Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-09-20

twenty minutes after that
There was Growing, choking noise,
that might have been a smothered
chuckle, from the sitting-room,
whereof the fanlight above the door
was open.
what very superior voice she
has" said Aunt Alice. 'Quite like
a lady's. Is she pretty?"
'Come and see," quoth with that
icy innocence that only cunning can
bestow. l half opened the sitting
room door. coughed vehemently and
drew back as one choked with the
dust.
''lmpossible," said. 'She's not
in sweet temper to-day, because l
made her do the rooms twice. We'd
better not ''isturb her or she'll break
my ornaments" This, meseems,
could not have been excelled by the
most hardened profligate on the
stage.
My aunt left very slowly and de-
liberately, mourning for the loss OF
her tea. l escorted her and Uncle
John down to the first floor How
could tell that her housewifely zeal
for her nephew would have led her
to bestow upon the housemaid, who
was Fan OF the Teeth, few hints on
the best management of fires and the
proper care of the room, which the
fellow servant was even then sup
posed to be cleaning?
"You see it all means more work
fnr in tho ~ eoid
dashed into the sitting room to
find, helpless with suppressed laugh
ter, the maiden with the black velvet
hat. 1 was coatless as has been re-
counted people never stay long with
a man who lacks coat, my hair was
on end and was flushed. But there
was no resisting that infection Of
mirth. laughed aloud. The air
was dense with dust and all the fur
niture was out OF place THAT fool
of housemaid" had lived up to her
reputation.
Haven't done the room beauti-
fully?" she said, with wicked giggie;
'thank you-tnank you. oh, SO much
for helping me.'
''Not in the least" said I; "rve
got sister of my own. But hadn't
! you better"
"Pm gone." she saic, and vanished
at the word, to hunt for her brothers
chambers.
Entered, her cap over one eye, Fan
of the Teeth, boiling with rage. She
was an austere woman OF 35, not to
be trifed with.
''And Pm sure me and Lucy, too,
we takes all the trouble that we can
with seventeen sets of chambers to be
gone through, and the bells ringing
on every landing all day long 'Tisn't
as if l was afraid of my work, for l
ave KEEP myself ever since l was a
little girl OF l3-nor Lucy, neither.
But when that lady on the staircase
spoke to me an tole me that J was
inattentive an Lucy, too, an SHUTS
all about your room, sayin' that ! was
to take extra care of you, sir, was
put out. Do as you'd be done by, l
thinks, an show no favor to any
chambers more than another, for
some one must lose by it; and If it
isn't you. it will be some other gen.
tleman. An there aren't no smuts
in your room not to be seen, an Lucy,
l know she as been on the fourth
floor since I come down with the
slops; but I didn't say nothing to that
lady when she said what she said
and, Lor'', sir, what ave you bin do
in to the furnichewre-all pulled
across the room? Lucy 'asn't been
ere no more than the cat. An you
! 'avin' to see your friends in your bed
room-as If it was our fault.n
Fanny" said I, ''if there has been
any fault, that fault is mine. Take
oh, take those lips away, and-here's
half sovereign"
1t was damning confession OF
guilt received as such. Fan removed
herself with an unholy light in her
eye.
l hated Fan, and this still further
shook my nerves. Worn with thou.
sand conflicting emotions fled to the
sideboard and pulled myself together
with the necessary liquids. Men never
seem to do that on the stage after
any unusual crisis. They do in the
prosaic world of real life.
Re-entered Fan, the half sovereign
in her hand, and placed it on my
table
''l've took them in their teas" she
said oracularly; IAN she was tellin
i'm all about it. She is a real nice
little lady, she is, an'-an' don't
want no 'arf suffring for that"
No comedy that l could think g!
had any mention of the soubrette-tt
be sure, Fan was rather too angular
for the soubrette-refusing tip
"And you're lady, too, Fan.
said /. "Keep it, Few people re
turn money. Still fewer dismiss pre-
conceived suspicious.
She Withdrew slightly alarmed.
I stepped into the hallway to sci
down the empty soda water siphon in
the playe appointed. The door lead
ing to the landing was half open.
heard voices descending the stairs.
''He was really very nice, Joe
about it. Said he had sister of hi!
own and laughed"
i, "H'mph. Then Pm sorry for hi