Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-06-03
! The QUILT LEGACY

IS The QUILT LEGACY8
* BY DORA LEFAvouR. %
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(@ 1921. BY Mcclure Newspaper syndicats.)
Josiah Prism lacked the business
acumen Of his ancestors, and when he
died the home which had passed down
his line for generations was his only
legacy to his two daughters.
The city came. Massive buildings
lowered menacingly above Miss Es-
theirs wee shop, and homes of modern
architecture grew around their wealth
er-beaten home, till the sisters felt
showed aside-elb0wed into their re-
spective, old-fashioned corners by the
busy, self-seeking, hustling throng;
and her little shop became Miss Es-
theirs lie, and home an oasis in will
derness of people, most Of them with
foreign accent In their speech and for
eign methods in their ways; while
Miss Lucretia rarely ventured beyond
her well-kept garden. T.
Miss Esther periodically, conscien-
tiously, sold her prewar stock at pre-
replenishments bit into her narrow
margin so keenly that one evening,
when she locked her store, she thought
that upon the twenty-fifth day Of this
bleak November there'd be little to
make her and her sister thankful.
As she walked the two city blocks
to her home, her step was as deliberat-
~ sedate, her poise as perfect as II
the world were at her feet; yet, her
heart was so unanimously timorous
that she closed the door with it's shin
ing brass knocker quickly, almost with
bang-as If to shut out the grasping,
giddy, up-to-date six o'clock throng;
and the hoisome grievances of her day
dimmed to the soft froufrou Of her
sisters black silk as Miss Lucretia
came down the hall to meet her, and
announce dinner, just as she had done
every evening Of every business day
for the twenty years which Miss Esr
After they'd eaten their toast, Miss
Lucretia carried the tea things to the
drawing room, while Miss Esther
turned the oil lamps economically low.
ESTHER" confided Miss Lucretia, be-
fore blazing wood fire in the open
crate, this is the last Of the tea. The
buffers gone, and there's only one
more rising of bread -four in the bar
rel, and all is sold that can be sold
without everything going under the
hammer"
Miss Esther's sigh swelled her fiat
bosom. Business is dull-extremely
dull, Lucretia." she confided in her
turn. "People advise advertising, but
shrink from Haunting my store news
through the blatant newspapers, and !
fear it's rent will use all my capital
this month.
Miss Dovney was in .today-she's
opening a tea room, and If could
match this chintz she would commits
sion me to decorate her place.
1T would put US quite on Easy
street." she continued, lingering the
| bright-hued sample she took from her
skirt pocket.
Let me see that. Esther" Miss Lu'
cretia held out her hand "Seems to
me I've seen some just like it some
where"
probably when you were child"
Miss Esther replied vaguely. IF l
could match it anywhere it would be
at Wallis in Boston, but it's price would
be exorbitant-quite prohibitive. No,
it's no use-the game is not worth the
I candle"
II think I'll retire, sister," Miss Es'
Their said YEARLY very early in the eve
ming. Miss Lucretia opined she, too,
would 60 to bed.
Each took a small lamp and silently
climbed the shadowy, creaking stairs.
Miss Lucretia's brow wrinkled in
memory-searching frown.
"Where in the world have seen
chintz like that?" she kept asking her.
self.
Esther" she fluttered, don't you
remember Aunt Anstice Dolbear's leg
acy"
Straight to an old brass-studded
hair trunk. they sped, simultaneously
opened the creaking lid and dragged
a bulky quilt from the place where it
had lain untouched for twenty-five
years.
Down in her room, Miss Esther, the
reserved, the self-contained, lighted
lamp with eager, trembling fingers.
and compared the sample flutteringly.
Miss Lucretia also held it far of and
near to her dim vision.
They agreed-it matched.
1--WE just got to get a scissors and
rip it off now," said Miss Esther, land
measure it before can sleep wink"
The sharp-pointed scissors soon gave
a vent; she slipped her fingers through
the opening to hold her work the bet
ter. They touched something crisp;
she ripped faster, her faded blue eyes
protruding as the crispiness proved to
be dollar bill. She gasped, and slip
ped her hand In furthermore crisp
ness. 49,. .... ..
With trembling haste they clipped
them of, and placed them in neat piles
one thousand Of them.
Neither spoke; the moment was too
tense, too freighted for speech. Sim
ultaneously they dropped to their
knees beside Miss Esther's bed in rev.
! erent thanksgiving.
Presently practical Miss Lucretia