Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1940-06-13
Pride and Prejudice
Part y
By A. Arundel

Long before Professor Harwood dies serious f1nan-
c1a1 difficulties had arisen. The two daughters
struggled poverty their father.
After his death conditions became much worse. Most
Of the lawsuits we're unsuccessful. The old ladies
had only fixed notion about managing their pro-
They continued to live in their enormous mansion,
surrounded by priceless furniture, boarding jewels
and other antique hsirlooms although they lacked
fuel to heat the building. they were nourdshed by
pride and secret contributions of food left their
doorstep by neighbors. They refused iercely to
sell single object from the house although art
dealers and antique merchants besieged them often.
Even though the sale of few articles would have
kept them in comfort for years, the sisters held
to every trinket in fiery, foolish pride. It
indeed terrible, insane pride which permitted them
to accept baskets of food from people whom they would
snub few hours Later the street. Occasionally
the sisters consented to rent the other of the
wings of the house, providing modern
made. Kerosene lamps and kitchen ranges and the
Of living in the past must recompense anyone
who wanted to live there for such comforts cleo
tricity and steam.
The children of Annapolis were not as forgiv1ng
their elders to the folltes of the old ladies.
When the latter stepped out to stroll in their
tended garden small boys would appear to annoy them
by shouting, by racing through the garden, lodging
through broken portions Of the fence. There grew up
ritual about such occurrences. The sisters would
retreat with dignity to the house and return quickly
Miss Lucy in the lead, Hourishing immense old
dwelling pistol, calling out threats to shoot at
No ever knew If the weapon we're actually loaded
and the uncertainty would send the lads scampering.
Miss Hester, Mss Hessie as almost any Annapolt
calls her still today, etely dominated
by her older sister. And at Miss Lncy's feet must
be laid the blame for the heartbreak which rounds
off the story of the Hammond Harwood house. No one
remembers whether Miss lucy had beaux not. But
Mss Hessie fell in love with midshirman at the
Academy. Since he Yankee from Ohio, Miss
Hessie tried to keep her a secret. One day
Miss Lucy found letter commencing, MY Darling
Hessie,". Miss Lucy needed dmning tndict-
ment. Such language was mpemis sib1e, between
an engaged couple The must be q scomdre1,
consHmate villain and must be dismissed at once.
So poor Miss Hessie sent her lover away settled
to obey Miss Lucy for the rest of her days. Only
after Miss Lucyis death, did she blossom out an
indi vidua1 for a little while. At seventy
there few outlets for her new-found independ-
ence. She decked herself out in of the family
jewels, bought false teeth and enjoyed few
quarrels of her own making. The latter we're very
refreshing since Sister Lucy had always been the
agressor in previous feuds.
Then her mind began to return to the past. She
felt that her lover still true to her, that from
important post in Washington he was watching
over her, (of course, true gentleman he could
longer approach her since she had ordered him
Of her ltfe) and she troubled herself about
financial worries. She even tore up her Will be-
cause all her affairs were in his hands. Probably
this harmless mania, the pleasant nightly
lions she held with him. provided her with the hap
piest days of her frustrated life.
When Mss Hessie died in 1924 she left no heirs
but the estate heavily mortgaged that credit
ors demanded a quick settlement. Word had spread
quickly that the house and It's furnishings to
be auctioned. Probably famous auction has
been held in America. All the dealers in art OBJ
jects and antiques who had been trying in vain
to see these treasures, and hundreds of other
curious people. The streets crowded wit people
Who could not get into the house, Separate pieces Of
furniture sold for fabulous pri ces. Single
chairs brought from $3.50 to $500 apiece. (How many
tons Of coal and baskets of food per charity
st. JOINTS College is the present owner of the
mansion. It's future at the moment is still to be
decided.