Evening star., 1921-12-17
SYMPATHY,S KIN.
. HE old Leland house was To-
Gated far back from a wide.
elm-shaded street. The last

elm-shaded street. The last
time that Merriam Lindsay
had looked at it she had glanced back
at brilliantly illuminated doorway
whose huge Doric pillars were deco
rated with fiowered garlands for her
wedding.
But on a gray November morning,
when her cab stopped in the side
drive, it looked even more impress
sive. With delicious incongruity she
found herself giggling. She was
thinking how droH her wee suburban
stucco cottage would look if it were
built near this massive brick struc-
ture. She had been rather surprised
that her aunt had not met her at the
station. A new maid. who did not
know her, answered her ring; II was
not until her fathers old butler came
into the hall that Merriam found her
self sitting down rather suddenly on
the hall sofa clinching her fists In a
brave attempt not to cry. H.,
"Peter," she smiled up at him.
to come to the door! I shall tell dad
Peter-the old dear that he was
said, "Quite right. Miss Merry. you
should His voice was perfectly
level. But he had tears in his eyes.
Merriam could see her belated let
ter on the hall table.
Miss Leland has been feeling in
disposed for a few days." Peter ex-
planned. Martha doesn't go up in the
morning until she's called"
quite right" Merriam mlmicked inn
ing before Tm called" She ran light
~ up the stairs. She tapped on her
aunts door. A maid behind her
coughed apologetically.
Miss Leland has the south cham
Merriam's temper fared. Her small
"oh@hoW dared she. That's my
The maid scuttled away in dismay
as this regal young creature sailed
into the south chamber. The SOUND
of the two women's voices f1oated
over the stairs.
Little old peppery red head!" Pc;
ter chuckled;, marriage hasn't cooled
tray up the stairs a few minutes lat
er he could hear Miss Leland explain
ing; gyour room was 50 much SUMMER,
and it's SO lonely with nobody left at
II don't care really" Merriam's list
less tones replied, II just wanted to
make a dramatic entrance, / guess.
Rich thought 1 ought to come up to
explain things to you. Mr.. Trow-
bridge hasn't heard from dad for over
what of it?" Miss Leland poured
her coffee.
'Mr. Trowbridge says there isn't
enough money to keep the house go
Ing" Merry put it bluntly.
"Fiddlesticks!" her aunt went on
placidly eating. your fathers income
doesn't vary enough to amount to a
row of pins. He's told me 80, often.
'But it has now" Merry's bronze
curls shook. His foreign securities
have gone way down to nothing and
in a tenth what they used to. Mr..
Trowbridge and Rich thought maybe
you'd like to go south for the win
How could I when there isn't any
money!" Miss Leland snapped tartiy.
They thought they could rent the
your father"
isn't here" Merriam was
losing patience. She and her Aunt
Alice had never gotten on very we'll.
But she did feel truly sorry when
that bewildered woman dissolved in
tears.
It hadn't occurred to Merriam that
it would take her more than three
days to make matters clear to her
aunt, help with getting the house
ready for rental and journey back
to her own wee house In Rosedale.
But at the end of q week her own
home seemed very far away, indeed!
And all the months that she had
been Johns wife something that
had happened ages ago. Her fathers
house made her long, as she had
never longed before. for her big.
whimsical dad. And the task of put
ting away his personal belongings
was a heartbreaking one.
She had found a dull-blue frock
hanging in her wardrobe the day
after her arrival, q school frock that
she had worn when she was sixteen.
1t was soft and warm and simple to
work in; she was wearing 1t late one
afternoon as she perched on step
ladder in the high-ceilinged library
trying to make some sort Of cata-
logue of her fathers rare books. The
fire was almost burned out: 1t was
twilight when Peter came In to an
nounce Richard Slocum.
"Rich." cried Merry. running down
the ladder toward him, very much