dishes" giggled Carol,
looking askance at the frownins Shir-
ley. who was shaking her head at
ley had no mind to have the elegant
landlord see the dismal state of the
HOLSTER crockery. But the young
man was not to be so easily put off,
and to Carols secret delight insisted
upon helping despite Shirley's most
earnest protests that it was not neces-
a to do anything more that eve
ming. He and Elizabeth repaired to
the dining room end Of the barn, and
helped unpack dishes, pans, kettles,
knives and forks, and arrange them
on the shelves that George had i'm
provtsed out of a large old bookcase
that used to be his fathers. After all.
there was something in good breed
ing, thought Shirley, for from the way
In which Mr.. Graham handled the old
cracked dishes, and set them up so
nicely. you never would have known
but they were Haviland china. He
never seemed to see them at all when
they were cracked. One might have
thought he had been a member Of the
family Tor years. he made things
seem so nice and comfortable and
sociable.
Merrily they worked, and accom-
plished wonders that night, for shir-
ley let them stay until nearly eleven
o'clock "just for once" and then thew
all piled into the car, Shirley and
Carol and Elisabeth in the back seat,
George and the happy Harley with
Graham IN the front. II there had
been seven Of them, they would
have all happily squeezed in. The
young HOLSTERS were having the time
of their lives, and as for the Grahams
1t wasn't quite certain. but that they
were also. Certainly society had
never seen on Sidney Graham's lace
that happy, enthusiastic look Of in
tense satisfaction that the moon look
ed down upon that night. And, after
All, they got home almost as soon as
II they had gone on the ten o'clock
After that on one pretext or anoth-
er those Grahams were always drop
ping in On the HOLSTERS at their
work and managing to "help," and
presently even Shirley Ceased to be
annoyed or to apologize.
The east end of the barn had been
selected for bedrooms. A pair of
cretonne curtains was stretched
across the long. narrow room from
room for their mothers bed and
DSriss crib. and the. back room for
Shirley and Carol. The boys had
taken possession Of the loft with
many shouts and elaborate prepare
lions. and had spread out their treas
ures with deep delight, knowing that
at last there WAS room enough for
their proper display and they need
feel no fear that they would be
thrown out because their place was
wanted for somethinE more necessary.
Little by little the HOLSTERS were
getting settled. It was not so hard.
after all, because there was that