Evening star., 1922-08-13

Il
the Millikens. Hi, Lowe and JACK,
have gone to it strong. Uh-huh
L This trio Of tourist mechanics that
captured from the side Of the road and
josbcd into paying us six-week visit
at so much per day Is certainly
busy bunch, and they're making the
shabby old farmhouse. which had
been doing here under the big elms
for fifty years or more, sit up and
take notice.
First thing Pa Milliken did was to
have a load of new window castings
sent out and he putting them in at
the rate Of four or Ave day. ripping
out the old ones and replacing 'em
with the kind that you can fit with
cord weights and pulleys. And right
behind him comes son Hi. with his
paint pot and brushes, sticking up
the outside trim and the wide old
clapboards until we fairly glisten.
Meanwhile the broad -shouldered
Lowe has set. up his bench wise in
one of the sheds and is running pipes
here and there under the floors and
between the partitions. getting ready
to connect up a couple OF nice wh'te
bathtubs that now lie Grated in the
back yard.
OF COURSE, we're more or less
~ mussed up. There's hardly a
room in the house that isn't Uttered
with shavings or broken plaster or
odds and ends of lumber. Most OF
US have smears of paint on our
clothes, and 1t isn't safe to sit down
in a chair without looking first to see
il some one hasn't left saw or
greasy wrench or a can of white
lead on it. Our husky waitress.
Minie Jewett as was-now Mrs
Duncan Stubbs-is limping around
with a sprained ankle. from trusting
her $50 pounds to loose floor board:
Sairy Jewet&'s uncertain temper is
set on hair trigger these days. be-
cause of so much traffic through her
kitchen: and even Uncle Nels Is on
the casualty list because he would
get too ambitious in helping unload
Some lumber and strained his back.
But. for all that. It's rather
fascinating indoor sport. this taking
sn old house apart and putting 1t
together again different. We plan
out the changes as we go along. de-
batting details as a committee of the
whole, and then every afternoon
when the Millikens have knocked
Off for the day, We go trailing around
to see what's been done. And it's
amazing how much enthusiasm we
can work up over the taking out OF a
partition, the opening of a closed
fireplace. or the changing of a closet
into a bathroom.
At first I thought Sairy was going
to turn balky at cooking for three
extra people. but after Pa Milliken
had put in a new kitchen sink and
drain-board and added a few handy
shelves here and there, she was as
cooey to him as a turtle dove. AS for
Inez. when he'd finished off a big
clothes closet in her room. with a
nickeled rod for hangers and a shoe
thought she was going to hug him.
Squire Sweat was out the other
day to look over our improvements.
and we had him going around with
his eyea bugged. "Goshfry" says he.
How'd you ever think up all them
things to do? Your Aunt Luella
wouldn't know the old place now.
But say, you're goin' to need a lot of
new furniture to put in all them
empty rooms. amt you?"
Yes" says I, Il expect we will
have to get few chairs and things"
I'll tell you. Miss Dodge" says he,
"you better drop around to an auction
I'm goin' to run day after tomorrow.
Coin to sell out an old place over
the other side of Chenwick-the
Tuttle farm Might pick up few
things"
That's good hunch." says 1.
perhaps I will"
\ \ X
WHEN passed it on to the others
w l couldn't seem to get anybody
interested. Auctions" grunts Uncle
Nels, shaking his head Il got no
use for 'em. You're always gettin'
stuck. Me, went to one in Duluth,