Milford chronicle., 1925-04-17
NINTH INSTALLMENT

The time for grief was past, and the
thought Of her mother lying silent be-
tween her winged guardians brought nc
tears to Margaret's eyes. But the
curious injustice of the dead woman S
will crystallized for her elder daughter
a fear of inferiority which she would
have burned in fire rather than show to
any living being. Margaret was to
have certain pictures and trinlkets which
she would prize all her life and give to
her children. There would be minia-
turcs of certain illustTious ancestors like
pr Roger Peake who came first to Vir-
,.nia and the adventurous Robert
Livingstone who had plunged into the
unknown West with Lord DunmOre.
These things, Of course, she would be
proud Of and, as Grandmother Peake
had so gently said, give to her children.
But there was a glamour about
the oval room downstairs. Margaret
searched her heart and knew that she
herself wouldn't have chosen to sleep
there She would have preferred that
the room be closed, only to be gazed in
on with a reverent memory of the
princess who had slept in beauty
among her golden swans. What
would little Flora Lee do with it all?
Would she appreciate or understand
Down the wide corridor unnecessarily
complicated by logged angles, lurking
wardrobes and mysterious doors, Mar
garet came to the winding balustrade
whose black walnut rail, four times the
width of mans hand, cOiled like vast
slippery snake, three lofty stories to the
ground floor. From babyhOOd it had
given Margaret an awful delight to look
over the edge into that dizzy abyss, to
know that anyone must be killed who
fell or leaped to the black and white
marble floor of the entrance hall below. |
She went slowly down the stairs. |
The Oval Rooms white door stood half
open. 1t was brilliant with gaslight; |
shadows, dainty, quick, full of life, |
capered against the panels Of silk
A-ocade. A sweet drawing voice |
& lkled out into the corridor and
struck the listener cold with grief and
resentment. Margaret stopped and
looked boldly in; but the actors in the
Oval Room were too absorbed in their
play to heed the extraneous.
Flora Lee was seated before the
Cilded mirror Of her mothers dressing /
table. Her white arms slimly raised
above her little underbodice, she fiirted
with her reflection. Old Linda, not a
year more decrepit than in the hoyden
days of Helicon Park, doomed in the
background. The little girls lovely
blond hair had been gathered into a
Psyche knot, such as grown ladies wore
to parties.
And now, Linda" Flora Lee was de-
handing, "do as 1 tell you"
Miss Flo Lee, honey, " protested her
yellow accomplice, what will yo' Paw
say"
Don't be a goose" said the little
princess, bridling. III only wear it a
minute. Who'll know it? And I've
always wanted just that color
Well" demurred old Linda, 'ef I
do 1 amt 'sponsible."
Who said you were?" asked the
small mistress of the oval chamber.
Nov you get it right away or will"
Margaret, her cheeks burning, looked |
silently while Linda crossed to a painted
cupboard and from its depths brought :
tncth a pack of rosy velvet. 1t was
s- silly recognizable-thee evening cloak
lich her mother had worn to her last !
p4rties-how she had loved her partiesl
"GoodyI cried Flora Lee. II just +
want to try it over my shoulders
close the door, Linda" \
Linda and the child turned their eyes I
towards the stairs. As though a ghost a
had risen to accuse her the negress I
started and let the cloak fall, a graceful t
pile, upon the flowery French carpet. d
But Flora Lee was less easily dis e
turbed. Slowly she came to her feet a
and stood, childish figure in frilly v
short petticoat and underbodice-her t
golden hair drawn to a goddess knot e
from the nape of baby neck. Her a
lids had grown heavy again, her eyes t
as she drawled lazily. n
What you standin' out there for, n
Don't you want to come
In?" A
mo thank you" replied her sister, E
But you'd better hurry up and dress
FOR supper. It's past seven o'clock"
Then she descended to the ground
floor where she went into the library Il
and sat beside her grandfather, as was d
her habit at that hour. Isl