Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-11-04
For Sale or
Exchange
Ey JANE OSBORN
@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
(WNU Service)

ANShN"S~ Soliy humphrey Ituu llc
sign thus worded as she spun along
the highway one midsummer's day.
An arrow on the sign pointed away
from the highway up a hillside lane
and, as Sally's eyes quickly followed
the direction of the arrow, she saw
low-roofed little house peeping from
the side of knoll of oak trees ON the
hill, She and her roadster had been
steadily mounting since she left home
an hour and half before, and there
was welcome freshness about the
air that had made her wish that she
might spend long days in this hill
country.
Since Sally had left art school she
had devoted her talents to the deco
ration of lampshades and dinner cards.
When Sally's old aunt had died six
months ago, just after Sally had fin
ished her art studies, she had found
herself possessed of a rather small
but very solid brick house as her home
even though it was placarded with the
enormous For Sale" sign of Jone of
! the local real estate agents.
| Apparently no one wanted to buy
the house, for SO far there hadn't been
a nibble. But there, up that hill with
the red arrow pointing to it, was just
the house she wanted. With her car
she could get away from the city Oc-
casionally now-nOw she was driving
over hills and down dales to get noun
tain laurel which she needed to copy
in decorating some shades that had
been ordered. Sometimes she went in
her car far out in the country where
she might catch little glimpses of
woodland scenery that would do for
her place cards.
With the laurel slowed in the back
of her car Sally was coming back an
| hour later, and still remembering the
charming little house, she drove slow
ly when she came to the sign. "Or Ex-
change"-that was part of the sign
that took her eye now. She drove up
to the roadside, stopped her car and
| got out. OF course there wasn't a
chance that the owner would like to
exchange this lovely country house
for her red brick city place, but she
would be safe in asking.
That was when she saw David Gage
for the first time-Doctor Gage, in
spite of his youthful looks and not
very professional manner. She said
she had called to see about the house
and the young man asked her to sit
down and told her that he was very
glad he happened to be in.
1T was the real estate agent who
put the sign up. l wouldn't have said
the house was in perfect condition,
and it is only partly remodeled."
But whatever shortcomings the lit
tie house may have had they did not
displease Sally. 'Now, I'll tell you
!, what have to Offer" said Sally after
their tour Of inspection. you prob
ably wouldn't be interested"
Il wouldn't unless it is something
in a city or big town-preferably in
a busy, cOngested neighborhood."
That's just what it is" said Sally.
at is in MalfOrd-once a nice quiet
neighborhood but now, I'm bound to
| admit, in a rather crowded section"
Then David explained that he had
just completed his work as inferno at
a hospital, and that he was about to
start out on his career as a general
| practitioner of medicine. Alone in
the world, he had spent practically
all he possessed in completing his ed
ucation until some months before an
old uncle had died leaving him this
house. He had hoped to sell it and
with what he got pay something down
on house where he could begin his
career as a doctor. No use trying to
get enough patients there in the coun-
| try. No one had wanted to buy it,
so the agent had suggested the posi-
bility of exchange.
That afternoon Sally drove David
back to see her little house, and the
next day she came back to the coun-
try house. Then David came back to
see the little house in the city-there
was much to talk about and consider
even before going to the real estate
agent for the terms of the exchange.
And as David saw and admired the
tastefully furnished little house in
the city Sally saw new charms about
it, and as she praised the little coun-
try house David began to wonder
whether he would really be content
to sell it.
There were several more meetings
when Sally and David told each other
far more about themselves than would
have been appropriate under any 9TH
err circumstances.
Then week later, when David was
drinking tea at Sally's, Sally began to
waver. She had spent a lot of time
furnishing the little house-after ALL
it had belonged to her own people
maybe she oughtn't to sell it after all
Il want to live there in the country
vet it breaks my heart to leave this
place"
David suddenly looked embarrassed.
Then he set his tea cup on the tea
table and moved his chair near to
Sally's.
why shouldn't we both keep both
houses" he said II think it might be