New Britain herald., 1928-11-23
They shook on that quite solemnly.

l They shook on that quite solemnly. Emmy. you've always had a home" Robb said. ''so you don't un- derstand how I feel about your all going away from here. Even before l knew you people I used to walk past this house every day and look for the snow white curtains and the seraniums in the front window. used to watch for your mother when she was out sweeping the sidewalk or wedding the flowers in the front yard. She always was just the kind of mother" He choked up. To Emmy it was dreadful to see ! him this way. A surge of pity swept through her and her heart ached. She put her arms around him and held him close-not as woman holds her lover, but in the beautiful and tender way that mother holds her child.
 Dan and MT. Milburn, on their way home from a picture show, came up the front steps and looked curiously through the curtainless windows as they unlocked the door. Emmy and Robb sprang apart. Well. well, no lights in here" Mir. Milburn said coming to the door. T think we'd better have some light"
 The notion of his daughter, Elm my. having sweetheart had always been distasteful to him. She was so young. And besides, a daugh- ter was the one to stay at home and be comfort to her parents in their old age. he always said. "Time enough for Emmy to marry when Mother and I are lying over in Woodland Cemetery" he would say sometimes. Shell be about GO then, if luck's with us, Mother" He was a great humorist.
 On Monday morning before Emmy left for the office, the movers were at the house.
 The furniture was to be stored away in a warehouse, and it was all padded with burlap and wrapped with heavy gray paper. But Mrs. Mill burn could tell what each piece was as the men carried it past her into the van.
 With an old sweater of Perry's around her shoulders she stood on the porch watching them. There goes my pie-crust table," Emmy heard her say: and that's Emmy's little white bed"
 In ere corner of the bare and empty sitting room were the few odds and ends that she was going to take with her to Grandmother Pent- lands big house; a basket filled with her red geraniums in pots, the Dying Gladiator. MT Milburn's blue tobacco jar and the thermos jug that always stood on his bedside table. He drank great quantities of water-especially after his attacks of neuralgia.
 i've given your dolls tea set to the McMyler children, Emmy" she said. "They saw it and wanted it. and I didn't have the heart to say No to them, poor little things. I hate the thought of leaving them" Her blue eyes became misty and her face crumpled up as if she were go- ing 10 cry.
 Mother, I do believe you're un- happy about leaving this horrible little place." Emmy said to her. You're doing it for me-and it's breaking your heart"
 Not mine," her mother answered with such staunchness that Emmy believed her. No; I've thought it all over. If We stayed on here, I should be paying rent to Jim Tello, and I don't believe I'd enjoy that very much. You see, Emmy, l was en- gagged to marry Jim Tello before met your father
 Emmy's eyes popped open. ''You were! She could hardly believe it. Don't you often feel sorry you didn't marry him when you see him sail by in his big car? I'll just bet you do.'
 And I'll just bet I don't! Emmy, I shouldn't even have answered a question like that. Of course, I'm not sorry! Why should l be sorry when I've got a man like your father?"
 Emmy kissed her and started off to work. At the foot of the street she turned for q minute and gave it long resontful look. T hope ] never set foot in you again,' she address, cd it. feeling that she was parting with an old enemy.
 By the middle of April the Mil burns were all settled in four small rooms at the back of Grandmother Pentlands house--the small plain rooms that had been the nursery when Rosk and Mark Pentland were babies.
 If IT suspected that we were go- ing to be pok"d away like this, over the garage, l should never have come here" Mr. Milburn on his dignity remarked when he saw them. I've have given up our own comfortable home and we've made the sacrifice tor nothing. it seems to me-
 But his wife showed him the little sewing room next door 10 their own room, and pointed out 10 him that they could be just as cozy there oD |