The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-27
==By-==
William Dudley PeIley

!; opposite the big white house will
| the only plate-glass windows il
Paris, surrounded by the aristocratic
iron fence and with the terracotta
! statue in the center of the leaf-chok-
ed front yard. Monday Washing YVES
making urgent apeals to turn in the
driveway. She offered no protest as
the boy gave the little mare the reins
and she stopped before the side door
She waited a moment on the brown
stone steps while Herbert hurriedly
Embarrassed the mare, blanketed her,
fed her and pushed the buggy out
of the way in the carriage house.
Then he took her arm and they pass
ed into his home together.
The girl had never before been in
such house. In books and maya
zines she had read of them and tried
to picture what they were like. Now
that she found herself in the big
hall with her poorly shod little feet
sinking into rich carpets and the at
n1esphere of rich embroideries and
hangings assailed her, she was awed
and frightened.
The lad helped her off with her
coat and hung; it on the. big black
walnut hall-tree. He led her into the
southeastern front room and left her
while he went in search of his mother.
Whatever his parsimony might be
in business, old Short Cramp was a
home man and his house was his
/ castle furnished according to his
means. A marble nlantel was built
. on the north side of the room with
an open fireplace beneath. The fall
night being chilly, fire had been
burning in the CRATE and the charred
embers were warm and hospitable.
The carpet was similar to floor cover
ings in the hall and the high windows
were hung with heavy curtains of
creamy lace The chairs were un-
holstered in gray. Over the carved
center table was chandelier of a
thousand spangles and the big oil
lamp in the center sent out an illu-
mination which blended the whole
into an air of unutterable luxury.
The girl sank into one of the chairs
drawn before the dying fire. Some
thing deep within her stirred in ap-
probation and compatibility with the
atmosphere about her.
To live in house like this was
what it neeanr to be wealthy. This
is what her mother had wanted. To
gain an entrance to such life was
the reason that she had tried to
finish her schooling that had been so
unhappily interrupted. She thought
of the lonely farmhouse on the Cobb
Hill road in contrast and she choked
back an impulsesto shed tears. The
| avenue was open to her to spend all
the rest of her. days in such a man
! sion. And after all, Slug wasn't such
an impossible boy. He was only big
and clumsy and lonesome and heart
hungry. He would never treat her
as Pa Wheeler had treated her
mother. He wasn't that kind. What
I should she do? She had no one to
/ help her nor take counsel with her.
She new we'll enough what her mother
would say. And with thoughts of her
mother came the realization of what
/ she could do for the woman with the
terribly Redeemed hands if as Herbs
wife she had access to the Truman
money. She wept-a little bit-be-
fore Herbert returned.
! Neither mother nor father are in
the house." he announced. 81 sup
| pose they've stepped out to Sunday
neetin'"
i "I'm sorry," she said. "Some othe,
time, perhaps
/ "Don't co." he pleaded.
81 must" she said simply.
| Rather sorrowfully he assented. He
i followed her back into the hall ane
helped her with her coat.
i MARY" he said "-I don't n1eal
nothin' wrong by what been tellin
q you this afternoon"
7sI know you don't, Herbert"
4 She stood by the door, her fingers
i fumbling the rim of her bonnet, he
Il face downcast.
aid like to keep company with you
i regular"
"Let me-please let me-think i
| over"
aAll right, he agreed. His agree
ment was pathetic.