San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-02

You never have any deccn; tool
lere." mmed Warren, trying 10 pr!
vfl the box lid with Il wobbly-hcade'
lanhci,
BE careful. 1t may be something
trnkabic," tlurtcrcd helcn.
The box, ADDRESSED 10 Warren, .:
orn.e by express tlct afternoon, anu
Sic had restrained !cr eagerness tt
clan il until lie cane home.
Even hi. irritable mood. after
Lard day at ire Office. could nj
dampcn her cff,.yo,Ctnce over an NM
sitcieG present.
wait. dear. that excelsior make:
such a muss. l'ut 1t on this" spread
ing newspaper on the floor.
i,encath the pacing bulged two
iissue-wrappcd parcels on one of which
was pinned an envelope.
From Aunt Amelia announced
Warren as he lore it open.
With deepening forcbodings. Helen
scanned the note over his shoulder
Ny Dear Nephew am send
ing you these two vases, which
you will remember stood on my
parlor mantcl when you were
little boy.
Instead of waiting until after
| am gone am giving away some
Of my best things nowhere |
.,now they will be appreciated.
with love 10 you both.
AUNT AMELIA.
Vase: What kind of vases: Know
ing his aunt's cxecrabe taste. Helen
watched with breathless aXniety as
Warren lifted them out.
The tissue paper removed, she
srspcd her dismay.
& pair of hideous gilt and oynx
vases. Dropsical gilt cbernbs formed
the handles. and more bloated cupid>
supported the urns on their Dubious
shoulders.
Huh" was Warrcn's sruntcd
comment.
They're perfectly awful" walled
Helen. Like that dreadful clock She
scnt US. And Ill have TO drag them
out whenever She comes to New
York.
They're going to stay out. I'll not
have everything my family gives US
chucked away. These 60 in the Ii
brary.
why. dear. they're impossible
They'd spoil everything in the place.
Those preposterOus gilt things with
our lovely old-English furniture:"
They're old. aren't they: Aunt
Amelias had 'cm ever since l can re-
member"
But they're not old enough
They're Of that awful midNictorian
period. They go with red plush furni-
turc and chenille curtains. Oh. dear.
YOU know we can't have them out
you see how impossible they are"
Now. look here, everything my
family's ever given us you've thrown
a fit over and stuck away on the toy
shelf. Here's where we have a new
deal. These go on the library manteI
and they stay there"
So rarely did Warren ever interfere
or even trouble to notice anything il
the apartment that Tor momen
Helen was stunned.
Here. you. get out Seat"
Driving off Pussy Purr-Mew. who
was mischievously scattering the eX
cclsior. he strobe grimly in to the Ii
brary mantel.
Ruthlcssy he showed aside Helen
treasured antiques candlesticks
buster vase. and snuffbox. TO max
room for the bizarre Over-ornate urns
Warren. won't have them there
They're going up in the hall close
with that clock"
They'll stay where ] put them
cyplOSively. You've had this plac,
your own way long enough, now here,
where | come in. And don't thinl
YOU can sneak 'em off in a day oil
two. I'm going to see that they stay
there"
Flopping down by the light. h'
opened his paper with a vicious rat
tie.
Warren. it isn't fair. You don't
have 10 live with them-you're mt tbs
office all day. And you know how
love ny old things-what they mean
TO me, How I've tried TO l3eep every.
thing in the same period"
Rot" he snorted. Don't start
spouting that period bunk. I said
those vases were to stay there. didn't
]? Well. that goes. Now drop it,"
depressing her flaming rebellion
Helen turned back to the hall. Me
chanically she picked up the scattered
excelsior. dumped Pussy Purr-MeN
from the box, and carried it out tc
the kitchen.
Both kitchen and pantry proclaim.
cd the haste with which Nora had
dispatched the dinner dishes 10 gel
OFF 70 the movies. She had not even
washed out the tea towels In limp
soiled detection they hung from the
towel rack.
At any other time Helen would
have stepped TO put them to soak, but
now she hardly poticed them.
Back through the dining room, pas
the library. without a glance at War
rem. she turned into her own room
and closed the door.
She had always yielded everytLin:
10 him-but in this she would no
yield. She could not-she would not
live with those atrociOus vasesi
On the couch, her face in the nil
lows. she gave way TO her sobbiny in
dignation.
If only she had not urged him 7,
open the box tonight, Ue had com
home tired and irritable. Somethin,
had gone wrong at tire office.
Ordinarily he would have shrugge.
his indifference and left the vases f
her disposal. But now with grim oh
stinacy he had decreed they must q
on the library mantel. And his warn
ing that she could not steal them ava,
shattered her hope that in a few day
he would not notice their removal.
They should not stay there, On tba
she was passionately determined. He
whole JOY in the apartment centere
IN her antiques. She had taken sue
pride in keeping everything consisten
with her old Sheraton and Hepplc
white filrnifnrn -