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Show For Sale or Exchange Dy JANE OSBORN (0 by MeCluro N i; WMpriper Syndk-alo. (VVNU Borvlcu) up KMODEl.EI) Farmhouse, In Per-fect Per-fect Condition For Sale or Exchange." Sully Humphrey read the sign thus worded as she spun along the highway one midsummer's day. An arrow on the sign pointed away from the highway up a hillside lane and, as Sally's eyes quickly followed the direction of the arrow, she saw n low-roofed little house peeping from the side of a knoll of oak trees on the hill. She and her roadster had been sleadily mounting since she left home nn hour and a half before, and there was a welcome freshness about the air that had made her wish that she might spend long days in this hill country. Since Sally had left art school she had devoted her ' talents to the decoration deco-ration of lampshades and dinner cards. When Sally's old aunt had died six months ago, Just after Sally had finished fin-ished her art studies, she had found herself possessed of a rather small but very solid brick house as her home even though it was placarded with the enormous "For Sale" sign of one of the local real estate agents. Apparently no one wanted to buy the house, for so far there hadn't been a nibble. But there, up that hill with the red arrow pointing to It, was Just the house she wanted. With her car she could get away from the city occasionally oc-casionally now now she was driving over hills and down dales to get mountain moun-tain laurel which she needed to copy In decorating some shades that had been ordered. Sometimes she went in her car far out In the country where she might catch little glimpses of wpodland scenery that would do for her place cards. With the laurel stowed in the back of her car Sally was coming back an hour later, and still remembering the charming little house, she drove slowly slow-ly when she came to the sign. "Or Exchange" Ex-change" that was part of the sign that took her eye now. She drove up to the roadside, stopped her car and got out. Of course there wasn't a chance that the owner would like to exchange this lovely country house for her red brick city place, but she would be safe in asking. That was when she saw David Gage for the first time Doctor Gage, in spite of his youthful looks and not very professional manner. She said she had called to see about the house and the young man asked her to sit down and told her that he was very glad he happened to be in. "It was the real estate agent who put the sign up. I wouldn't have said the house was in perfect condition, and it is only partly remodeled." But whatever shortcomings the little lit-tle house may have had they did not displease Sally. "Now, I'll tell you what I have to offer," said Sally after their tour of inspection. "You probably prob-ably wouldn't be interested " "I wouldn't unless it Is something In a city or big town preferably in a busy, congested neighborhood,." "That's Just what it is" said Sally. "It is in Malford once a nice quiet neighborhood but now, I'm bound to admit, In a rather crowded section." Then David explained that he had Just completed his work as interne at a hospital, and that he was about to start out on his career as a general practitioner of medicine. Alone in the world, he had spent practically all he possessed in completing his education ed-ucation until some months before an old uncle had died leaving him this house. He had hoped to sell it and with what he got pay something down on a house where he could begin his career as a doctor. No use trying to get enough patients there in the country. coun-try. No one had wanted to buy it so the agent had suggested the possibility possi-bility of exchange. That afternoon Sally drove David back to see her little house, and the next day she came back to the country coun-try house. Then David came back to see the little house in the city there was much to talk about and consider even before going to the real estate agent for the terms of the exchange. And as David saw and admired the tastefully furnished little house In the city Sally saw new charms about it, and as she praised the little country coun-try house David began to wonder whether he would really be content to sell it. There were several more meetings when Sally and David told each other far more about themselves than would have been appropriate under any other oth-er circumstances. Then a week later, when David was drinking tea at Sally's, Sally began to waver. She had spent a lot of time furnishing the little house after all, it had belonged to her own people maybe she oughtn't to sell it after all. "I want to live there in the country yet it breaks my heart to leave this place." David suddenly looked embarrassed. Then he set his tea cup on the tea table and moved his ..chair near to Sally's. "Why shouldn't we both keep, both houses," he said. "I think It might be done I've been thinking, hoping. I hope you won't think I am conceited even to think that you might even be interested in me. "I'm interested now," said Sally; "and now we'll have a town house and a country home and a car a little money and enough coming In from the lampshades to keep going." i And so it was agreed. |