Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-10-23

SDe was sure IL Sic udu " 81 q AOhS
way to strange part of town, and
had no car of her own, she herself
would invite as company for the occa-
sion-one who had.
So she accepted the invitation very
sweetly, and said she would stop by
for Rae In the car, about eleven
o'clock.
She knew that Rae was going to be
married in the fall, and that her father
had given her ten thousand dollars to
provide a bridal home. And this ex-
petition, as she surmised, was in
search of house. She picked up her
friend at the designated hour. and
turned her car buoyantly to the north
side of the city.
"But why go away out there, Rae?
It's q crazy place to look for house"
she protested.
YES but property Is so much cheap
err. We want to get house and furni-
ture all for ten thousand, you see. And
then, Grant has bought drug store
out by the university, and it will be
much nicer for him. He can come
home for luncheon she explained with
the pretty proprietary shyness OF pre-
nuptial days.
Following Rae's directions, Jerry
drove slowly out along Central avenue
and turned down Seventeenth street.
When they came to the house, she
stopped the car, and both girls turned
about in their seats and looked at it.
1t was not prepossessing. Set en-
tirely too far forward in a small lawn
very stiff, very square, very high, with
an awkward square porch, clumsy
square windows, the whole in grievous
need of paint.
"Wil you tell me-" Jerry said plain
lively, why my Iowa builds itself such
CHASTITY honest"
HE said it was a barn of thing,
assented Rae. But it is very cheap.
He said-the real estate man, | mean
said it could be entirely built over for
a few thousand. And it has good
points, a garage in the back when we
get rich enough for car-just oppo-
site the little park you see-on the
car line-and quite near the university
and Grants drug store"
With,these points to its credit, Jerry
followed her distastefully up the steps
of the terrace, and still more distaste-
fully on the clumsy, stiff square porch.
"Why do they do it, Rae?" she won
dered. "Such stiff, straight, stupid
lines-the doors, the windows, the col
umns Couldn't they put little curve
in once in a while for the same
Beauty is very expensive" said Rae
lightly.
mo wonder we all go Off somewhere,
to California, or to New York, If this
is the best we can do for ourselves"
Jerry went on gloomily. 81 don't blame
us. Fancy living in thing like this
Not just one. either-all the inexpen-
sive poorman houses are exactly like it.
The gypsies do better in tents"
"Oh. bother the gypsies. Jerry; come
on In and have look" Rae opened
the door with the key which had been
given her. and led the way inside
where they stared curiously about
them, frowning disapproval on their
two young faces.
people must have lived in 1t some
time" said Jerry probably they
died. poor things. don't wonder"
The house was divided with scrupu-
lous exactness into four sections, rooms
Jerry decided one must doubtless call
the left stiff square paror
leading to a stiff square parlor bed
room beyond-ro the right a solemn
dining room. with sober kitchen ad-
and businesslike manner, without pre-
tense or artifice to the second floor.
where there was another mathematical
division of space. bedroom, a bath
to the left. two bedrooms to the right.
Jerry stared and stared. wouldn't
you think they must have died, Rae"
she asked. at would be like living In
a cemetery, wouldn't it? Wouldn't
you think that some time one of them
would have taken a hammer to those
walls. just to break the deadly con-
tinuity of the thing? Poor corpses,
don't blame you bit. think you're
lucky"
Rae laughed at her. "You are funny,
Jerry. But 1t is horrid old barn of
a house. isn't it? But then they are
only asking thlrty-five hundred for it."
Cheap enough, unless one has to
live in it," murmured Jerry. 81 hold 1t
against the state, Rae" she went on.
Il almost wish had been born in
Arkansas, or Nevada. or Wyoming"
Don't blame the state" protested
Rae. people don't have to live in this
particular house unless they wish"
But the whole street Is like it. And
the next one Is worse, and the next
still worse. oh, some few houses are
nice enough, suppose, but in the
Our own used to be
a funny, neutrality-suspicious. thing,
too. We have pictures of it. They