Newspaper Page Text
Beasley’s
Christmas
Party
By
BOOTH TARKINGTON
Copyright by Harper * Brothers
V.
jf] ss Apperthwaite was at liome the
following Saturday. I found her In
tho library with “Les Miserables” on
her knee when I came down from my
room a little before lunch time; and
she looked up and gave me a smile
that made me feel sorry for any one
s he had ceased to smile upon.
"1 wanted to tell you,” I said, with
a little awkwardness but plenty of
truth, “I’ve found out that I’m an aw
ful fool.”
“But that’s something,” she returned
encouragingly —“at least the beginning
of wisdom."
"1 mean about Mr. Beasley—the
mystery 1 was absurd enough to find
in ‘Simpledoria.’ I want to tell you—"
“Oli. I know,” she said; and al
though she laughed with an effect of
carelessness, that look which I had
thought “far away” returned to her
eyes as she spoke. There was a cer
tain Inscrutability about Miss Apper
thwaite sometimes, it should be added,
os if she did not like to be too easily
read. “I’ve heard all about It. Mr.
Beasley’s been appointed trustee or
something for poor Hamilton Swift’s
son, a pitiful litle invalid boy who in
vents all sorts of characters. The old
darky from over there told our cook
about Bill Hnmmersley and Simple
doria. So, you see, I understand.”
“I’m glad you do,” I said.
A little hardness —one might even
have thought it bitterness—became
apparent in her expression. “And I’m
glad there’s somebody in that house,
at last, with a little Imagination!”
“From everything I have heard,” I
returned, summoning sufficient bold
ness, “it would be difficult to say
which has more—Mr. Beasley or the
child.”
Her glance fell from mine at this,
but not quickly enough to conceal a
sudden, half-startled look of trouble
(I can think of no other way to ex
press it) that leaped into it; and she
rose, for the luneh-bell was ringing.
“I'm just finishing the death of Jean
Fa I jean, you know, in ‘Les Miser
ahles,’ ” she said, as we moved to the
door. “I’m always afraid I’ll cry over
that. I try not to, because It makes
my eyes red.”
And, in truth, there was a vague
rumor of tears about her eyes—not as
If she had shed them, but more as if
she were going to —though I had not
noticed it when I came in.
. That afternoon, when I
reached the Despatch office, I was
commissioned to obtain certain politi
co! information from the Honorable
David Beasley, an assignment I ac
cepted with eagerness, notwithstand
ing tlie commiseration it brought me
from one or two of my fellows In the
reporter’s room. “Ton won’t get any
tl'ing out of him!” they said. And
they were- true prqpbets.
I found him looking over some docu
jiionts in ids. office; a reflective, un
lighted cigar in the corner of his
mouth; his chair tijted back and his
feet on a window-sill. He nodded,
tipon my .statement of the affair that
brought me, and without shifting his
posiuon, gave me a look of slow but
"b'liiy friendly scrutiny over his
shoulder, and bade me sit down. J
11 ot once to put the questions I
ud to ask him—interrogations
1 'oed to believe) satisfactorily
answered by slowly and ruminative!v
stroking the left side of his chin with
ong fingers of ids right hand, the
bib- ne smiled 1n -genial contempla
°V l roof beyond the win
■l Now and then ho would give me
I ;|1 and drawling word or two, not
fimr (u' y .*l Umlnat,ve ’ 11 mfl y be re '
"ell—about that—” he be
to an<l then cam e immediately
10 full stop.
1 Said ’ h °P ef u n y. my pencil
“Al'out that— 1 guess—”
him -V r - Keas,e y?” I encouraged
r ie seemed to have dried up
m r "anently.
bet-, r'. S ' r * iniess— Hadn’t you
Sf * e someone eise about that?”
'Vouh? h W,t K h the a,r ot a man who
u ., . ' mt too fluent and copious
the ..rf 11 ’' Ku^ ec t In the world except
' ne particular point.
so ph.'s.mS® 1 anybod >' e!se "ho looked
antly communicative and man
*\ 80 In fact, he didn't
that thi. rlf 1 11,1 ’ and 1 snessed
vn!i„ n\f ty was not without its
os it ' , t S Dolltical career, disastrous
nesc. rn P [°y ed t 0 his private happl
was nn S hablt °f silence, moreover,
that “ri cu Dlvated: you could see
bom qulet ° f WaS that be Was
My note-book remained noteless, I
and finally, nt some odd evasion of
his, accomplished by a monosyllable,
I laughed outright—and he did, too!
He joined cachlnnations with me
heartily, and with a twinkling quizzl
calness that somehow gave me the
idea that he might be thinking (rather
apologetically) to himself: “Yes, sir,
that old Beasley man is certainly a
mighty funny critter!”
A\ lien I went away, a few moments
later, and left him still Intermittently
chuckling, the Impression remained
" mo that he had some such depre
catory and surreptitious thought.
Two or three dnys after that, as I
started down-town from Mrs. Apper
thwaite’s, Beasley came out of his
gate, bound In the same direction. He
gave me a look of gay recognition and
offered his hand, saying, “Weill Up
in this neighborhood !” as if that were
a matter of considerable astonishment.
I mentioned that I was a neighbor,
and we walked on together. I don’t
think he spoke again, except for a
“Well, sir!” or two of genial surprise
nt something I said, and, now and
then, “You don’t tell me!” which he
had a most eloquent way of exclaim
ing; but he listened visibly to my own
talk, and laughed at everything thnt
I meant for funny.
I never knew anybody who gave one
a greater responsiveness; he seemed
to be with you every Instant; and how
he made you feel it was the true mys
tery of Beasley, this silent man who
never talked, except (as my cousin
said) to children.
It happened that I thus met him, as
we were both starting down town, and
walked on with him, several days in
succession; In a word, it became a
hnbit. Then, one afternoon, as I
turned to leave him at the Despatch
office, he asked me if I would drop In
at his house the next day for a cigar
before I started. I did; and he asked
me if I would come again the dny
after that. So this became a habit
too.
A fortnight elapsed before I met
Hamilton Swift, Junior; for he, poor
little father of dream-children, could
be no spectator of track events upon
the lawn, but lay in his bed upstairs.
However, he grew better at last, and
m,v presentation took place.
We had just finished our cigars in
Beasley’s airy, old-fashioned “sitting
room,” and were rising to go, when
there came the faint creaking of small
mm,
Dowden, Beasley and I All Slid Down
the Banisters on One of the Ham
ilton Swift, Junior, Days.
wheels from the hall. Beasley turned
to me with the apologetic and mono
syllabic chuckle that was distinctly
his alone.
"I’ve got a little chap here —” he
said; then went to the door. “Bob!"
The old- darky appeared in the door
way pushing a little wagon like a re
clining-ehair on wheels, and in it sat
Hamilton Swift, Junior.
My first Impression of him was that
he was all eyes: I couldn’t look at any
thing else for a time, and was hardly
conscious of the rest of that wea
zened, peaked little face and the under
sized wisp of a body with Its pathetic
adjuncts of metal and leather. I think
thev were the brightest eyes I ever
Ba \v —as keen and intelligent as a
wicked old woman’s, withal as trust
ful and cheery as the eyes of a setter
pup.
“H 00-ray!”
Thus the Honorable Mr. Beasley,
waving a handkerchief thrice around
his head and thrice cheering.
And the child. In that cricket’s
voice of his, replied.
“Br-r-ra-vo 1”
This was the form of salutation fa
miliarly in use between them. Beas
,ey followed it by inquiring. “Who's
with us today?”
"I’m Mister Swift,” chirped the little
HE OANIELSVILLE MONITOR, DANIELSVILLE, GEORGIA.
fellow. "Mls-ter Swift, if you pleases
Cousin David Beasley."
Beasley executed a formal bow.
“There Is a gentleman here who’d like
to meet you.” And he presented me
with some grave phrases commenda
tory of my general character, address
ing the child ns “Mister Swift";
whereupon Mister Swift gave mo a
ghostly litle hand and professed him
self glad to meet me.
“And besides me," he added, to
Beasley, “there’s Bill Hammersley aud
Mr. Corley Linbrldge.”
A faint perplexity manifested Itself
upon Bensley’s face at this, a shadow
which cleared at once when I asked if
I might not be permitted to meet these
personages, remarking that I had
heard from Dowden of Bill Hnnnners
ley, though until now a stranger to
the fame of Mr. Corley Linbrldge.
Beasley performed the ceremony
with intentional elegance, while the
boy’s great eyes swept glowingly from
his cousin’s face to mine nnd hack
ngin. I bowed and shook hands with
the air, once to my left aud once to
my right.
“And Simpledoria 1“ cried Mister
Swift. “You’ll enjoy Simpledoria."
“Above all things,” I said. “Can he
shake hands? Some dogs can."
“Watch him 1” Mister Swift lifted
a commanding finger. “Simpledoria.
shake hands!”
I knelt beside the wagon and shook
an Imaginary big paw. At this Mister
Swift again shook hands with me and
allowed me to perceive, in ids lumi
nous regard, a solemn commendation
and approval.
In this wise was my Initiation Into
the beautiful old house and the cor
diality of Its inmates completed; and
I became n familiar of David Beasley
nnd his ward, with the privilege to go
and come ns I pleased; there was al
ways gay and friendly welcome. I al
ways came for the cigar after lunch,
sometimes for lunch Itself; sometimes
1 dined there Instead of down town;
and now and then when It happened
that an errand or assignment took me
that way in the afternoon, I would run
in nnd “visit" awhile with Hamilton
Swift, Junior, and his circle of friends.
There were dnys, of course, when
his attacks were upon him, and only
Beasley nnd the doctor and old Bob
saw him; I do not know what the boy’s
mental condition was at such times;
but when he was better, and could be
wheeled about the house and again re
ceive callers, he displayed an almost
dismaying activity of mind—it was ac
tive enough, certainly, to keep far
ahead of my own. And he was mas
terful : still, Beasley and Dowden and
I were never directly chidden for In
subordination, though made to.wince
painfully by the look of troubled sur
prise that met us when we were not
quick enough to catch his meaning.
The order of the day with him al
ways began with the “Hoo-ray" end
“Br-r-ra-vo” of greeting; after which
we were to inquire. “Who’s with us to
day?" Whereupon he would make
known the character in which he elect
ed to be received for the occasion. If
he announced himself as “Mister
Swift,” everything was to bo very
grown-up and decorous indeed. For
malities and distances were observed;
and Mr. Corley Linbridge (an elderly
personage of great dignity and distinc
tion as a mountain-climber) was much
oftener Included In tlie conversation
than Bill Hammersley. If, however,
he declared himself to be “Hamilton
Swift, Junior,” which was his happiest
mood, Bill Hammersley and Simple-
dorla were in the ascendant, and there
were games and contests. (Dowden,
Beasley and I all slid down the ban
isters on one of the Hamilton Swift,
Junior, days, at which really pictur
esque spectacle the boy almost cried
with laughter—and old Bob and his
wife, who came running from the
kitchen, did cry.) Me had a third ap
pellation for himself —'‘Just little Ham
ilton ;” but tliis was only when the
creaky voice could hardly chirp st nil
and the weazened face was drawn to
one side with suffering. When he told
us he was “Just little Hamilton” we
were very quiet.
Once, for tan days, his Invisibles ali
went away on a visit: Hamilton Swift,
Junior, had become interested in
bears. While tills lasted, all of Beas
ley’s trousers were, os Dowden said,
"a sight.” For that matter, Dowden
himself was quite hoarse In court
from growling so much. The bears
were dismissed abruptly; Bill Ham
mersley and Mr. Corley Linbridge and
Simpledorla came trooping back, and
with them they brought that wonderful
family, the Hunchbergs.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Irish-American.
I’ll tell you what I know,” said an
excited old woman as she took the
witness stand in a Topeka court the
other day. “I ain’t a liar nor a Rus
sian or anything. I’m an American.
Just wait till I get my Irish up.” And
from the mariner In which her Irish
came up and stayed up, everybody
agreed she was an American, and a
very militant one.—Kansas City Star.
Violet Scented Seaweed of the Caspian
Violet scented seaweed grows In the
lakes of the Manyishlak peninsula ic
the Caspian sea, and the pleasant odor
therefrom scents the air for miles Iron
its source.
SMALL HOME HAS
LASTINGBEAUTY
Use of Permanent Material As
sures Its Durability.
CAN BE BUILT ECONOMICALLY
This Little Bungalow Has Distinctive
ness That Will Make It Stand Out
in Any City—Convenient
Arrangement.
By WILLIAM A. RADFORD
Mr. William A. Radford will answer
questions and Rive advice FREE OF
COST on all subjects pertaining to the
HUbjeet of building, for tho readers of this
paper. On account of his wide experience
as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he
is, without doubt, tho highest authority
on all these subjects. Address all inquiries
to Wiliam A. Radford, No. 1827 Prairie
avenue, Chicago, 111., and only inclose
two-cent stamp for reply.
There is a decided tendency In Amer
ica today to build smaller homes.
Many homoseekers no longer seem to
enre for a large house, but are pre
ferring small, compact and cozy bunga
lows. They realize it doesn’t take
such a great deal of space to live hap
pily nnd comfortably. A bungalow is
much easier to take care of and may
be furnished so much more economi
cally and still attractively.
The modern apartment buildings in
troduced and are responsible for the
popularity of the small living quar
ters. After enjoying the advantages,
conveniences and labor-saving effi
ciency of apartments many people
were no longer satisfied with a large
house after they had moved into a
private home. Then they found that
the small homes similar to the one
shown in the accompanying photo
graph offered all the advantages of
an apartment house without any of
* . 46'- 0" r -~ - : -f
Lmncßm De£)Rm. tad Ced Ch. I |
4-s*i2 Ik ? n'xiz* ii**i*' ’1 |
DiningKm^^ 71 SSMiLt,
Floor Plan.
the disadvantages they frequently
have.
This little bungalow Is especially de
signed for those homeseekers who pre
fer a stucco home, yet one that Is
small and comfortable. It has a dis
tinctiveness that will make It stand
out In any city. It will attract the at
tention oi every passer-by for Its
icauty and aristocratic appearance.
It Is a place that you will look for
vurd going to, a place you will be
riroud to point out as your home.
One of the most desirable features —
also a most Important one —Is the
economical cost at which this residence
could be built. Your local dealer and
builder will be able to quote you rea
sonable figures, for It is constructed ol
regular, substantial end permanent
materials. It Is well put together, will
last a long time and give excellent
service.
The Interior nrrangemont Is very
pleasing and convenient. The living
room, two bedrooms and bath nre lo
cated on tffoe side of the house, while
tho vestibule, dining room, breakfast
room nnd kitchen occupy the other
half. The rooms nre all large nnd
comfortable Mid are well lighted and
ventilated.
They have remembered In designing
this bungalow that first of all a home
should have n comfortable atmosphere.
They have made provision for all the
features that make your home wlmt
It should he—the pluce you enjoy go
ing to most.
From the front porch you enter the
vestibule, which is (1 by (1 feet. Di
rectly to the right Is n coat closet and
built-in seat, providing a very lmndy
place. The living room, directly to
the left of the vestibule, can he fur
nished very attractively nnd comfort
ably as it Is an excellent size, 1-1 feet
(1 Inches by 12 feet. It Ims four win
dows facing the street nnd three on
the side. On one side of the room Is
u genuine fireplace, a built-in seat and
built-in bookcases.
Directly ahead of the vestibule Is
the dining room, a particularly con
venient size, being 11 by 12 feet. One
of the most attractive features In this
charming bungalow Is tile neat littli
breakfast room just between the din
Ing room and kitchen with table ant
seats to accommodate four.
The kitchen, not too large or toe
small, Is a practical size that everj
housewife will appreciate. It is small
enough to save steps, yet there Is plentj
of space for all the equipment she
needs. It opens onto the hack platform
The two bedrooms and bath open on
to a short hall that Is entered from
the dining room. The bathroom is lo
cated Just between the two bedrooms.
The bedrooms are very comfortable,
both being 11 by 12 feet. There arc
two windows In one room and three
In the other arranged so there always
will he plenty of fresh air. One room
Is equipped with a space-saving closet
similar to those installed in most high
class apartment hotels.
An attractive small home such as
this can he built of cement stucco on
concrete blocks or tile, or on metal
lath placed on wood studs without the
Inclusion of and then plas
tered both outside and in. The metal
lath makes a rigid reinforced concrete
exterior which frilly protects tiie wood
frame, and Is of Itself practically in
destructible.
The house is 24 feet 6 Inches by 40
feet 0 Inches and sits well on u good
sized lot, leaving plenty of space for a
beautiful lawn.
Fig Juice Used to Dye Cloth.
As far back as history goes the fig
tree has been a house-yard tree. “Be
neath the vine and fig tree" is used
more than once in the Old Testament
to designate “home.” For centuries
the fruit, fresh dr dried, has made
up a large part of-the food of the
natives of western Asia and southern
Europe. Its Juice is used to make a
drink, and also to dye cloth. Its leaves
polish Ivory, and the hark makes cord.
The sap of one species is poisonous.
The fig tree, In climates congenial
to Its growth, produces two and some
times three crops of fruit tin- same
year, on distinct shoots. The trees
grow readily from cuttings, and are
propagated by budding, grafting, and
seeds. The large, beautiful leaves are
deciduous, palmutely veined, three-to
flve iobed, wavy-margined, and some
what rough and leathery.
Expressive Criticism.
In Chicago the other day a monu
ment was unveiled in honor of Eugene
Field. Most of us remember Field
mainly for his verses; the only prose
remark of his that we personally can
recall offhand Is one about an actor
who In “Leur” “played the King as
though he was afraid someone would
play the Ace.” —Boston Transcript.