Mountain advocate., 1922-07-07
THE NEW HOME
BY ADA BORDEN STEVENS

o. lbzz' by AcSiuIe N0""PobeA SS"e'e"'''
z Father and Mother Bateman looked
Mt each other across the dining table
set for two Just so they had looked
for three weeks. ever since Tom and
Dorothy had left on a long trip. Even
with the other children gone, It had
not been so lonesome while Tom and
his wife were In the house. There was
young life and laughter, and four TO
exchange experiences Mt every meal,
Dinner never had been dull, then.
Even Mother Bateman's broken teacup
seemed important with Dot to sym
pathlze.
Since their departure echoes rang
through the large, old-fashioned rooms.
Father and mother took to sitting in
the dining room evenings. Today each
knew that climax was at hand.
Say, mother" 1t was father who
began 1t. Cant you think Of anything
besides that kitchen7 Seems to me,
after all these years you might have
something else to talk about"
you aren't particularly interesting
yourself, pa, going to and fro the way
you do all day. / should think you
might"
"NOw, Sally, don't l turn down Pine
street instead of Chestnut every other
day TO make varietyf He brought a
sudden fist to the table. "The trouble
with us is, we've got into rut We've
thought of nothing but those children,
and now they want their own homes.
They don't want to sit every day at
our table, listening to our pressing, or
helping with your dishes; no, Dot
wants dishes Of her own. We thought
Tum would always live with us In this
big house, but they went off this way
to sort Of break the shock. Well, as
far as I'm concerned, it's broken. When
Tom and Dorothy come back, they are
going 10 their own homer
Mother Bateman sat down before
the piano after a hasty glance over
her shoulder, then rose to shut the
hall door, glad no one could see how
foolish she was. Then she snt on the
old stool, and her fingers found the
notes Of Robins Return" She stopped,
a little scandalized at these old MEM
ories, and took up modern piece OF
music left there by Dorothy. She tried
n few bars; 1t wasn't so impossible.
81 believe I'll take it up again" she
thought and went about her work with
new courage.
A daring thought struck her. Tom
was the only son within miles. Those
children of hers had startled her al
most as much by their wide flights in
search of fortune, as ducklings startle
q mother hen.
Fred's room. for instance. Fred was
IN China. \ revolutionary idea oc-
CURED to her; why keep things as they
had always been? There was pioneer
spirit In Mother Bateman, but she had
been too busy to give 1t q hearing.
When pa came home TO dinner, Moth
er Bateman seemed eager and excited.
"What's happened, ma? Somebody
left you a fOrtuneT
She laughed "No, pa, just had a
sndden idea"
Goodness gracious, Sally, it must
be some. idea to make your eyes shine
like that"
at isn't; we'd ought to have thought
of it long ago. How long are those
children going to be gomez Two weeks
more? Well, jim, l was looking the
house over and ii seems to me 1t would
take mighty little fixing to make up
stairs into first rate little apartment,
all by itself. Jim, let's do it, and have
It ready when they come home
Jim looked at his wife with new in
terest. "Sally," he said, you're won
der I'll speak to Brown and Rogers
on my way down town.,
There was plenty to talk about dur
ing the next ten days and two animat-
ed "old folks" met Tom and his wife
at the station. 1t was the young folks
who seemed splrltless.
"Well," said pa, II suppose you chill
dren will go house hunting first thing"
"Oh, I don't know" Tom spoke with
resignation dot and we're reading
ads all the way down, and there isn't
a thing where we want to live. l guess
we'll settle down with you; hey, moth
err
"well," said Mother Bateman, doubt.
fully. "WeTl see; there's an apart
ment on our street, separate front door
and electricity, for pretty reason
able sum. I'd have more time II you
children were out Of the way"
Tom looked at her In establishment
He had never heard her talk like that
before. But they were stopping at the
door, and nothing could be said OF
done until they were safely in the
house.
"why. WHY'S this where the apart
ment isi" For where there had been
one front door, two stood In friendly RI
valry, waiting for the touch Of the
proper key.
pad" cried Tom. "I wished-I-the
old house Come on. Dot, we can ex
plore later; let's carry mother In &c
/ aunnaP"