Show ARA jj CHAPTER X continued 14 his mother stooped to caress the soft fair hair and don said gently 1 I stand rebuked nora now ill be reasonable your idea this she told him lets buy that barn don and by degrees as we have the money make it into a home to quote old tom littlefield the carpenter at the port it was built at a time when folks built honest it was built to stand ill admit that its not beautiful the cupola with its ridiculous colored windows is an eyesore eye sore of course but it can be taken down you mean that darling little house on top of the old barn mummy young donald spoke quickly in alarm 1 I love that cunning little house mummy daddy and me climbed up there once we daddy we saw the lighthouse way way out to sea and a big steamer erl everything looked so kind of cheerful daddy cd ed it was because the windows are such pretty colors daddy liked it too mummy dont you let anybody tak take it down I 1 said don who had the wisdom never to laugh when his small son was serious the cupola remains it can be our watch tower what my darling he asked of leonora is a mans castle without its watch tower for the first time in fifteen minutes nora drew a breath of sheer relief don was won his image imagination had started working and once that got going there was no stopping him for six years she had been an uncomplaining nomad life despite its ups and downs its sometimes terrifying hardships had been rich and colorful and adventurous but there were times when womanlike she had dreamed of possessing a real home even though she knew being don masons wife that they would occupy it only periodically and her dream dieal was to come truel true nora laughed a laugh so joyous and unguarded that don realized for the first time perhaps how courageously his wife had relinquished ed her own dreams that his might be fulfilled the knowledge brought him a sense of his a own wn unworthiness he said voice husky im a moron nora a dumbbell a complete washout I 1 an idea that you were missing anything with me you know home is simply where the heart is I 1 ought to have understood that a woman feels differently needs some place to call her own why you tell me im only a blundering man darling but I 1 love you and I 1 meant to be self centered of course well buy that barn if its what you want and theres sufficient cash on hand to pay for it come on kiddies lets take a look at 0 our r future home your mamma is more than a wonder jimsy ashes something utterly impossible to describe and we dont deserve her watch out noral nora heres the big wave you prophesied a while agol ago dons warning came too late there was a rush a scramble a wail of anguish from james lambert mason safe on the dunes the baby pointed seaward to where his small red shoe a tiny fearless craft amid the breakers was setting sail across the broad atlantic CHAPTER XI it was early summer when they bought the stable with its surrounding savin covered pastures its stretch of dunes and beach don a smile of understanding in his eyes presented the deed to nora with such a flourish that the white haired notary who witnessed the signatures inquired if she were planning to make a palace of that old barn ive seen her do things even more incredible laughed don while nora her face lighting at the old mans words responded it will be a palace to me anyway my shining palace what well call it thanks to your inspiration mr moore if ever youre tempted to read the modern poets look up millay and perhaps understand to her surprise the notary quoted without hesitation come and see my shining palace built upon the sand well this future home of yours is surely built upon the sand and I 1 have no doubt make it shine surpassingly yes I 1 love the poets mrs mason though as a rule my taste in poetry is as old fash boned as I 1 am myself but ive heard beard miss millay read her own verses and that makes a difference let me know when the latch string is out and ill pay my respects S to the royal family 1 I well bid you to dine some evening in the banquet hall smiled nora as they turned away and who said don when they stood in the sunlight outside the hideous frame building which housed the small office 1 who would suspect that aged 0 patriarch of reading the moderns nsf 9 1 I 1 would retorted leonora hes no mossback moss back don iles hes a perfect example of what they used to call a scholar and a gentleman but hell never know how superbly that quotation fits our case father told me once back in the days when he was fighting the thought of our marriage that to survive a house must be built upon a rock safe upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand come and see my shining palace built upon the sandl dont you see what I 1 mean 1 I see that you dont regard me as possessing the comfortable stability of a rock my dearl dear you possess it in the essentials replied nora soberly which is all that matters and youve got the lovely changing quality of the sand as well when I 1 was a small girl dad took me to the sea one summer I 1 used to sit four hours on the beach don and with a wee tin shovel lift off layer after layer of damp sand and every layer was different from the one before like beautiful fabrics woven in varying patterns it used to fascinate me because I 1 never knew what the next ji III I 1 I 1 I 1 am ifie f X Z I 1 6 ca A I 1 V it was leonora who suggested moving in layer would be and its the same with you dear just as im sure I 1 know you inside out up springs some quality I 1 dreamed of who wants an ugly house to live in year after year don it if one can have a palace tor for for enchanted intervals ter vals 1 I wish you say such things on a public street nora complained her husband it might shock these repressed undemonstrative stra tive natives of the state a 0 maine to see a man embrace his wife under a telephone pole come on now lets beard the village carpenter in his den theres no time to spare if were to see the beginnings of this home youve set your heart on before we sail for naples on november tenth oh lets not think about november tenth don felt a pang at the protest in noras voice 1 I want to forget such things as boats and railroads and suitcases for a little while weve got four months before we have to leave don we can do a lot and it wont be so hard to go away if our homes in order or even disorder waiting to welcome us again next spring don said as they turned down a side street would you rather not go to italy this year nora we must she answered 1 I promised constance their villa seems so big and lonely without ven and its such a wonderful chance for you don you can fare forth gathering material to write about and know that the boys and I 1 are safe and comfortable of course well go but it will be so wonderful to know we are coming back and when father finds were really living somewhere somewhere civilized I 1 mean you know his feeling about europe he may come to see us I 1 I 1 am sure he will tom littlefield a but vigorous man of sixty odd was in his shop a neat white building at the rear of his comfortable dwelling house ile he makes me think of a tree at timberline don said later the sort ive seen in the colorado gnarled by the wind you know but strong and sturdy the mans face brightened at sight of leonora it brightened still more when she disclosed their plans don content to stand aside and watch vatch them saw at a glance that they understood each other this strangely assorted pair 1 I see the carpenter kept saying 1 I see and when she had finished what id advise mis mason is to measure up the place and make a sketch of where you want partitions ill run you down in the ford right now and well look it over and ill be on hand at seven sharp tomorrow mornin ready to begin im not a union man though ive bothin at all against those that is but ive been my own master too long now to be willin to take orders if I 1 want to quit at noon and go bishin oft the point I 1 quit if I 1 feel like till seven at night to finish so methin I 1 set out to do I 1 work and I 1 work honest no one ever complained of a house built by tom littlefield lets go then and then only did don speak he said with discretion learned of marriage but well have to know something about the cost mr littlefield this wife of mine has a prejudice against running bills file the carpenter raised a rugged protesting hand be all right youre honest folks and im not worrying wor about my pay this little lady has got to be made comfortable when the jobs done pay what you can and the balance whenever it comes handy I 1 been doin business that way for forty years so longs I 1 knew the folks I 1 dealt with and I 1 never lost a copper now lets not waste any more time nor did they it was astonishing how fast the work progressed for as wholeheartedly whole heartedly as he had ever embarked on an adventure don threw himself into the making of noras home day by day early and late he worked beside the carpenter nora worked too at any task she could lay hands on even small donald carried out rubbish with solemn pride in the thought that he was helping build our house sometimes the old carpenter would disagree with nora the size of the living room disturbed him its too big he protested it wont be snug and cozy like a room should be its big as a ball it is a ball room retorted nora and as for its being cozy you wait and see A baby grand piano takes up space you know and oh d dont nt fuss any more she pleaded 1 I want it big ive lived in band b boxes aes for six years well sighed the old builder with a dubious shake of his gray head its your house but remember I 1 warned you don would pause in his hammering when these discussions raged sometimes hed say over his shoulder oh let her alone mr littlefield ashes on the war path and the grizzled product of the wild new england shore would wink solemnly pick up his tools and continue to do exactly as nora said they concentrated on the living room at first and when the partitions were in place and the wide casement windows finished it was leonora who tacked builders paper to the walls of one end while a mason from the port constructed a chimney at the other and don and tom littlefield moved their work bench into one of the box stalls that was destined to become a kitchenette and what I 1 dont understand grumbled the old man good natured ly is why anyone in their senses should want a room big enough to accommodate a trolley line and a kitchen so small you cant eat breakfast there cold morn ins taint sensible if you ask me but I 1 ask you retorted nora while hile he grinned at her impudence its not suitable for a royal family to eat in the kitchen mr littlefield and besides those next two stalls are to be the banquet hall what do you think this old barn is he questioned sternly wind sor castle the royal family whoever heard a 0 such a thing but he kept right on obeying orders and one day astonished nora by inquiring where the royal bedchamber was vas to be upstairs or down overhearing the question don collapsed with mirth A royal bedchamber seemed so foreign to this sturdy old builder with the new england twang in his voice and the new england sense of humor so often mistaken for something quite the opposite lurking in the depths of his blue eyes the weeks passed rapidly mid august was there before they knew it but tom littlefield continued to arrive at seven and not once had he been tempted to quit at noon don arose early in those days tiptoed about the shack getting a light breakfast and sometimes left before nora was awake later she followed with the children and a picnic lunch the baby took his nap in an old packing box oblivious to the sound of hammer and saw while small donald sat on a nail keg and handed things to his father as requested forgetting in this absorbing interest that hed intended tunneling to italy that season it was leonora who suggested moving in save the long walk night and morning don save time and it cant be much more inconvenient than the shack is now the living room ball room corrected the builder dryly is entirely finished the fireplace burns like a breeze and theres a sink sinic in the kitchen even if theres no water running into it and speaking of water observed don the report on this well water is 0 K nora it came this morning why we move thus there came a day when with the aid of two portland movers hailed by jim perkins as they passed through town noras beautiful piano stood on the spot planned for it and don said christen the ballroom nora play cometh something ing appropriate on with the dance let joy be unconfined so seated upon an upturned box nora played and looking up as the haunting strains of the beautiful blue danube died away beheld the entire working force apparently hypnotized old tom littlefield stood in the doorway staring straight ahead through a window that faced the sea one of the portland movers perched on a barrel appeared to have gone into a sort of trance while the other was wiping suspicious moisture from his eyes and jim perkins stood before the fireplace arms folded head sunk forward lost to the world don as the music ceased look up at all his wife suspected that he was in the same plight as the second portland man even the children remained quiet and at last the mover seated on a barrel said 1 I remember that tune seems as if my wife must ha I 1 played it when we was goin gain together queer the other man observed shamefacedly thrusting his handkerchief into a pocket but darned if I 1 chinkin th inkin that very thing kind 0 kind a 0 brings things back dont it ali the carpenters blue eyes twinkled at this confession it sure does he admitted 1 I donno donna as I 1 ever heard that piece before but it did so methin to me if you want the truth mis mason I 1 want here at all I 1 was scein nelly home after a church supper forty years back you better lock up that piano and keep it locked if you want this downstairs finished by november 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