et
us make you any return."

"But I am taking from you something you need," he replied, "and for
which you paid. When Major Treadwell bought it, it was merely
second-hand furniture, sold under the hammer. Now it has the value of
an antique--it is a fine piece and could be sold in New York for a
large sum."

"You must take it for nothing, or not at all," she replied firmly.

"It is highway robbery," he said, and could not make up his mind to
yield.

Next day, when the colonel went home, after having been down town an
hour, he found the desk in his library. The Treadwell ladies had
corrupted Peter, who had told them when the colonel would be out of
the house and had brought a cart to take the desk away.

When the house was finished, the interior was simple but beautiful. It
was furnished in the style that had been prevalent fifty years before.
There were some modern additions in the line of comfort and
luxury--soft chairs, fine rugs, and a few choice books and
pictures--for the colonel had not attempted to conform his own tastes
and habits to those of his father. He had some visitors, mostly
gentlemen, and there was, as Graciella knew, a lively curiosity among
the ladies to see the house and its contents.

The suggestion of a house warming had come originally from Mrs.
Treadwell; but Graciella had promptly made it her own and conveyed it
to the colonel.

* * * * *

"A bright idea," he replied. "By all means let it be an old-time
party--say such a party as my father would have given, or my
grandfather. And shall we invite the old people?"

"Well," replied Graciella judicially, "don't have them so old that
they can't talk or hear, and must be fed with a spoon. If there were
too many old, or not enough young people, I shouldn't enjoy myself."

"I suppose I seem awfully old to you," said the colonel,
parenthetically.

"Oh, I don't know," replied Graciella, giving him a frankly critical
look. "When you first came I thought you _were_ rather old--you see,
you are older than Aunt Laura; but you seem to have grown
younger--it's curious, but it's true--and now I hardly think of you as
old at all."

The colonel was secretly flattered. The wisest man over forty likes to
be thought young.

"Very well," he said, "you shall select the guests."

"At an old-time party," continued Graciella, thoughtfully, "the guests
should wear old-time clothes. In grandmother's time the ladies wore
lon