The Dolores star., 1922-11-17
The
Rice Mansion
By MYRA c. LANE

isf<' Westsrn Newspaper Union.
1t was a perfect picture that the old
caretaker Of the Rice mansion drew,
ana the man who was inquiring as to
the possibility Of leasing 1t listened
with unchanging interest.
Yes. If you like 1t I've no doubt
that Mr.. Lumley. the agent, would ar
range Tor lease as long as you like"
she said. "Of course, it's a little out Of
repair. having been uninhabited for 80
long. 1 remember the time when It
was the show place Of the district.
THAT was in old Rice's day. But he
lost all his money on the stock ex.
change, and then his only son, Alfred,
went to the bad and-but guess you
don't know about 1t.
You see, the trouble started with
jill Richards. The Richardses were
thought good deal of in our village.
owned good bit Of property about
mere, and stood well among church
folks. And Miss Dorothy was their
daughter.
Then jill Richards came to live
with them. She was the old mans
niece, and I guess they took her IN out
OF charity, though heard she used to
pay for her board. Mrs. Richards
couldn't stand for her. Jill used to
commute to town, where she had .
Job as stenographer.
There was always something queer
foreign like-about JILL Her mother
was French, they say, which would ac-
count for 1t. Folks hereabouts can't
stand for immortality"
immortality" questioned the man.
That's what l said," snapped the
old woman, "and If painting and pow
dering isn't immortality, what Is? jill
Richards used to powder her face
night and morning. and everyone
knew that high color on her cheeks
and lips couldn't be natural. OF course,
they talked about 1t.
"You see, there was bit of a scan
dal. Young Mr.. Rice was nome from
college and doing little else but drive
about the country and make up to the
girls. And there's no denying Miss
Dorothy was set on him.
pleasant little body she was, but
homely, and she didn't go In for pow
der puffs and vanities like Miss jill.
whom everybody disliked. Not that
she wasn't kind. Sat up all night with
Mrs. Sawyer's baby and pulled her
through dIphtheria. But folks natural.
ly distrusted her.
10
thy and her aunt very bitter when
young Mr.. Rice began to talk to jill
Richards. Everyone said the girl was
leading him astray. Pretty? Yes. In her
way. Little and dark and thin. with
a lot of hair. and that powdered face
Of hers with the high color In 1t.
"You see, Miss Dorothy and young
Mr.. Rice were sort of engaged. Their
fathers fixed 1t up. But Old Man Rice
was clever. and he didn't let on that
he'd lost everything till he had to sell
his house and all he'd got. Then there
was flare-up. Miss Dorothy said he'd
deceived her, which was true enough,
and young Mr.. Rice went of to town
to get a Job and didn't show up here
no more.
after that-well. you know how
people talk. Miss Jill held her head
high for all that, but 1t was plain that
1t was telling on her. I used to see
her walking along the street on her
way to the station, with her red lips
and cheeks and her face powdered.
Some of the church folks complained
about 1t to Mr.. Richards. You see. they
had sons, and they wasn't going to
have them fall into the hands Of that
Jezebel."
"What did they say about the girl7"
asked the man.
SAY? There's mighty little they
didn't say, and in the end she had to
leave our village. 1t was Old Man
Richards put her out Of his house
after she come back from the hos
pital, where she'd been with diph-
iberia. Caught it from Mrs. Sawyer's
little girl I was telling you about 1t.
Oh, yes, plain folks like US were pref
ty glad to see the last Of her. She
marched down to the station, head
high and unrepentant, and the paint
sticking out all over her face. The
Reverend Spooner said 1t made him
sick to look at her.
"She never came back, and every
one said she went to join young Mr..
Rice in sin in the great city. No. we
never heard of him, nor don't want to.
But now about the house. OF course
it's a rich mans place, but can see
YOU don't mind what you spend.
"What's that? Don't think your
wife would like 1t after all7 Well, I'm
sure folks must please themselves.
What did you say the name was. In
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