The Washington times., 1936-10-22

whether Sne was going TO De 81
I'm sorry" Grandmother Failey
said in a small voice. II just
hoped 1 wouldn't have to tell you
tonight, The Mill Valley house
lists gone. The bank took it
over. Everything's gone. I'm
lucky to have this. Peter lets me
have it. He's owned the building
a long, long time"
CHAPTER "
The two girls stood close to-
gether, just inside the door. Jan
was still holding on to her
mothers pigskin dressing case.
Dorathea clutched her handbag,
and the polo coat that wouldn't
fit in the trunk.
They were trying to understand.
''The Mill Valley house" was
mart of their childhood. They'd
been brought up on it, if not in it.
From their earliest comprehension
they'd heard about it. and for
nearly a year, while father was
overseas and the war was on,
they'd lived in it. though OF course
they were only babies and didn't
really remember.
It was the old Failey home, the
place where Evelyn had spent her
eirlhood, and Throughout the
years that they'd moved from
place to place, as father was trans
ferred from one post to another,
they'd heard about California and
the Mill Valley house.
While other children listen to
stories about Mother Goose and
Cinderella and the Three Bears,
the little Keith girls had clamored
for stories about the Faileys and
the Mill Valley house.
They knew that it was large
and rustic and rambling, a red
wood palace, with wide windows
and porches, overlooking the blue
bay and the dark woods and tall,
gray Tamalpais. Grandfather
Failey, who was a judge in San
Francisco, had committed back
and forth every day, and everyone
who was anyone came to the
parties - the perpetual party
that went on in the Mill Valley
house.
They'd seen pictures of mother
and her sisters in the garden, the
lovely, rambling garden that was
rustic and overgrown with forget
me-notS and foxgloves and elmer
aria in the shade of the trees near
the creek, and laid out in formal
terraces with roses and clipped
yew on the slope toward the south.
They knew all about the book
lined walls Of the living-room, the
prints and etchings grandfather
had collected, the silver service
that always sat on the dining
room sideboard, the eight bed
rooms, each in a different color,
upstairs.
And now they'd left their father
and the home they'd grown used
to in New York, and had come out
West to the FaileyS, and there
wasn't any place for them. The
bank had taken their home.
II don't believe it. I can't be-
lieve it," their mother said again.
She sat down on the uncarpeted,
inner stairs, claSping and unclaSp-
ing the catch of her purse. Her
big, new mink coat slipped off her
lap, onto the stair below.
Grandmother's pink little face
was drained of its delicate color
now. 1t was gray, like her neat,
tailored suit.
II told Peter to write you at the
time. He promised to, but he was
so busy, and one hates to send bad
news. And then, after you wired
you were leaving there wasn't
time. feel just dreadful about
it, but I"
"You feel dreadful about it!
You feel dreadful! You and Peter!
But how do you suppose I feel?
Stranded out here. That's what
I am-stranded-with a couple of
helpless children. You should
have told me. You had no right
to sell it without telling me. Papa
would never have let you, If he'd
been alive"
we lost 1t, darling Don't you
understand? Papa had it mort
gagged to the hilt! There wasn't
any choice. I knew how bad you'd
feel. and I couldn't bear to tell
you, and then you wired and IL
didn't know what to dol"
Evelyn had begun to weep
loudly, without restraint. Her
mother put her arms around her,
Shyly, but Evelyn just sat rigid,
refusing to be comforted, refusing
to bulge. Just sat there on the
stairs with the mink coat in a
glossy heap below her, her face
covered with her white-gloved
hands.
The girls, embarrassed by the
tears, shy of their new, strange
grandmother, just stood helplessly,
holding their coats.
JAMS eyes roved over the dim
expanse of stairs and hall. She
thought of home and her father.
A lump rose in her throat. She
thought she'd give everything in
the world, everything she'd ever
have, to be safe and beloved again,
with him. But even while her