OCR Text |
Show Their Little House Q By ROY NEWBERRY 9 lOnnrrlikt.l "Ire bought the lot," John (lardy cried as be riMhed Into the room breathless with his hurried climb up the steep himnlins-hmw stairs. I'Vr Hitwer MHrlau. threw herself Into his arms and held up her red lips. I "I paid Darby n deposit, and as soon ss the Abstract hss bera passed on I'll pny liloi In full. Bight hundred dollars. Murlao, I tell you 118 m hir!" "tilt, I'm so pleasrdi Just to think that It's our. We'll have to gel right io work on the plans." "We'll rnn out there right after supper, honey." Hardy came home In the dnnip. "What do you know- about that?" he said. "Twenty-one hundred nnd lifty-eight lifty-eight was the lowest bid. They r.iu till the way up to twenty-live forty. Tlmt will bring our plscc up to nearly thirty-live hundred. I can't stand for that on my salary." "Ob, my! that' too much," Marian screed. "We can't afford It, John." "I nlwsjs did like that plan of yours," he declared, scuicltig ills pipe furthcly as she sunk back Into her clmlr. "It's wllliln our means. We don't want to bile off tpo ninth. Then If u have extra room yon'ic bound to have company. We don't want a soul bothering us." "Don't be sellKh. son," she admonished, admon-ished, drying her eyes behind his back. Ho turned toward ber. "Haven't we earned It?" he demanded. "Cooped up here with a houseful of proplc for ."our years? I tell you I don't waul 'n see a soul around our place until all of this has worn off. What did you do with that ptuu, dear?" She brought It lu him, nllve again to the pleasure of speculation. . "By George, that Is a clever'plan," lip assured her. Jack was deep lu contemplation of llin nltiti "You lertiilnly have got things figured fig-ured out pretty, line, honey," ho assured as-sured her at' lust. "It didn't seem to me that we could be comfortable in sutl(. a little pjoce " "Comfortable'? We'll be an snug as can be," she Interrupted. "It Isn't ns though tliere were children," chil-dren," she,, tried to speak bravely. "Yes, I know," Jack bald. "I guess youVc right about It. I'm willing to put it all tfp to you. Suppose you go right ahead and rarry out your own Ideas. I'll be satisfied " "Oh, Jack I" she cried brokenly. "You nren't losing Interest beoaiiM- " "No, no, honey," he assured her ipiUkty. "It "Isn't Hint." "Go ahead. Sign the contract nnd get to work. We want to he settled by Clirliftinu." The little house was nearlng completion. comple-tion. Set well back from the street, It nestled among the trees In perfect harmony har-mony with Its netting. I'nssers-by stoin-d and admired ; visitor to the little city paused nt the door to question and voice their praises, , Prospective houe builders sought i Hardy for suggestions. He grew mure enthusiastic every day. "Why, that place Is a gem." he told his wife. "I could luue sold It to lay ; for a good, big profit. The whole town's tnlklng about It." It had been their cilstom every evening eve-ning to make a pilgrimage to the little house to note Its progress and to dls. ctifs the furnishing", 1'lece by piece the household goods "were Installed, and nt last everything was In readiness readi-ness for their oivupaucy of the snug Marian tried to conceal tbe fact' lint the strain bad been loo -much. . "I'm sick," she admitted at last. "Downright nick. I'm going to see Doctor Doc-tor Harding." In a great chair before the blazing hearth sat John Hardy pulling In an ecstasy of contentment and pride upon Ids" old meetxehnum pipe.. He turned to Marian, who, thruugl) with the (Italics froui their first meal under their own .roof, lay upon the broad divan, - "1 tell you, honey, this Is the greatest great-est cu'itlug of my life," the husband declared fervently-. "Yes, yes, dearie," she answered. "I can see how you're enjoying It." For uu Interval John puffed on lu dlenco. "I didn't tell you about tho old couple fat came today." Marian suld at last. "What did they want?" ho asked, dowlng a cloud of amuke toward the solMu'd beams uboc. "They were such n sweet old couple, so gentle nnd so Just good, and he auu so kind to her. They wanted ti. oiiy the house." "Not on your life," John cried, sitting sit-ting bolt upright. "They're coming back day after lo-"lot-row to see yon." Marian mftly In-'.en In-'.en uplod. "Coming back," he repeated, facing ."ler. "Why. are they coming bnck? Didn't you tell them It's not for sulo? We don't want" Something in the girl's face checkwl him. She snuggled close to him, a-ttemble. In alarm he raised her face to his. It was radiant with a new happiness which welled from tho depths of her soul, crowding put oil the fear and uncertainty. un-certainty. "Yea, yes, I'm pleased," she cried, putting ber arms around bis neck, "but, dearie, thcro wou't be room for three |