Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-20

of silence. Aunt sabrina went about
the room Strengthening a picture here,
a tidy there. Nancy watched her
with angry eyes-what was there
about her that had killed that
precious glow in poor little Miss Mil
ly?
She rose abruptly. May I go to
Miss sabrina said, "Why, Of course
Anne" and Miss Milly flashed q little
ghost Of a smile that e~ntreated:
You see what life is like for me. SO
please, please come again."
Upon Nancy's face.N as she closed
her own door behind her, was q mix
ture, of relief. indignation and appre-.
henson. And a little of each Of these
emotions crept into the lines Of the
letter that-to give vent to all that
was bursting. within her-she dashed
off to Claire.
=. You'd just better believe that
il I had that precious darling, Anne
Leavitt. back in u beloved tower
room I'd tell her that all the for
tunes in the world and all the suffer-
ing Russians wouldn't hire me to
spend one more day with her family,
And yet, Claire, darling, it's so
dreadful that it's funny. I just won
der that I haven't been scared pink!
Can o picture your little Nancy
surrounded by mahogany. 80 old that
1t fairly screams at you, that it was
brought Owe on the Maytiower and
walls as high as the Library tower
Just coolies of Leavitt traditions
though I'll admit. just being a plain
human mortal, 7 don't know yet
quite what the Leavitt traditions are,
but believe me, I expect to, very soon,
for Aunt Sabrina talks of nothing
else!
"of course, sweet child. you can't
so I'll write lucid English now. The
Island is wonderfully beautiful, every
thing about it seems different from
any other part Of the world-the
trees are bigger and the grass is
greener and every now and then you
catch a glimpse of Lake Champlain
as blue as Anne's sapphire ring and
hasy purple mountains beyond. And
the whole place is trimming with all
kinds Of historical stores.
They call this house Happy House.
1t was named that by the first Anne
Leavitt. and she had a mantel made
in England with the letters carved on
it. and the day after it was put up
she died in the very room I'm writ
ing in! Isn't that tragic and .excit-
ing? I can't make a story out Of
that. though, for it's been all written
up in q book they sell at North Hero.
1.-THE house is big and built Of stone
that was Quarried on the Island. and
it's all covered with vines and is
beautiful-outside. It has trees all
around it that meet overhead like q
canopy. and instead OF a regular gar
den in beds the grounds all covered
with tiger lilies and Sweet William
and phlox and lots or flowers I. don't
know he name Of, that look as
though they'd spilled out over their
gardens n grew everywhere. And
there's q darling old gardiner who Ia
a descendant Of Ethan Alien.
In fact. everyone I've seen is old
somebody or other
But the inside Of the house-oh,
h%orrorsi I don't belleve q ray OF
sunshine has gotten into It since the
year one and If it did. it would be
shut out mighty fast. Dad would go
wild with delight over the old furni-
|ture. and the dishes are beautiful. but
the wallpaper looks like green lob
walk on hrown-red, roses as big as
cabbages. Does it torture mV artistic
soul? oh. We gods! And my own
room! No wonder that other Anne
Leavttt died! I never saw SO many
titdfes in my llfe-I. shall draw
a happy breath among them. On, !
can shut my eyes right low and see
the dear old tower room-you sitting
in the middle Of the bed (unmade Of
course), playing our uke, Anne Dig
ging at her French Four or the win
dow seat along with the fudge dishes
which / forgot to wash, and a weeks
muss all around is. Oh, Claire.
wern't we happy, though? Ana to
think it's all over.
l ~ % ..- C>L.S->-Il Ng ,vA.,. u A~>-~
and very Leavitty. l think Anne. In
her manner, when we've done some
thing she doesn't approve. of, 10 like
her Aunt 9abrina: She's very tall and
parts her hair straight in the middle
and has the Longest, straightest nose
land q way of talking to you that
makes you feel like an atom.
BHindy. who 10 the w~onlAn-of-all-
work around Happy House, but
somsboAys just you believe, - very
lmuch like Aunt eabrina and looks III
1you - II she could see the littlest