The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-12-02
The Dear House
By RALPH MILLER
ASSOCIATED Newspapers.)
tWNU Servicel

then she married Ted Byram and
came to No. Peters street, one of
a dun-painted row of just-alike ug-
lies.
She hated it from the first. Moth
ing fitted. Wall spaces were wrong,
the windows too narrow, stock-size
rugs would not fit the floors and
the wallpaper was hideous.
Ted beamed at the results, how
ever, while she choked down the
lump in her throat to smile back at
him.
Grand little place." he would
crow. "Old Peters should see it."
G. H. Peters, millionaire, in his
pink villa in Floridal .
Glad you like it, Ted, but we
will begin to save right now for a
house of our own" she announced
firmly
They saved vigorously until inter
rupted at the end of the first year
by fat little Theodore. Many things
checked their Roadway after that,
up to their second interruption,
which was Wilhelmina, also fat and
adorable.
The case against No. l Peters
street grew with the larger family.
The little beds and chiffoniers took
all the space in the bedrooms, and
there was no place for the perambu-
lator or kiddie car downstairs.
Minna brought her dream of the
dear house to the fore, and again
began saving for it. Ted took extra
work at the mill to help out. G. H.
Peters was still in Florida and his
agent refused paint and paper.
Then one day-Minna called it her
black Friday-he ran home.
'Minna! Merry Christmas! Happy
New Year! Birthday surprise!''
"What have you done, Ted?" Why
should her heart be leaden?
&c. H. Peters is home and is clos
ing out his loose real estate. He
gave me wonderful bargain on this
house and l snapped it up. You
are a grand little saver, for we
have enough for the down payment,
and the rest will be like rent. Why,
Minna-don't cry. l never knew
that you wanted home so badly!"
At first she sobbed convulsively,
while he petted and coaxed her.
Finally she could smile and say
brokenly:
1T will be lovely to own a home,
Ted!"
The dear house was gone. All
her life this ugly, tucked-up, dun
colored hovel would offend her eye
and cramp her living. There were
days when even the pranks of funny
! little Teddy or the chuckles of Willy
could not cheer her, but she did
her best to keep good face before
Ted.
One day when she was downtown,
getting the children's hair trimmed,
Ted called the shop, agitatedly.
Come home as fast as you can,
Minna. The two houses back of us
are burning, and they say ours may
go, too. Some of the boys from
the mill will go over with me and
nelp get the thlngS out.
,, Maybe the dear house would come
now!
She could not hurry toward the
black cloud which hung over Peters
street. Teddy's short little legs and
plump Willy in her stroller held her
back.
Would they get the children's
toys? Her Bavarian tea set with
the wheat-heads-and the Quinper
bowl The flames would break
through the window where they sat
in the evening to watch for Ted.
And the gable upstairs, by Teddy's
bed, where he watched the pigeons
against the sky-the little peach tree
by the kitchen-the folding break
fast table Ted had made-the old
linen cloth she had dyed to make
spreads for it only last week-to
! match the wolfe curtains.
AS she hurried, sobbing under her
breath, flood of comprehension en-
quilted her
No. ] Peters street was not ugly.
Why, it was the dear house, and it
had loved her all the years while
she had been hating It'll She never
knew it until she had to lose it.
Smoke and trampling feet, shouts
and kissing water, piles of furniture
and clothing watched over by an
officer, and a billow of smoke sweep
ing over the peaked roof. She turned
and hid her face against the corner
tree.
Then Ted's arm around her, his
blackened face smiling at her.
cts all right, Minna-the fire
caught the roof-peak at the back,
but they got it out right away. It's
all right, dear, don't cryl"
"Oh, Ted" she gasped "You
saved the dear housei"
eve did-and the smoking needn't
matter, for l was intending to have
it remodeled for your birthday pres
ent. Now we needn't wait, but can
go right to work A larger living
room, open stairs, a sun parlor,
breakfast room, with an extra room,
a sleeping porch and lots of closets
upstairs. The plans are drawn, wait