The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-11-04
A Treasured
Memory
BY MURIEL LEE

three times the rent you are paying
for my old home and I must take adj
vantage Of the opportunity to increase
my income"
VERY WE'LL" aSsented Richard War
ner reSignedly. I'VE are old friends
and we have been good tenants-I sup
pose you know that. When we took
the house for five years you minated
that we might renew it for lifetime
if we wished. There was some senti-
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 us"
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 mem
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 hO-
tel best suited, he judged, to a lonely
old mar.
Another thing" proceeded Mr..
Warner, 1--WE will have to move out
in April and our daughter. Margery is
to marry in June. Poor child-she
loves the old place as if she had been
clral You must look out for your
interests. Of course Your new ten
ants want to look over the house, I
believe you said?"
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 Il Dissertation
to her. II l could afford it l would
meet Your terms and remain. but we
have to figure close Oh our little all"
Robert PercivaI was not naturally
grasping man, bat an increase of
over three hundred per cent, although
it looked like profiteering, was Il vast
temptation to the avaricious prompt
ingS, SO current With times out of
joint everywhere. He 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 1t look
ed as though they had purposely re-
tanned 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 draperes 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 it now. The next day
he found the Warmers absent and let
himself in at the wing door. Some
how it was like entering the storerooln
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 de-
light to his wife, her portrait on the
wall. q stool she had once covered,
A pillow she had made almost brought
him to the point of tears. It was a
hallOwed spot and 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
1y rich people and the Warmers. The
woman was capricious, fault-fnding,
almost insolent. There must be a
thorough renovation. The paper on
the walls was of the style of a past
century! The sun parl0r must be con-
verified into a music room. Those
abominable rags of draperies must be
replaced with gaudy patterns and
colOrs!
'YOu won't!" almost shouted Per-
cival, once they were out of the house.
why! these vandals would modern
ize the place. as they call it, till it was
sort of gewgaw museum. Disturb
the sun parlor where Ethel passed the
happiest hours Of her life! Throw
aside the old mementoes that the War
ners so cherish that keep Ethel in my
mind in comforting, peaceful way!
No, and Margery wishes to be married
here, and they have made all their
plans And she was such a favorite
with Ethel. When have told Warner
how ashamed of myself am for ever
thinking of such a thing as turning
him adrift, I'll probably feel less like
a sneak and more like man than I do
inst now -