The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-09


 There are plenty of for sale signs now on the Avenue. The banks have taken over some of the CTS. A few of the names on the signs are those of the original owners, but only a few. And the only owner, probably, who lives there now is old Mrs Davis Bill lington.
 "Grandma's buried there as if it was her grave" her granddaugh- ters, Agnes and Effie, said, when they met not long ago at conven- tion of women's clubs in Chicago Mrs Joseph Campbell, of North H. linois Street, Indianapolis, and Mrs Malcolm South, of Cedar Rapids old Mrs Billington's only relatives. Neither had ever lived within sew eral hundred miles of her, geo. graphically or mentally, but they were conscientious young matrons, with a strong sense of responsibil- ity, and Grandma was heavily on their minds. now that she was al- most seventy-ei eight.
 ''It isn't as if we hadn't always done everything we could to stir her up-dig her out" Agnes said.
 ''We certainly have" said Fife. Tt was seven years after Grandpa died before I could even get her to visit me! And the children so young and cute then! You'd have thought she'd have loved being with them. There wasn't anything Grandma other South enjoyed more than taking them to dancing les sons when I was busy, and to Sun dow Snhnn1 and fn fhnir litfln r. ties. But not Grandma! She was nice, of course, and said she'd had la good time, but when somebody comes to stay two weeks with you and stays less than half that, you draw your own conclusions"
 I know. And all she hurried back for was to sit in that old mau- soleum. What does she do there. do you suppose?"
 Nothing. It's pitiful. Even at her age"
 Why doesn't she go into New York and live in some nice hotel? She's got the money"
 I'm afraid she hasn't as much as she used to have. She wrote me she was letting some of the ser wants go. As far as I've ever beer able to discover-she certainly doesn't bother much about keeping us inform ed-she never goes any where but to Cousin Jen's. in Yer mont, and once and awhile to those old springs in Virginia where her mother used to go. She can't be spending much money"
 wen simply have to go before long and see about her. After all, she's Mothers mother, you know" And several months later, feeling the need of a change and some Thew clothes, and being genuinely, if mildly, anxious about Grandma, they came on to New York.
 BUT WE CAN'T
 BURY OURSELVES"
 "But we simply can't bury our selves in that awful old place." Agnes wrote to Fife. And, besides, I want to know how she's really living when she's not expecting anybody. Let's leave our things at the Grand Central, and run out without letting her know we're coming, see how things are and bring her into the city with us for little spree. It'll be a treat to her. We'll take her to whatever she wants to see mOSt-the theater, the movies, or whatever she says; and we'll get the lowdown on her situation at home, and maybe take a load off our minds"
 And so it was arranged. They exclaimed in dismay as they rolled in at the big gates. The old place was dreadfully changed. It hadn't been really taken care of, just slicked over.
 They had the taxi wait, got out and rang the bell, tried all the doors and succeeded in rousing only few echoes in the stately old house.
 Probably gone to Cousin Jen's," Agnes said. And they drove to the nearest telephone and called their cousin.
 But Cousin Jen, duly rung up in Vermont, said no such luck. "She