OCR Text |
Show n N the midst of tho i 7 9 J garden was a huge, yJ m colonial house of J red brick. The Mu' house the Rnrden rC and the high brick J J. wall gave ono tho Impression of a bit of another country. t-X quietly but stolld- j 0 lv holding its own against tho inroads of a a"er-day commercialism. Just beyond the ga .to the trolley cars clanged, and OVM Ow r high wall were vistas of mokmg chimneys towering heavenwards. Tho hum of loom and spindle seemed strangely antagonistic when one stood near the sweet wllllam bed and listened to the clatter. Somo such thought had taken possesion pos-sesion of James Thornton as he stepped through tho high, white gate that led from tho street and strolled down a box-lined path. At the very moment Thornton unlatched tho gate Miss Janet Caivort came from beneath be-neath a wistaria trellis near the house and entered the other end of tho same box-lined path. They met near the bed of mignonette. MIsb Calvert Cal-vert bowed with something of condescending conde-scending graciousneBS ; Thornton removed re-moved his hat and hlu rathor stern features lighter with a smile of gen-ulno gen-ulno pleasure. At this Juncture tho little god entered en-tered the garden. (How he managed his entrance is quite immaterial.) Ho perched himself on a ruined sun-dlal and looked over tho pair thoughtfully-Young Miss Janet was good to bo-hold. bo-hold. Generations of high-bred Cal- verts had given her the proud poise of her head, tho beautiful modeling of her features, the bewitching arch of her Instep and the delicate lines of hor little hands. Thornton was young, sturdy and broad shouldered. Tho clear-cut lines of has clean-shaven face pronounced him an aggressive man of action. Tho little god looked and winked covertly. "I am glnd the houso went to you at tho auction, Mr. Thornton," said Miss Caivort, with a llttlo catch of the breath. "When I used to shake down horse chestnuts in this very garden for a llttlo llt-tlo pink and white tyrant I was Jimmy," Jim-my," he said chldlngly. "Jimmy. If you wish It still, then," she said with tho faintest flush. "I do," he asserted eagerly. The little god snickered and pricked up hlB ears. "Youll build a big, unsightly block here. I suppose," sho said. "No," he said quietly. She raised her eyebrows inquiringly. inquiring-ly. "The land Is very valuable," she suggested. "Too valuable for business purposes," pur-poses," ho explained. "Is anything more valuable than business?' sho asked with tho barest touch of irony in nor voico. "Yes," said ho, "sentiment." "Isn't sentiment rather an expensive luxury?" sho asked "Not ln dollars and cents," he ro-plied. ro-plied. "In other ways, quite so." "I didn't know you wore a sentimentalist," senti-mentalist," she said. "I'm not," he returned shortly. Tho llttlo god scratched his head In puzzled faahion. "You came here today for a last look at the place, I presume," Lo went on. She nodded. "Are you angry with me for buying it?" he asked. "Oh, no. It had to be somebody, but well, of course, I'm .-ery fond of it." "You thought I'd shut you out of it perhaps?" he continued. "I thought you might change it," she said. "Well, I shan't," he said emphatically. emphati-cally. The little god was uncertain whether wheth-er he should smile or frown. "Everything shall be kept Just as it Is." Thornton said. The girl was silent "I want the house Just as It was," he said. "Yes, even to the occupants. I want you to live here again." She shook her head. "It's your house now, you know." "With mo," he pleaded in a low, shaken voice. "Oh, no. no, no," she said in almost a sob. "Don't!" as he came a step nearer. "You are good and kind and " He drew himself up. "Forgi mo for being a fool," he said coldly. "I was Idiotic enough to think that, hecauso you have met with misfortune and I with a little paltry success, the gulf between us was lessened. les-sened. You are still the little pink and white tyrant, and I am still the ragged little urchin. I worshipod you Trom a respectful distance, thon; perhaps per-haps it is hotter to do so now." He turned on his heel and walked down tho path. The llttlo god on the sun-dial covered his eyes with his chubby fists. Miss Calvert's condescending gra-clousness gra-clousness had faller. from her; the proud poise of her head had gone, I too. She watched him go with eyes which suddenly filled with tears. She I took an uncertain step in Thornton's direction. "Mr Thornton," she cried weakly. '! Tho little god suddenly uncovered nil eyes and sat up. Thornton walked steadily toward the gate j "Mr. Thornton Jimmy! Oh. Jim- : my!" r "Janet," he Bald, hoarsely, as he I took her ln his arms. The little god on the sun-dial held i his sides and wept tears of merriment f |