Middletown transcript., 1922-10-21
The. Ro1nilly
Roadhouse
By MARTHA M. WILLIAMS
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tO py McCiure Newspaper Syndicate

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W os MeCiure Newspaper Syndioate.)
A high-powered but dusty automo-
bile slowed down Oh the main street
of the little village of Brompton. The
owner and driver elaborateiy removed
his goggles and halted the only citizen
who happened to be in sight, Bob
Thorold.
Say. young feller," called he, what
sort of a place is it out there on the
turnpike? Can you get decent meal,
.hey?' #
"On the turnpikel' queried Bob
Thorold. ITO tell you the truth, l
didn't know there was Il decent place
to eat anywhere around here. Motor
lists usually go on to BURTON"
The driver-owner consulted the guide
book that had been thrust at him by
one OF the occupants OF the tonneau
White house ut first turn to right on
Romilly turnpike after leaving Bromp-
ton,' he read slowly.
why, that would be the Romilly
house. Are you sure that is what the
book says
Those are the Words
That's surprising" murmured Thor
Old. 1T can't be right
Drive on" came voice from the
tonnenu. Il guess the young feller
hasn't woke UP yet. Look the place
over and if it looks .. X. we'll try"
And the man at the wheel obeyed,
leaving Bob Thorold still, .:nurmuring
that something must be wrong some
where.
Bob Thorold, who kept up his an
cestral home in Brompton and spent
his vacations there, walked on and
presently encountered Mr. jenkins,
postmaster of Brompton.
Funny thing" said Boo; Il met
some people who spoke about having
meals at white house at the first
turn To the right OH Romilly turnpike
after leaving Brompton. That's the
Romillys, isn't itl"
"Cartain sure" quoth the postmas.
ter. "Cartain sure. You've heard how
tbs, han't you?'
They haven't sold the place, have
they!" inquired Bob. Il thought Miss
Susan had vowed never to leave the
old place; she isn't dead, is she?"
Dead, nothing. The. how and the
wherefore is, so folks say, that they've
lost their money-every burned cent
of it, and Miss Jane had to open up
the place aS Il kind of roudhouse for
motorists. Ought to make a good
thing out of it, seems to me- being as
there's no other sich place hereabouts
ana the autos are as thick rs spatter
along the turnpike. It's kinder too
bad, though, losing all their pile.
expect ii was fool investment. I'll
tell you, Mr.. Robert Thorold, what
them ladies need and needed Il long
time ago was Il good business man
in the family, eh?"
Bob Thorold was annoyed at the
postmaster's rather facetious lett
handed alluSion to the affair, now
ten years past, between Jane Romilly
and himself, but greater than his an
noyance at this was his concern over
the loss of the Romilly fortune that
had made ii necessary for Jane Romil-
1y, proud daughter of the always
proud Romillys. to turn her house
into q roadhouSe and to spend her
strength supervising meals for mo-
torists-rude, uneouth, parvenues,
thought Bob Thorold, like the enc he
had just encountered
Bob Thorold spent the afternoon in
long, slow ralnble through the woods
around Brompton. He was not much
given to solitary ramblings and when
he did indulge in one it was when he
had much thinking to do Toward
the close of the afternoon he turned
his steps toward the Romilly turn
pike, down the first turn to the right
and up the pathway that led to the
imposing white house built by the
Romillys four generations ago. The
door stood open and the screen was
unlocked. Within he could see that
small tables had been arranged in the
front and back drawing rooms-ten
or fifteen in all OF these five were
occupicd-iive cars were parked in
the spacious driveway that circled
around the house.
Bob entered and took his seat at
Il small table. Presently ii white clad
waitress approached him with list
of dishes offered for that days din
ner. Bob took 1t with ii queer thrill
it was Enthusiastically written by Jane
Romilly. The solitary meal followed,
but Jane Romilly did not appear.
After it was over Bob offered his
card TO the maid, and asked her to
take it TO Miss Romilly. He wished
to see her.
The answer was that Miss Romilly
would see him in the old dining room
across the hall. She never appeared
before the regular diners, said the
maid, and her aunt remained in her
room. This, thought Bob, was quite
In keeping with the proud spirit of