Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-12-31
A Treasured
Memory
By MURIEL LEE

'Tve got to do 1t, Warner" spoke
old Robert Percival. I'm offered
three times the rent you are paying
for my old home and must take ad-
vantage of the opportunity to Increase
my income"
Every WELL" assented Richard War
ner reslgnedly. 1--WE are old friends
and we have been good tenants-1 sup
pose you know that. When we took
the house for five years you lntlmated
that we might renew 1t for a lifetime
IL we wished There was some sentl-
ment in the thing, too, for my wife
had been your wife's closest friend.
There was something kind of sacred
about the home where she had lived
so long for both of u.s."
Robert Perclval thought back and
WINGED. Well he recalled the salts
faction he had experienced in having
friends occupy the old home who had
known Ethel and treasured her men,
DRY almost as fully as himself. He
had even left articles of furniture and
adornment when he broke up house
keeping and took apartments at no
tel best suited he judged, to lonely
old man.
another thing" proceeded Mr..
Warner, 1--WE will have to move out
in April and our daughter Margery Is
to marry in June. Poor chlld--she
loves the old place as If she had been
born IN 1t. But no hard feelings, Per-
clval. You must look out for your
interests, of course. Your new ten
ants want to look over the house,
believe you saidp'
'Yes, to suggest the decoration and
some changes" answered Percival.
well, here is a key to the wing
door. We wont be at home tomorrow.
My wife says she would cry all the
time to see strangers who are going
to succeed us. Its like Dissertation
to her. If I could afford It l would
meet your terms and remain, but we
have to figure close on our little ALL"
Robert Percival was not naturally
a grasplng man, but an increase of
over three hundred per cent, although
1t looked like prohteering, was a vast
temptation to the avarlcious prompt
ings, so current with times out Of
Joint everywhere. lie felt dissatisfied
and uneasy as he pursued his way.
He had dearly loved his wife. After
her death there was a rare comfort
in calling upon the Warmers. It look
ed as though they had purposely re-
talned the appearance Of many rooms
as they had been. The chair Ethel
had sat in to sew occupied its old time
place near the window. The curtains
and draperies Percival had given them
appeared as though his wife had
smoothed them out and hung them in
her own peculiar way. All this con-
soled and cOmforted Percival.
He revisited 1t now. The next day
he found the Warmers absent and let
himself in at the wing door. Some
how 1t was like entering the storeroom
of poignant memories. AS he passed
from room to room, in every one there
was some trace of fidelity to the taste
Of his departed wife. When he came
to the sun parlor that had been a de-
light to his wife, her portrait on the
wall stool she had once covered,
n pillow she had made almost brought
him to the point Of tears. It was
hallowed spot and a sensation Of
shame and remorse appealed to his
better nature, as he reflected the pain
and discomfort he was causing tried
and true friends who had loved Ethel
in the past and had never ceased to
remember her.
His reveries and half inclination to
allow his old tenants to remain were
disturbed by the arrival Of the people
who had made the proposition to take
the place at an advanced rate. He let
them in and regarded them for the
first time, for his dealings with them
had been carried on entirely by CORE
spondence. They would take the
house only If altered as they desired,
they had written, and showing them
about from room to room Percival
waited to hear what they would say.
Within five minutes he realized the
vast contrast between these loud, new
~ rich people and the Warmers. The
woman was capriciOus, fault-fnding,
almost insolent. There must be
thorough renovation. The paper on
the walls was Of the style Of a past
century, The sun parlor must be con
verted into a music room. Those
abominable rags Of draperies must be
replaced with gaudy patterns and
colorsl
you won'tr almost shouted Per-
clval, once they were out Of the house
"Whyl these vandals would modern
lie the place, as they call It, till 1t was
sort Of gewgaw museum. Disturb
the sun parlor where Ethel passed the
happlest hours of her life Throw
aside the old mementoes that the War
ners so cherish that keep Ethel in my
mind In a comforting, peaceful way
No, and Margery wishes to be married
here. and they have made all their
plans And she was such q favorite
with Ethel. When / have told Warner
how .shamed Of myself am for ever
thinking Of such thing as turning
him adrlft, I'll probably feel less like
a sneak and more like a man than do
Just now"
II CHANGED that Margery came home
as Perclval was stumbllngly telling Mr..
and Mrs. Warner that he had changed
his mind
"You can have lease Of the house
for fifty years, If you want i'll" he
declared and when Margery impetu-
ously kissed him, with happy tears In
her eyes, Robert Perclval knew that
the love Of such friends was greater
than riches and gain.