The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-10-07
The Tracy
Heirloom
By EDNAMAE SMYTH
ASSOCIATED Newspapers-WNU Service.)

IA NN NOh4O1N luILSu lIOin Tie
telephone with a sigh. She had
done big washing for her runner
GUS family, and was in the midst of
the ironing, which she hoped to fin
ish before supper time, when her
Cousin Maud Adams called up.
Come right over. We're having
a conference on the heirloom.
81 suppose somebody has made
them another offer" Ann said to
herself. 81 don't see what they
want of me. They never pay any
attention to what I say. If they
had they'd have got rid of that
pesky old chair a long time ago.
Maybe Washington did sit in it. But
I'm privileged to have my doubts. ]"
Four women were seated in
Maud's softly lighted living room
when Ann entered.
'Now we're all here together"
she said to Ann. Nell, Julia, Car
RE, you and I, the principals
in the case" She laughed. "And
there's the heirloom" She pointed
toward the ugly and honored chair.
'Mr. Jones tells me he'll give five
hundred for it."
"That makes one hundred apiece"
said the greedy Carrie Mains. "I
don't know as l want to sell out
my interest for that
you'll never get any more"
Maud returned sharply
II paid to have it advertised in
some of the best magazines, /"
snapped Carrie.
''Pinfeathers on humming-bird' S
wing!" Ann spoke softly. Don't
quarrel, girls. There have been
hard feelings enough about the old
thing already"
you've never exerted yourself to
sell it," Julia exclaimed hotly.
''But dare swear you'll take your
hundred just the same. That's the
Smith coming out in you, Ann Nor
ton"
Ann flushed painfully at this
scathing reference to her mother,
who had dared to marry Tracy
although she was of no Importance
herself.
eyes, I guess no one in your cir
cumstances, Ann, is going to pass
up a hundred dollars" sneered
Nell Ogden.
Ann bit her lip. She was tired,
she had left her work just to see a
group of well-to-do women SQUAD
bling over an old chair that nobody
had sat in for years.
Yes, she wanted that hundred dol
lars all right.
But something else looked bigger
still, her pride, her self-respect,
which was not all Tracy inner
itance. Maybe she hadn't lured pros
pective buyers or paid for advertise
ments or photographs, but she had
taken off four coats of black paint
that obscured the chairs glory and
pieced the little patchwork cushion
which looked as natural as if il
had grown there.
She stood up quietly but firmly.
give got to CO." she said. "Settle
it to suit yourselves. 1 don't
want that hundred dollars. You're
welcome to my share in the heir.
loom"
eff you feel that way" julia
murmured. She looked meaningly
at Maud, who added coldly: "Just
as you feel about it, of course. -
While Carrie and Nell exchanged e
wink. Twenty-Five dollars apiece
extra wasn't to be sneezed at.
Ann had got halfway home when
she missed her purse. She remem
bered that she had left it upon the
sofa where she had been seated
She hesitated about going back after
it then, but it held all the money
she had.
AS Ann mounted the steps of the
Adams house she saw that Mauc
was admitting a caller, man
stout, very stout, decidedly prosper
GUS in his appearance. She recog
nized him. 1t was viii Owen, who
Ildu SOllS W SSIOOl Will oil VI LIlGIIl
whom she hadn't seen in years.
He saw her almost as quickly as
she saw him. He grabbed he1
hand, pulled her into the house
There was a tremendous flutter
For Will Owen was a rich bachelor
Instead of gazing at the spinstel
Carrie or the widow Julia he KEEP
his eye on Ann.
"My gracious!" he wheezed
"You haven't changed a mite"
Considering how fat and blowzy
Ann is l don't call that much of e
compliment for the rest of u.s.
Julia said, giving Will a playful
push. AS he started back from her
he skidded on the slippery floor anc
sat down with a bang in the nearest
chair-the Washington chair. L
crushed like an eggshen under him
"My gracious!" he groaned
"What have I done?" Then as his
agonized glance swept the faces o.
the women who stood frozen with
consternation-"I hope" ne NUT
tered, cit isn't an heirloom"
Twas" breathed Ann. Then
frightened, she snatched up hel
purse and ran out of the house.
AIMS invitation to dinner was the
only one Will Owen accepted. Julia