Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24

it then. At the time, I was simply
swamped by my own disappointment.
WILL had to go to the state capital
w that afternoon to see Mr.. Burris
about the Burris Block. He was away
overnight and all the next day, and
was left alone with the babies and
the prospect of being poor for the rest
of our lives. The more time you have
to think over proposition like that
the less you care for it. Why, it wasn't
Just the English house-it would be
everything All through the years.
Trips that Will and I had been count
ing on for some time. that now we'd
never take. Things we'd planned on
being able to do for the babies, that
now we'd never be able to do. I'd
get dowdy with nothing but housework
and sewing, and Will would get middle
aged land dull. with nothing but the
Office and moving the lawn, or shovel
ing snow, and taking care OF the FUR
mace. 1t seemed to me the worst thing
in the world that could have happened
to us.
But the next day T knew that it
wasn't the worst thing Will came back
and went right to selling the rest OF
the Moffat property.
Just forget what I told you the
other day." he said. IF any one asks
you. you don't know thing about the
Parkway. one way or the other.
And then, suddenly, I knew that
there was something worse than being
poor. 1t had never occurred to me that
Will would do anything OF the KIND.
That is why had cut loose and been
so terribly disappointed. 1t was be-
cause it never occurred to me that IL
was anything but inevitable. II / mad
dreamed that Will would even nave
thought of doing anything Of this sort.
I would never have let him see that
minded a bit about the house or pelng
poor the rest of our lives.
remembered now the queer way that
viii had looked at me when mad SAID
that I Just couldn't bear it. He had
thought meant it. And he had made
this choice, because he Thought
couldn't stand by him on the other.
"Oh, Will, you didn't think
began. But he cut me right on.
".Just forget every word I said the
other day." he repeated. IF any one
outside mentions the Moffat property
to YOU. YOU don't know thing about IT,;
He paused a moment. Then ne aooeo'
Lets don't talk about it. either.
ana. no matter III" oAecA
I'D the subject, he wouldn't speak about
it again.
The next day we signed the contract
for the little English house. 1t was
Dead Sea fruit looked at the upstairs
porch and knew that should never De
happy on it. I looked at the book,
cases on each side of the fireplace ana
wanted to cry. ,,. ~,
It's a queer thing! All my life I'd
heard that honesty was the best poilcy,
and had figured that it probably was;
but it didn't seem to mean much to me,
one way or the other. Suddenly now
cav that is wasn't always the best
policy-not from a business point OF
view. Take r. T. Moffat himself, for
example. He was utterly dishonest. and
vet he had prospered. Take Jackson
Vierley. over in Verblen. He WASN'T rs
dishonest as Moffat and he wasn't as
honest as Will had always been. Yet ne
had prospered better than Will. and not
as well as Moffat. Why, could see
that there were times when honesty
wasn't the best policy at all!
And yet l was most wrong OF all IN
having thought it didn't mean much 10
me. 1t meant terrible lot. When IL
came right down to brass tacks want
ed us to be honest, whether it was the
best policy or not. I didn't want us 10
be taupe, like r. T. Mofat, even II IL
paid.
But I couldn't I couldn't forget 1t
for a minute, day or night. | thought
of what father would think ABOUT 1t
when it came out. what all our friends
who didn't have to do business that way
would think That was bad enough.
But some way there was something that
was worse than what anybody would
think. 1t was what Will and I would
know. Even if it never came out at all.
we would always know! Whenever we'd
try to enjoy the new English house we'd
remember what we'd paid for 1t.
What about when little Jack was old
enough to hear the sort of things said
about Will that r. T. Moffat's children
must hear about their daddy? Would
any kind of house that we might be liv-
ing in then make up for that?
nays went on. The Moffat property
was still selling like waffles.
There were actually only two or three
lots left When was over in Verblen
to see Dennis O'Shea's sister and get the
latest news about Dennis and Louise
heard couple of strange men talking.
One of them had bought three lots
along the new Parkway" and the other
said:
II wouldn't touch anything r. T.
Moffat was mixed up in with a 10-foot
pole"
And the first one said: young Hor-
ton. over in MontroSe. is handling this
you know. John Horizons son. He
wouldn't be in on it if it wasn't all
right"
Some day, men would be talking about
our little Jack. They'd say, young
know Will Horizons son."
l couldn't bear to think of it,
Then heard about Mrs. Gibson hav-
ing bought the old Moffat farmhouse.
She was Woodworking widow who ran
a bakery and was bringing up three
children. She told Rosie she was going
to fix up the old house and take in
tourists over night. She said. You
know, I'll be right on the Parkway. for
therell be an awful lot of through traf-
flc. The bakery'S getting too much for
me, what with help being SO hard to get.
I'll stick at it two or three years more.
though, till get the farmhouse all paid
for, and till the Pathways put through"
And Will had let Mrs. Gibson mort
gage her poor savings to buy house on
a parkway that was never going to be
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