San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-03
Chapter LXXII.

!, How often help came to her when
abe needed it, unexpected help" so
Alice thought as she listened to Miss
Smiths description of the house she
know about.
When / was little girl spent
week with friends of my people who
'-lived there" she said. 1T is on Long
Island, a little this side of Garden
City. My people were fairly well to
1S and had nice friends. But l have
never seen the house since, would never
have thought of it, had l not gone
tcn a motor ride last Sunday with a
friend of mine. We passed the house,
snd it brought back that visit. There
Was a sign on it, For Sale or to Rent,
and it looked as if no one had lived
In it for years. Flowers and weeds
grew in the yard. 1t used to be
very pretty yard. Some of the win
dows were broken and it had down.
at-the-heels look. But / imagine 1t
might be had cheap"
"Pll see it at once! Would you mind
coing with meT'
I'D love to, IL you think you can
but with an eager look on her face.
...The shop will get along without
us for half a day. Well go tomorrow
morning"
This was like Alice, this quick de-
kision. When she once made up her
mind to do a thing, it was done at
once She had decided her pleasures
In the old days in the same impulsiye
fashion.
Alice was delighted with the house,
with the yard both, in spite OF neg
1ect, showed great possibilities. Inc
house of six. rooms and a. broad Cow
cred porch was well arranged. BY
putting French windows in one OF the
rooms her father could wheel himself
nm TO the porch. Tat would be his
room. A smaller one adjoining, moth
er's. Then there was large living
room which should also be the dining
room-as was being done so often now
adays. A nice kitchen, sunny ana con-
yenient, made up the first floor
large bedroom across the front lot net
"A bath room and s room-oVer the Eltcn-
IN for Maria made up the seGond iIoC ~
''It is perfect" she exclaimed IN
her delight. ''If only can afford 1t.
sI think you can. Perhaps we had
better see the AGENT practical MISS
Smith replied. H.,
Alice had paid absolutely % atten-
tSon TO torn and mildewed paper hang,
Inc forlornly from the walls, to the need
cf naint. TO broken windows. That was
her misunderstanding houses. That TINS
needed more fixing than any she had
I,ndertaken made no difference. She
could take her time, do it as she could
afford, -
"rd make the first floor livable be-
fore we moved in. Then Maria and
rould live in the second Just as II
4 until could afford time and money
to fix that" she said as they walked
10 the station. adjoining which was ths
rial estate office of the man who had
the property in charge;
Unfortunately he was in.
IIa seemed surprised at their men
ton of the old house. i,
nIt is greatly out of repair, has not
. /sernS occunicd for over three years, now
/ have a..
u know. I have seen it, Alice re-
+urned I'VE found the back door I'M
, locked. so went in. What is the
remit" -.
He told her. then added:
..If Won like it well enough to rent
n. why don't you buy the old place
II is very cheap. 1t now belongs to
an estate and can be purchased on
nroeticaHy your own terms" He stated
The nriee. iThey might even shade that
II was cheap. ridiculously so. Yet
II meant debt and of that Alice had
a horror. Again Miss Smith came 10
"Why not take the refusal fol, a few
DAYS and ask Mr.. Williams what he
thinks of it?' She turned to the
agent. "Mr. Williams is Miss Mar
stems lawyer"
That's a good idea! III give you
the refusal for a week. Bri. Mr.
Williams down. Let him see the place.
IN be frank with you, i am anxious
10 get it off my hands. will do all
/ can to get a price for you"
After little more talk Alice took
Die refusal for a week and then hur-
ried to Cthe shop.
She was very quiet. Could she man