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J Pages 9 to 16 I THE OGDEN STANDARD L Part Twor

i FORTIETH YEAR NO 93 OGDEN CITY UTAH SATURDAY EVENING APRIL 16 1910 0 PRICE FIVE CENTSI

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I ILlARYS HANDICAPhMar-yBy Barrett Howard

HE old white house was 1 square structure surs mounted by a cupola built in the early part

asf of the nineteenth century The sloping roofsupported by great Corinthian pillars extended over awide porch and like many houses of that period bothroof and cupola were ornamented by low wooden railnip

e trees and shrubs surrounding it had grown unpruncd for years and the once trim boxborderedgarden beds were a tangle of Japan and Bermuda liliespink sweet williams blue bachelorsbuttons fragrantphlox and flaunting hollyhocks

In spite of its general dilapidation it was a placewInch would have suggested infinite possibilities to-

n artistic eye hut Tom Hilary closed the gate of theoldfashioned white rail fence with an impatient bang

Ive a white elephant on my hands all right altright he reflected irritably but if Id foreclosedSkinners mortgage as he directed and thehad been put up at public sale in all probability theplace would have brought not more than enough to sat

the Hen on it and there would have been nothingleft for poor old Willard

He paused to regard with covetous eyes an ornateQueen Anne villa in process of erection

Something like that now was what Id had inmind he thought wistfully Mothers been used toliiiiR in a handsome house ever since Celie marriedJim Bennett

Then his face cleared Ill tell her just how it was II

he decided Bless her heart shell be glad to knowthat I was able to do a good turn to the old man whowas so kind to me when I was a kid

And any how he continued with increasing cheer ¬

fulness I can furnish the old ark way up in G andwith fresh paint pink instead of whiteall thatshrubbery cut down a nice smooth lawn and per¬

haps a fountain with the figure of a child holding anumbrella over her head like that one I saw in Peoriait will look like a different place

His meditations were interrupted by an eagerplaintive VOICe

Oh Thomas 1 Miss Manila Buckingham ex-

claimed¬

Im so delighted to have met you Sisterand I were intending to call at your office this after ¬

noon to consult you on a matter oiof grave im-

portance¬

But there seems something soso indeli ¬

cate in ladies calling on a gentleman that perhaps nowthat you arc in the neighborhood you wont mindstopping

had swept off his hat and stood lookingkindly down at a shabby little woman in rusty black-

It will be a pleasure Miss Buckingham he as-

sured¬

herNevertheless seemeda trifledepressed as here¬

lieved the tremulous Hands of some pitifully smallbrown paper parcels He had known the Misses Buck ¬

ingham all his life and he was aware that4 like ninnyother women left alone in the world they had al-

lowed¬

a comfortable competency to slip through theirlingers He divined the nature of the matter ofgrave importance and his prophetic soul told himthat he would be called to solve the hopeless prob ¬

lem of making their impaired capital yield a living in-

come¬

or the still more hopeless one of pointing out totwo proud luxuriously broughtup women past mid ¬

dle age some means of earning a livelihoodHillary himself had been a poor boy hut he had

tonne of sturdy working stock and his mother left awidow with two young children to support had ap ¬

plied herself to the task with such indomitable pluckand vim that the little cottage where she bent dailyover her washtubs had been a happy homc And nowHillary glancing nt the delicate worn face beside himrealized the difference between the cheerful hopefulpoverty of his boyhood and that which confrontedthese two helpless women in their old age

For an instant he was tempted to plead a forgottenengagement and thus avoid a painful scene But as a

an appetite for cookies andapples the Misses Buckingham had often appeared tohim in the role of Lady Bountiful nnd wasnot merely a name with Toni Hillary I

His manner showed no trace of his inward perturba-tion

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i when Miss Manila ushered him into the dimi drawingroom where sat Miss Lucinda a frail thinr shadow edition of the younger sister It was plain

that in his capacity of legal adviser the sisters regardedtheir former protege with awe and their natural reti-

e

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cence made it difficult for them to acknowledge thestraits to which they had been reduced but by dintof skilful sympathetic questioning Hillary at lengthsucceeded in obtaining a clear idea of the condition oftheir affairs

L That oldmine promised so well t sobbed Mi < s

Manila m conclusionHow could we possibly imagine that the bank was

going to fail when the cashier himself not a week be-

fore¬

he was arrested or embezzlement Assured usthat it was as solid as a rock sighedSister and I really cannot manage to live on what-

is left I she continued and we thoughtThomas that you could tell us what is best to be

doneThis great house must he an e < expensive place to4 keep up began Hillary tentatively Have you never

thought of disposing of itSell the home that has been in our family for four

generations We would rather starve l the oldwomen cried as one person

The only plan which seemed to him at all feasiblebeing thus summarily rejected Hillary sat thought-

fully¬

frowning over the apparently insoluble problempresented to him when the silence was broken by Miss

ManilaThomas she said faintly it would be exceed-

ingly

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painful to our most sacred sensibilitiesbutbutwe might consent to disposing of sonic of ourso topeak Lares and Penates e could spare what

would completely a small house without thefact becoming apparent to al casual observer Do

you think Thomas that you could find us n cus-

tomer

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who would regard such a transaction asas-mr t confidential

IIillar looked doubtfully about the dim drawingi room whose treasures of old mahogany rare china

and quaint bricabrac fruits of the voyages of ad

cnturoiis ancestors would have caused a connots

j cur to swoon with rapture But it may as well be-

nny once admitted that the young attorneys ideal

home was that of his sister Celia who at sixteen hady married a rich plumber and had gone to Peoria lito

reside according to one of the local papers hin

toe of the most elegant mansions of which our en-

terprising¬

city can boast The plumber was a gener-

ous

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t man who had been quite ready lo undertake ther maintenance of his wifes impecunious relatives butZ Tom although only a boy at the time had elected to

rennin in his native town where he had managed

lo work his way through the law school and laterinto a good pratise by dint of pure grit and deter-

mination

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lIe hind however made frequent visits in Peoriawhere he lad been innocently elated to find his mother

ei and sister living in an aggressively modern house of

which the architecture was as as the plumbing-was above reproach and which was furnished with all

the unchastened splcndqr of a Pullman palace carIt would be unjust to condemn unreservedly my

hero on that account for the average man unless hehas been coaxcd or bullied by some cultured sistermother wife or sweetheart into an appreciation of themodern craze for the antique in household art evincesthe same fondness for meretricious glitter and barbaricbrightness of color that is seen in the child or the un-tutored

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savageThe esthetic yearnings of Hillarys mother and sis ¬

ter were as ycl ot that rudimentary character whichfinds full expression m machinemade furniture of gol ¬

den oak brass beds with lilcsialincd lace shams redplush parlor sets and walls hung with expensive giltpapers and adorned with various kitchen utensils vio ¬

lently hand paintcd and decoratedWife he had none nor sweetheart since a day when

pretty Cynthia Lambert had been suddenly taken byher parents to Paris to complete her education and torecover from a foolish schoolgirl infatuation for acertain impecunious law student Although severalyears had passed since then the Lamberts were stillabroad mg in the various cities of Europe whererich Americans most do congregate and so it hap ¬

pened that this big fellow who radiated cheerfulness-and good humor like sonic great Newfoundland puppycarried about with him a hidden hurt which renderedhim impervious to the wiles of the charming girls who

so on the rising young lawyer andno cultured damsel had ever had the opportunity ofteaching hint proper appreciation of old mahogany andfaded Persian rugs

As to the Misses Buckingham pride and povertyhad of late years erected a barrier between them andtheir kind that even the most brazen of collectorshad not ventured to penetrate and although the faded

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HUT a tool cefened

rugs and old mahogany were dear to throughlong association they were as ignorant Hillary himsclt of the market value of their household gods

At their request the yours man made a list of thosearticles with which they had decided to part followingthem submissively about on a tour of inspection fromattic to cellar But he viewed without emotion the

thus revealed from the dimngand cardtableswith their clawandball feet the ChippendaleSheraton sofas chairs highboys and and greatmahogany fourposters carved in pineapple designs inthe chambers down to the black oak drcsscri m thekitchen-

IllI

bet no one would take that heavy clumsy stuff-as a gift he reflected irreverently-

By his business friends Hillary was supposed tohave more heart than commercial instinct a I

therefore have been no surprise to them if they hadoverheard him on his return to the dim drawmgrpomoffer to the purchaser of what was in ¬

a distinctly undesirable lot of household goods ata price which caused the two old women to gasp withincredulous delight

But Thomas what can you want of ifJ cried MissMarilla Do you contemplate entering hcthcholy bonds of matrimony she u faintblush for to Miss Manila there was somcthin flavor-

ing¬

of impropriety in mentioning such asubjcct to oneof the opposite sex

Hillarys sunburnt face flushed like apirlsNot on your lifer hesaid hurricillyi ButIm

expecting my mother to live with me Ive bought the

old place and Icrthink it would be a goodplan to have the furniture sort of match the house

But Im afraid it isnt worth all that money qua-vered

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Miss LucindaWell you see Miss Lucinda rejoined the young

attorney promptly theres so much wood in thefurniture of yours that at the present price of lumber I

wouldnt feel justified in offering less1The two old women looked innocently relieved and

Miss Manilla said impulsivelyWe dont mind parting with our things if you are

going to have them Thomas and Miss Lucinda beamedassent

Then that is settled said Hillary and I think thatthat this amount added to your remaining capitalought properly invested to bring you in enough tohc on comfortably But perhaps he suggestedsomewhat diffidently would be well for you to placeit in the hands of a trustee for in that way you would-he relieved of a great deal of anxiety and responsibil-ity

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of course assented Miss Marilla whateveryou think best Thomas

Theres something so unladylike about businessmurmured Miss Lucinda that Im sure sister and Iwould be only too thankful never to be obliged to comein contact with it again But how shall we ever beable to show our gratitude to > ou Thomas If wecould render you any assistance in settling the housegentlemen arc usually rather helpless

We could put up curtains you know and give thoselittle finishing touches chimed in Miss Manila breath-lessly

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Why sure responded Hillary heartilyThen as he saw the eagerness the wan faces of

these old women from whom fate had withheld all that

But there wistful in the girls eyes winchd as the moments passed

as

treasuresand

lowboys

becometion

Willard

makes life worth living he had inspirationId the curtains he said and I wonder

Miss Buckingham if you and your sister would kindlyhelp me to select them and the papers that everythingmay be ready when my mother Ve will go tothe city on an early train and when weve attended tothis business we will dine at sonic roofgarden see afew turns of vaudeville and come out on the last ex-press

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The wan faces brightened with a elrCuldelishtThe terms roofgarden and 1Udc J1e suggested-to these ancient maidens vague but horrifof unholy dissipation

Why Thomas is it customary or ladies to= to fre ¬

quent such places asked Miss Lucinda dubiouslyBut Hillary so earnestly Why yes Miss

roofgardens arc all the go and rm sure yourwill enjoy the besides placing me under atremendous ohhcationthat Miss Manila cut short thediscussion with unwonted decision

Well go Thomas she declared recklessly Wedlike to

Although Hillary had bccrfractuated solely by a de-sire

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to a pleasant duting to these old friends hebuilded better than hr knew when he naked them toaccompany him onhis forMthcir instinctive goodtaste backed by opinianiofiamartistic and autocra-tic salesman rcsultcdin the delicate papers-of Colonial designs rather tIn the gilt and embossedhorrors to which he himself inclined

Dont you think now that somclhinp richand handsome about a paperlike that per ¬

suasively pointing to a sample where fleurdelis andcattails ten feet high were sprawling in a flamboyantand intricate pattern

II dont think it seems suitable Thomas de ¬

murred Miss Lucinda timidlyThese Colonial papers as they call them arc so

dainty and pretty Thomas said Miss Marilla deprccatingly This pale yellow would be charming for thedrawingroom and time green just the thing for thehall

Nothing but the Colonial designs should be toleratedm a house such as you described observed tIme artisticsalesman with finality

Hillary laughed and yielded Ill tell you what ithe said pleasantly I believe better leave it all

to you ladies Ill go and look up a man I want to secand meet you here later

That journey to town with its unique experiences wasregarded by the Misses Buckingham the day of theirdeath as an epic moment m their monotonous lives andthe days that followed were only less exciting Theythrew themselves heart and soul into the renovation ofthe old Wilkird place and felt the same fond delight inthe growing beauty of the young mans future homethat they would hind he been a dearly loved son Theyassumed little airs of affectionate dictatorship and for-tified

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by their consultations with the artistic salesmanthey vetoed Hillarys project of painting the house pink

turning the picturesque garden into a conven-tional

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lawn they insisted on dividing-with him the rare china and oldfashioned silverwhich had been part of their inheritance

One pleasant day a few weeks later Hillary was pac-ing

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up and down the walks that wound about boxbordered gardenbeds where the flowers released fromthrottling weeds were rioting in all their pristinesplendor The trees and shrubbery had been prunedbut not hewn down or uprooted and elms and maplesstill tossed their branches overhead while greatsyringas lilacs and snowballs filled every corner andoverarched the walks Both fence and house weredazzling in a coat of fresh white paint and greet shut ¬

ters shaded tIme windows A stoutarmed German maidwas hanging up dishtowels in a delightful clothesyard was surrounded by a hedge of arborvitax

H I1ar regarded the whole with a look of dawningr resignation induced by the soothing influence of a goodcigar and an excellent luncheon-

It might be worse he conceded generously Glanc-ing

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toward the street he caught sight of a girl seated-in an electric motor gliding swiftly and silently alongthe smooth asphalt He stared again pass-ing

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his hand across his eyes as if to clear theirIt isntit cant be Cynthia he muttered incredu-

lously¬

The girls intuitions were quicker The little ortopped short and Cynthia Lambert held out both herhands Oh Tom Tom 1

Hillary flung down Ins cigar and vaulted over thefence Cynthias slender hands again in his andCynthias eyes meeting his yearning gaze withthat look at once shy and tender which he so well remen bcred the young man could have stood indefinitelyunconscious of his surroundings But Miss Lambertwas Suddenly recalled to a sense of proprieties by the

regard of a grocers boy who wassurveying the pretty tableau with interest

Blushing furiously she withdrew her hands fromHillarys grasp and assumed a demeanor of such coolindifference that the big fellows heart sank and hebegan to wonder if he could have mistaken the look inthose dark blue eyes But the next instant his spiritsrose again for as she glanced from his bare head to thehouse from whence he came her checks whitened un-

mistakably¬

Why Tom Mr Hillary she faltered is it youwho have made such changes in the old Willard plac-eII hadnt heard of your marriage

It hasnt taken place yet Hillary replied calmly

II hope you will be very happy Tom she mur-mured

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Then as she bent forward and the little car responded-to her touch he exclaimed hurriedly-

Oh Cynthia dont gol The girl Im to marryhasnt seen her future home and Id be so awfullyobliged if youd come in and look it over and see if-

cvcrthing is righ-tMlssL3mberts pretty face flushed and then paled

again But she was far too proud to shrink from theproposed ordeal and with no perceptible hesitation sheacceded to Hillarys request up the graveledwalk by his side her graceful head erect chatting andlaughing gall In the hall they encountered Grctchenand a brilliant idea flashed into Hillarys mind

Ushering Cynthia into the drawingroom he excusedhimself and hastened back to the maid

I say Gretchen he began cant you get somethingfor in to cat

Then with the impulse to offer his sovereign ladythe best his larder afforded he added tentatively-

How would it do to broil that steak I sent up forsupped

Yah I get him rctly by scfcn oglock said Grclchcnphlegmatically

It was evident from the stolid obstinacy of Grctchcnsface that she had no intention of being cajoled intopreparing what Hillary called a square meal at theuncanomcal hour of four oclock in the afternoon andthe young man hastily capitulated

never mind the steal he said lout MissLamberts lately been living in England where theyeat about this time of day I read about it In somefool novel he went on confidentially But now Ithink of it the food was mostly crumpets and plumcake and gallons of tea Do you know what crumpetsarc Gretchen he asked anxiously watching her facefor some sign of intelligence They put the wholebusiness on a tray ou knqw and cat in the parlor in ¬

stead of the diningroom-

Gretchens face lighted into something resembling ani-

mation¬

Yah I Yah she exclaimed eagerly tfacJitnitltsg-Kaffec niclit uuir

Hillary eyed her doubtfully Now what kind of amess will she hand out to us I wonder he meditateduneasily

But trusting to luck that she would produce somethingeatable he proceeded to enact the role of cicerone on atour of inspection he artfully prolonged by everydevice in his power and when at length they returned-to the l awi ig room Gretchen was there before themwith a hug tray containing all tlicappurtcnanccs of agenuine German afternoon coffee

The quaint old room was a fitting background forCynthias fresh young beauty and atearnest solicitation removed her hat and gloves

and began to pour the coffee from a massive silver urnhe sat gazing at her in a trance of dumb adorationblindly fqellng the harmony between this Daughter ofthe Revolution and her present environment

Why Ive not seen any of those delicious cakessince I left Germany Cynthia cried in genuine delight

as her fell on a plate of dcrman dainties whichGrctchen unrestrained by the presence of an unappre

dative American mistress had made and baked thatmorning

dYou haf been in SIlCrman gll0diJuFrollcin Iasked Gretchen

And at Cynthia reply that she had lived in Berlin tfor five years the Il0m lck German Madchen lingereduntil Miss Lambert tasting her cup of fragrant coffeeand setting her little white teeth into one of tile ckcshad declared that never even in that land of Kaffee dudof hiitlien had she eaten anything so good Then andnot untIl then Gretchen fairly bursting with pridereluctantly withdrew

Hillary felt exceedingly awkward as he sat balancinga frail cup on big hand until he forgot hi discom-v

fort m the pleasure of seeing Cynthia presiding at his Jtable and pouring out his coffee m tins delightfully do-mestic

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fashion But there was a wistful look in thegirls blue eyes which deepened as the moments passedand m spite of her praise of them she had very littleappetite for the excellent coffee and cakes

When she finally arose to go however her voice wasquite steady is she held out her hand saying

Your house is charming Tom I13m quite surethat the girl you arc to marry will be happy here withyou

Oh Cynthia do you mean it Do you love meafter all Hillary stammered rapturously

The beautiful color rushed into Cynthias checksII dont understand she faltered You said youwere to be married this house-

I bought tIlls house because my mptJicr is to divideher time between me and my sister henceforth saidHillary and I am to be married ii you will have meCynthia

Explanations followed and the old old story of inter-cepted letters and consequent estrangement was re-vealed

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After a time Cynthia lifted to her lover herlovely face where tears and smiles were mingled

Dont think too hardly of dear old dad Tom shepleaded Both he and mother have a lot of unAmeri ¬

can theories concerning the influence of early environ-ment

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and the impossibility of people who have beenbrought up as differently as you and I having the sim-ilarity

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of tastes that makes for happiness in marriedlife But wait until they have seen this house and theywont have a word to say for thcmsehcs is just tomy taste down to the smallest detail and in order torout them horse and foot you must be sure to offerthe nachiniltay Kaffec she ended laughingly

Never hcardofitbcforc in mylife Hillary blurtedout That was some of Grelchcns doings I tot her J

< to broil 3 ou a beefsteak read in a book that acrossthe big pond they fed about this time of day and Ithought you might he hungry Besides he confessedhelplessly I wanted to keep you here as long as Icould

Miss Lambert blushed adorably Oh Tom sheprotested you arc just the same boy you always were-

I remember how afraid you were in school days oftaking any credit that didnt belong to you But youcant explain away this house she added triumphantly

Hillary looked troubled If the hou c and furniturereally pleased Cynthia it seemed hard to have toacknowledge just then that they had been practicallyforced upon him Suddenly his downcast face bright-ened

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After all perhaps she would have liked his dcalhome even better

Wouldnt you have preferred something more mod ¬

ern sweetheart he asked with assumed nonchalanceOne of those Queen Ann houses farther down the

street for instance I know a house of that brandwhere the parlor is furnished in red plush anti thecarpet is white velvet with pink roses The paper isnt-as plain as thisgilt you know with big flowers all-

over itand there Ire no end of ornaments hanging-on the walls made out of rollingpins and butterbowls-they told me the whole effect was nice and cheerful Ithought-

Red plushbutter bowls Cynthia gaspedThen out of pure lightness of heart she made an as-

sertion¬

which she did not mean in the very leastTom Hillary she averred solemnly if I had come

homc and found you living in such a house as that Inever would have had you in all this world l

Hillary stood quite silent for a moment her softcheck against his shoulder her soft hair against hislips Hitherto the straight path of truth and honesty-had been the obvious one to Tom Hillary He had feltnot time slightest temptation to follow that easy wayso assiduously pointed out to him by unscrupulous poli ¬

ticians jbut now it was only after a fierce struggle withhimself that he was able to say in his usual quiet mat ¬

teroffact voiceIm sorry to disappoint you Cynthia but that is the

house I would have chosenShe looked up In amazement What can you

mean Tom You surely were not obliged to buy thisplace anti know it was not furnished as it is now inold Mr Willards day You are only trying to teaseme for no one who was addicted to red plush could

ever have restored the place to such beauty

Hillary turned away abruptly as he answered al ¬

most rudelyI bought the house to oblige an old friend and

the furniture of two old ladies who were good to me

when I was a kid and they managed the whole busi ¬

nessbought the curtains rugs and papers to har-

monize

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as I suppose youd say But to tell you thehonest truth CynthiaI think it is the limit

As he stared moodily out of the window with un-

seeing

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eyes a pair of arms stole about his neck andthe sweetest voice in the world said with a laugh thatwas half a sob

Qh Tom you dear shocking old Philistine

Hillarys arms drew her close as he questioned rap-

turously

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Put you love me just the samedo you sweet-

heart

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And to his lasting wonderment for the subtleties-

of the femininemind are quite beyond the compre-

hension

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oft a man like Tom Hillary Cynthia replied

with convictionSlave you a thousand million times better J

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