The Bozeman courier., 1927-01-14
By Georgia w. Paraqborn

neTseLI ie u Just as such an animal might purr
~ - ,tIe MSre pleased with sOmething-softly
| everv, [Sm ooI d Dig thrilling note that filled
wonderful sound -'Ae "N Oie"n'
- Then thd .Aishta saw that the lady had one
I;fte5 s5e ~ my houses in her hand. She had
| inIeu IL right off it's foundations ana was
noIulng 1t upside down, looking into its
| 1ICoLtOr ~ @ as II 1t were nothing than q box
NO wonder Ashta's dream had turned diZzv
I'D ooSo5P PII'cHeu her back into the palallelOpi-
Ashta was a worshiper Of beautv in her
own sex, an adOrer Of clothes. her imagin-
aIOn aspiring to everything rOyal and
AEgOlah -ittI an Nightsy. In this lady who stood
n5.,Ie VII Sne neVer-to- be touched house in her
e nleeugIIilng II hands she beheld the archetype
OF al tat she would fain be herself, and
sue turned pale and red with passion Of
au1llIaCon as she peered through the Stats
Ashta knew a number Of dears. Aunt
Eiia-eyen Eiia s3 mother at times-and Of course,
AIICe Alen, who made her paper dolls and
even let her use her real paints, but these
were people who did things for you. This
Fran granu o,S creature, so splendidly different
from ali the women AShta knew-One did
not imagine her doing things for anybody.
no. sne would hardly classify as a dear.
one adored her for other reasons: for her
dencately cOlored face, her wonderful coat,
ana the music Of her humming. NeVerthe-
leSs-and yet-cOuld any amount Of beauty
Justify her in handling the mustnt-tOuch
houses when Uncle King was not present ?
dardly had Ashta formed the doubt when
q terrible thing happened. The lady FUN
plea, the house slipped from her hands,
there was light crash Of something
breaking With horror Ashta saw red
cnlmney bounce off into q pile of ShaVings.
"Damn!" said the lady, and stopped
purrlng while she picked up the house. But
+ she set 1t carelessly askew upon it's fOunda-
uOhs' never seeming to miss the chimney.
. Inen she moved away, examining other
things about the shop, once more singing
q to herself so sweetly that no one would
q ever have supposed she had just broker
: something that did not belong to her.
suddenly she became silent and stood
still. Some one was coming with a whistle
, "a loud, not very melOdiOuS whistle, but
a very earnest one. You felt that it was
I not intended for music eXactly-which Il
- an end in itself-but was rather the by
product of intense thought and action.
n Ashta knew that whistle. She knew als'
o the avant courier in the person of Whit
y kitten which dashed through the open doc
: along with gust Of snow and plunged
n at once into the shavings with the famili
Q arity of old acquaintance. Alice Allen wa
: coming!
: The kitten at sight of Ashta through tn
. bars of the parallelOpipedOn, bottle brushe
h its tail for a moment, then pOked in
= friendly paw of recognition, became excite
. | over the excelsior straws, and expelled int
:, curves and swift circles.
- Alice began to talk before she had passe
= the door and went on, tumultuOuS an
eager, without WalLlng Tor an answer.
i've done a winter study Of your hOuS'
l. King. 1t shows the evergreen planting
"a even better, and you know what a featuT
y they'll be in the sunken garden"
~ While talking she moved toward th
figure silhOuetted against the north wiz
lt EdOw. Ashta put both hands over her mout
OF at the joke of it; for Alice was withOJ
her glasses! Broken again, probably. 81
p, was as unfortunate that way as Ashta he
es self, always dropping them in hard place
or losing them So now she was talking
e. the furry lady as if she were Uncle Kinf
ce 'I suppose I've done a rather FOOLS
H. thing. I've tried to make a real picture Ol
en- of it-I thought -if-if you liked it-yC
n could have it for sort of Christina
he present"-she held it out with shy aw
b. wardness-"of course, it's really nothiI
NO but a design for the evergreen plantin
* but it was fun doing it this way-O, wi
ly, II thought beg your pardon"
ter She drew back with crimson face, b
he gray eyes showing hurt and humiliatiC
'ry II do believe" said the lady in gold
err voice, ''yOu are that darling little All
al Allen who used to live on our street VIII
ar I lived here as girl. And now you a
he an artist, are your How lovely that
in May I look at it-even If I'm not Mr.. XII
ON RObley?"
it Alice silently placed the little paint
the upon the bench, bracing it against a bit
ret. old carving which was in process Of bel
fer set into a mahogany panel for built
a SidebOarG. The shop was full Of these III
Of of the Kings The lady picked it up a
in her pretty head cooked to one side.
Il remember this house so we'll It's
ad- one he began with ten years ago, isn't
be To be sure. Those dOrmers.
far idea. How short and long the years see
ked So short in passing-sO long to look b
we'd on"
rest She laughed slightly a run of h
lare notes.
t it "Why, in those days even half expec
ans to live in il myself. Are you au cOur
way with the old gossip? Yes, actually.
With Sometimes I half wish, even now.
OEg This painting certainly makes 1t !
lnce tempting. Christmas wreaths in the v
out dOws If I should come like W
to singing in the snOw-wOuld 1 be let il
reen wonder? God rest you merry, gentlen
let nothing you dismay'"
p q She sang the line gaily to the i
bem painted window, then laughed as music
aced as she had sung. But Alice's big gray
the were turned away from the lady and
9 ot picture. They met Ashtas sightles
6on1 There was no expression at all in her
bod but it seemed to age under Ashta's trOu
,vnre regard. Even her clothes withered vlsl
were The old green mackinaw was really
I'D rageOus with that ragged fringe at
ross wrists; Ashta had never before noticed
n|od skinny place in her fur neckpiece, W
5nd the moths had broken through and
done rupted 1t. And yet, however tired
wore wlthered looking, Alice remained a
had while the other, no matter how lovely
otion affable nor how sweetly she sang, was
real could never be-a dear. AshCa cOul0
tbe say how she knew, but she was no
.ros- Sl doubt. Moreover, she was veering al
y in AIico fn & Ieason sue th hoS f,,-r1 nar
d on bao,+ OI sOLie IeaSOn tue - ~
u ,o done at first sight.
4bo Il wonder" said Miss Burntfield 81
IL Of smiling at the picture with half shut
point. i+b sA ne mas IeveL sO!E S Ills naor h,
t led baro %lc -" ), UelnaAiu A0h
AsnoI Sao1 Alice stopped whitening. She SCENE
.I'oro gather herself together, fill out, tax
IL HrrW nd
LET So5oo ;I+.IIsS, .rSS, a peASOH VH
ers.