The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-01-15
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HOME BEAUTIFUL
BY FLORENCE KNoWLToN.

urcS and trust that the Lord will pro-
vide" she remarked. putting oui The
light and gazing wi>ttully through The
window. across the field, Ia the row of
lights along the shore and beyond
where the lighthouse WAS blinking one
'wO-one. two.
When the great ancestral home had
been left Ia her. the only liriT" tie
>ccndant of fine race Of men and
women she had been alarmed almost
into Il panic by the prospect of being
sole mistress of such an plephaniine
estate Whatever colld she do with
house OF ~ rooms. Il quiet. Spinster
woman like herself! She sighed
heavily. How she would have loved
Ia fill every room with children. and II
husband. nursery maids and all the
alas She was thirty-twO years old.
and though not bad looking. yet so des-
perately shy that the mere sight of
man caused her to hide her head like
the ostrich. and her tongue became
paralyZed completely.
Her desire to do some mothering
overcame every obstacle, and she soon
figured that she could have children
some one eiSe's to be sure, but chill
dren nevertheless. So she founded a
home for the mites, where they ran
wild through the big rooms. and grew
fat and healthy il. the fragrant air
that blew in from the ocean. For
three months happiness prevailed.
Barbara had just finished her ac-
counts. She was satisfied that her
private income was sufficient to pay
food bills nurses and cooks salaries,
and the other running expenses of the
house. But there was not one red
cent left for clothes. How were -
pairs Of feet to be booted and - backs
protected from the wintry blasts:
"Thr Lord must provide" Barbara
reiterated. trying to throw off all care.
Why. what have we here?"
1t was little Be ha, tugging at her
skirt. Miss BabS. Miss Babs, heard
burglar in the house"
'Only the wind or creaking stair.
Old houses like this are full of
sounds"
But this sound was Of an opening
window and a tumble"
This convinced Barbara that it was
time to act. She tucked Bertha into
bed, seized her revolver, and stepping
into the elevator. slid noiSelessly to
the street floor. There, Slhouetted
against the dining room windows, was
a man.
He turned like q shot when Barbara
approached.
whats the idea?" asked Barbara,
twirling the revolver so that it gilt
tered in the dim light.
"Why-er-why-" the intruder
stammered. II hope you don't mind
my calling at this hour?"
Mind screamed Barbara hys-
terically. AT midnightT'
II declare" murmured the man.
"She takes me for burglar"
"What else could take you for?
Barbara snapped peevishly. "You GER
tainly aren't making social visit"
my dear Miss Tanning, as per my
usual stupidness, I've made a mess OF
a kindly-intentioned act I'm your
neighbor, Philip Mead"
Barbara hardly knew how to act to-
ward the man she had heard so much
of, but had never met before. Let's
sit down and talk 1t over" she sug-
gested, impetuously pulling out a
chair.
"Oh, don't sit down." cautioned the
visitor, but Barbara had already struck
hard object which caused her to leap
instantly from the chair. The next
moment she was holding up pair Of
shoes. A second survey betrayed
box on every chair, heap of stock
ings before the fireplace, and outside
on the porch, pile of boxes the con-
tents of which she could well imagine.
what have you done?" she queried,
in bewilderment.
Philip swayed nervously from heel
to toe. "YOu don't know how many
times I've watched you and your chill
dren. I've envied you with my whole
heart and SOUL" he began. "All my
life I've wanted TO be loved, to marry,
to have a home and children. But
I'm too blamed shy. lose my wits
whenever meet woman (the dark
ness was helping him alonS). and
there's no one that cares row OF
pins for me anyway. When / saw
what a grand. self-sacriticing work you
were doing l just had to help. didn't
dare to offer money. SO | brought
these"
You darlingw Barbara forgot her
own awe Of the male and flung her
arms around Phil's neck. The next
moment they were laughing and chat
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