The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-01-23
Meaning of Burton
Generosity
By JANE OSBORN


morsels Of her perfectly buttered
toast, to her niece, Alice Burton. across
the table in the perfectly furnished
breakfast room. "a really nice young
man, I'm sure, over at the Valley inn.
Seems to be here on some business or
other, and he has a very nice car.
Another morsel of toast and a sip of
perfect coffee? I've seen his car
parked outside the inn every day this
week. Now, you know they've no room
In the garage over there, and it's quite
distance to any of the town garages.
l dare say he'd like to put his car in
our garage. There's plenty of room for
another car without crowding either of
ours. Suppose you see about it. Girls
of today don't mind addressing young
men to whom they have never been in
troduced; now, do they? Just you hap
pen to be down at the inn about one.
That is when he usually has his car
there. And you wait around until he
comes out from lunch. Well wait
lunch here for you. Take the small
car. 1 shan't need it,"
Alice Burton smiled. Her aunt Dora
always amused her immensely, as she
herself doubtless amused her aunt on
her visits when she came out to the
old Burton homestead in the hillside
suburb.
Are you sure he Is a really nice
young man?" leased Alice, looking out
of round blue eyes.
HE looked nice. But looks are very
misleading" said the aunt. "That
isn't important at all, however. The
significant thing is that he has a car
without a garage and we have garage
space for three cars and only two
cars"
Meantime George Weston, the young
man in question, had made inquiries
concerning the Burtons-Mrs Burton
and her niece Dora. whom he had seen
on several occasions and had found
himself greatly admiring.
"They are good family and all that"
a new acquaintance told him, "but for
two or three generations at least they
have been about the stingiest people
in the village. Plenty of money al
ways, but they hate like fun to part
with any of it. It's so much that way
that when we people that have been
brought up around here speak of Bur
ton generosity every one knows we
mean stinginess. Mrs. Burton is true
to type, and so does her son seem to
be-he's away from home. That niece |
that visits here, Alice, is rather pretty, |
but she's probably as mean as the |
rest"
After this sort of Introduction to the |
Burtons, George Weston experienced |
surprise when Alice Bur
ton waylaid him after luncheon at the
inn to offer the use of her aunt's
garage to him. He explained that he
was going to remain in the community
for two or three weeks-that he was
an engineer for one of the big dams
under construction down the valley.
nothing to laugh at-and then Alice
said that she supposed she would see
George again when he came over to
leave his car at the garage. And
George replied that he had been hop
ing to be able to get some one to in
troduce him, but now he supposed it
be necessary.
That afternoon Alice announced to
her aunt that she had made arrange
nentS for the young man at the inn to
keep his car in the Burton garage, and
hat he had seemed glad to do so.
My goodness !" said the aunt in sur
Prise. 1--WE hadn't even settled on the
'ent. What price did you tell him?"
Alice felt decidedly confused. She
wasn't quite sure what she ought to
Jay. What she did say was: I'VE
lidn't decide on the price. But, of
course, it's all right" Then she paused
gain, wondering just what she ought
q do. 1t had never occurred to her
hat her aunt meant to rent the garage.
Il think S12 q month is none too
Ugh. He looked as if he could pay
hat much" said the aunt You'd
etter tell him when he comes up with /
is car this afternoon" c
When George Weston came with his
ar that afternoon Alice Burton did |
|
ot to mention the garage rent. Some
ow she couldn't bring herself to do
his. Instead she merely told him that b
he hoped he would find everything
And her aunt asked her t.
: the young man "balked at $l2." II
lice said that everything was all
ght" q
Secretly she was thoroughly disgust
d with her aunt and couldn't see why c
ny one so well off as she would think
f asking rent for garage space, espe- y
ally to such a very nice young man 2
5 George Weston. Though Alice's
ress allowance was not large, she de-
ded to pay the $40 a month from her G.
wn purse Then she decided that in W
-der to cover her own deceit she lc
ould have to continue her visi. with a
or Aunt Dora as long as George Yves d
N remained She would pay weekly.
that the amount would not be too b.
eat for her slender purse at any
me. On