Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-10-08
THE SETTLE
BY MILDRED WHITE.

Cynthia paused before the doorway
| of the old house and looked up at its
| desolate windows She had known the
| time when these windows We're trim
with white curtains, the shining glass
| rejecting freight within. AS work
men came past, removing old mahog-
any furniture, a within seized her to go
in through the open door and inspect
| the struggling rooms, with their unex-
pected corners.
Soggy fall leaves, which had lately
been luxuriant and green, carpeted the
veranda floor; Cynthia thought, as she
| stepped inside, that the leaves were an
emblem of that life which had, until
the last, made the rambling dwelling a
place of comfort. The springtime of
the womans life had been green and
generous with promise; now, even as
the leaves, it lay broken and wasted.
The stairs echoed to her tread as
she went on to the long hall above.
From this hall rooms branched out
perplexingly and she hesitated select
ing her way. Here, a white marble
mantel beckoned from it's inviting nook
near the green latticed bOw-window
there, an outer balcony promised
view of the tangled garden beneath.
But Cynthia went down three steps,
to a second hallway, on to a twisting
turn, resting at length on a wooden
settle at the end. The place was de-
lightfully surprising. She thought how
easily one might keep house for ones
self in one or two of the great spread
ing rooms. Cynthia loved to keep
house. Now, she was boarding.
Presently, as she sat, she began to
dream of the old house, peopled with
forms of her fancy Some way, always
in the center of these happy dream
people she herself moved, dispensing
hospitality. The fire beneath the mar
BILE mantel of the living room glowed
cheerily Late crysanthamums were
heaped upon it. Then, with tremu-
lous laugh into the shadows of the hall.
Cynthia came back from her dreaming
to a realization of her own small room
at the city boarding house.
Following the sound Of her broken
laughter came quickly another step.
Some one else had paused, perplexed
at that last twisting way, undecided
how to continue The unexpected sight
of her apparently decided the man, for
he advanced, hat in hand, toward the
settle.
pardon the intrusion" he began. Il
thought the house vacant"
$50 it is" Cynthia told him. II
strayed in, following an impulse"
Interesting old place." the man said
pleasantly; don't let me interrupt
your inspection"
81 am not exactly inspecting" she
said
Looking into his kind, shrewd eyes,
Cynthia was moved by second i'm
pulse-a need of fellow sympathy, per-
haps for the hardness of the world.
She herself could hardly have explain
ed the impulse.
81 came" she added abruptly, ito
think things over. To put myself, as
it were, in place of the woman who
has been dispossessed of the home Of
her lifetime. To wonder just what l
should do, in her place
"Dispossessed?" asked the man. I'm
invited, he seated himself on the set
tie
Cynthia nodded
"She carried the mortgage as long as
she could, and then it was foreclosed. !
There had been an invalid father for
years, you see, her youth wasted.
But she made little money go q very |
long way /; she was planning to make !
the old house pay for itself, when"
Cynthias tender face hardened-''a
brute of a man foreclosed the mort |
gage. He'd been waiting his chance
for years, wanted to build a big apart
ment on the land. SO the poor woman
had to get out. P'-she brushed the
tears from her eyes-''it's a tragedy to
me" Cynthia explained. you see, /
knew her we'll"
The man drew a notebook from his
pocket and held it up to the light.
Ruth Vail was the former owner of
the property, l believe" he said.
'You knew this man who fore
closed"
81 saw him." Cynthia replied, fuss
once. red-faced bully who made no
allowance for woman's helplessness in
his dismissal" Her Indignation ended
in a sudden smile.
81 hoped" said Cynthia, "that l
might meet that man here today to
give him an Illuminating glimpse OF
his own character. Gain and greed
have killed all humanity in him"
The stranger rose from the settle
and stood looking down upon her.
"You may be right" he said.
thoughtfully. Sometimes that is so;
but this red-faced bully of whom you
speak was but the owners agent full
filling what he thought to be his duty.
Tho daSnicahle creature to whom you