The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-06-10
SHINING PALACE E
IzYkYl SERVICE

grand, when the stuffing was COM
ing out of that old chair! Incongru-
Gus. Evidently this improvident cou-
pie believed in spending when there
was anything to spend. That rug
now-that bit of cloisonne-the Rus
sian candelabra on the mantel. Only
real money could procure such
things.
The old man moved forward,
passing his hand over the lacquered
chair, its mother-of-pearl inlay shin
ing dimly. Leonora had written him
about that chair at the very first.
Something her husband had picked
UP during his wanderings. Japanese,
of course. No one surpassed the
Japanese when it came to lacquer.
His own Chinese cabinet (of which
James was rather proud) couldn't
for one minute compete with work
like this, he admitted honestly. And
here was a nest of tables to match
it. Beautiful! Those tables belonged
in a museum; yet on the smallest
stood set of tiny dishes, put out,
evidently, in anticipation OF dolls
tea partyl Did Nora's children play
with things like this? Extraordi-
naryl
James turned again, his eyes
caught by painting Of a clipper
ship above the fireplace. That was
a shipl One could almost feel the
wind filling its sails. A Venable, OF
course. One would recognize it any
where. Well, Carl Venable had been
a friend Of Don's, he understood.
The picture may have cost them
nothing. Too bad the artist had
been cut off in his prime-a man
with gift like that. It was mar
velous painting-worth great deal
of money; yet here it was in
room where the bookshelves were
nothing but boxes, packing boxes
piled one upon another and stained
to match the woodwork.
Books, books, and still more
books. A pretty penny they must
have spent on books, those two;
and yet, Morals father admitted al
most with reluctance, the books fur
nished this big room as nothing else
could-gave it atmosphere. Their
varied bindings made him think OF
a camers hair shawl his mother
used to wear. How softly they
blent with the fine old rug that hung
above them!
Well, he must sit down for
while. That walk from the car had
tired him unaccountably. Despite
its worn upholstery the big chair by
the table looked inviting; but ne
must get nearer the fire-stretch
out on the davenport moment.
James paused, staring down at
what he had taken for divan. Why,
it was nothing in the world but a
pew out of some old church! Wo-
ever heard of putting such a thing
into a living room? And yet-by
George!-it seemed to fit the place
belong here! What beautiful carv-
ing on those old posts. One seldom
saw such work in these days. Well,
this was certainly the strangest yet.
A pew out of some old New England
meeting house! But it looked sur
prisingly attractive with its thick
CIlIIlSOn CuSIllOII dllO PillOWo "a siAC
same warm hue. And it looked
comfortable. "a great deal more
comfortable" James told the empty
ball room, ethan those modern,
overstuffed affairs one can't get up
from without a helping hand"
For a tired moment the old man
sat down and closed his eyes, won
dering YEARLY if this strange home
of Nora's possessed guest room.
His sense of humor, grown rusty
since she went away, lifted its head
as he soliloquized:
perhaps they'll allow me to curl
UP in the watch tower!" James
chuckled. "The enemy in the watch
tower would be something new!"
Then remembering that the boy had
said his picture was on Nora's desk,
he forgot his WEAKNESS and arose
briskly.
(TO BE CONTINUED