The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-10-16

the morning after we move hou
Numbered it 80 carefully after that
luncheon We had last Christmas
and it was wrapped in Il sheet and
laid away in the chest.
"YcS'm." Althy nodded. Oats
so" But she made no further eX-
plantations and strange stub
bornncSS seemed to have come
over her face. She went from the
room and they heard her talking
in low tones OF Ieke in the
kitchen.
Kate said to the Major and
Caroline. This is getting to be Il
mystery. Call Xekc in. Gran, dad,
and ask him about it. Won't
YOU" .,
The Major raised his voice and
quavered imperatively. "Icke! Oh
Xckc" and the old colored man
entered. smiling afiably. Major
Need said. We're just curious.
Zekc. about this table cloth. Why
did YOU tell Althy to put it on the
table this mornin' Specially?
Zckc'S eyes carefully examined
the toes OF his worn shoes. Then
he offered. A big table cloth
covers up dc table legS so nice
an neat. Major Sam. II seem ike
person ought to use big table
cloths whenever dey can"
! Something in his manner and
po;ntlcSS answer made Major
. Need come alert. Lifting up u
corner of the cloth. he looked in
} tently at the table leg and said,
"Wcll, So that's it,
Nate and Caroline hSstily did
, likewise and saw what their
grandfather saw. Zeke had
brought the handsomely carved
drop-lcaf serving table from the
dining room of Need Meadows.
The Major said Sternly, Il told
you we'd eat off one of those deal
/ tables that stood in the kitchen,
! Zekc. | told you the dining room
set went to Mr.. Howard when he
! took over the house, Do you want
! to make thief out of me- He
! glared in genuine anger. Its all
! written down in black and white
signed, sealed and settled. The
three large bedroom sets. the par
Tor and the dining room sets all
were to 90 with the house"
I "YcsSir, Major SAM replied
Zeke with unruffled calmneSS.
"You done tole me dat. remem-
hers. remembers perfeck. But
there's somethin' YOU done forgot
/ yourself. Major Sam. Dis here
little table don't belong TO de
dinin' room set. It's heap Older.
1t done come Wifi ole Miss when
she married you an moved in viii
her trunks from Fayette county;
She say her pappy's people used
it in Virginny, back before dc lirS'
war"
"By Lucifer!" exclaimed Major
Need. Hes right. And he's got
a better memory than ! have. This
table came from Miss kitty'S peo'
| pie. 1t never did belong to that
Sheraton set my father bought II
Baltimore
Then the four of them began tC
, laugh and talk at once, and Althy
. came in to take part in the mira
ton"
Kate exclaimed, well keep it
of course"
Caroline said, 1T would be silly
J not to. It'll look sweet, Kate, as
a dining table. Vel keep it bare
and polished, with its leaves rails.
ed and bowl of yard flowers on
| YES" agreed Kate, smiling
Qucerly. It'll be lovely
Even more than her burning de-
sire to have this touch of beauty
in the ugly little house was her
exaltation over depriving jeff
Howard of something valuable
| that he had almost clutched. She
VS. afraid that even now, when he
! had discovered it's loss, he might
| override the technicality of THEN
claim and take the table from
| them.
She said to Zeke in a quick
! nervous aside, WAS there an un.
faded place on the wallpaper
where the table used to Stand?"
. "fes'm Miss Kate" Zeke re.
: piled. closing one eye. "but don't
YOU worry bout dat. | done drag
: in dc sugar chest from de pantr!
an put it 'gainSt de spot"
Kate and Caroline carried :
= piece of paper and pencil
: around with them and took notes
/. Hates first note said, "Stove must
/. come down. That, she and Caro-,
=, line agreed. was the first step in
!. making the living room present
, able for the summer.
They had left the old BruSscl,
, carpets on the floors at Niece
Meadows mot even Kate, the
ruthless. had thought of tearing
them upl and now there was tn,
lqucslion of covering these rough