The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-02

chuckle. from the sitting room, whereof
the fanlight above the door was open.
"What very superior voice she hasr'
said Aunt Alice. "Quite like a lady's
Is she pretty?"
Come and see," quoth 1, 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.
Impossible" said. "She's not in q
sweet temper today because made her
do the rooms twice. Wed better not
disturb her, or she'll break my orna-
ments." This, meseems, could not have
been excelled by the most hardened
profiigate on the stage.
My aunt left very slowly and deliber-
ately. mourning for the loss of her tea
escorted her and Uncle John down to
the first floor. How could tell that her
housewifely zeal for her nephew could
have led her to bestow upon the house.
maid, who was Fan Of tho Teeth. few
hints on the best management of fires
and the proper care of the room, which
the fellow servant was even then SUD-
posed to be cleaning?
"You see, it all means more work for
you in the end" said my aunt.
L dashed into the sitting room to find,
helpless with suppressed laughter, the
maiden with the black velvet hat. was
coatless, as has been ecounted-people
never stay long with man who lacks
coat-my hair was on end, and l 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 repu-
tation.
Haven't done the room beautiful
lyf" she said, with q wicked giggle.
THANK you-thank you, oh, 80 much
for helping mel''
mot in the least" said 1. eve got q
sister of my own. But hadn't you bet
ter"-
I'm gone," she said, and vanished at
the word to hunt for her brothers cham
bers.
Entered, her cap over one eye, Fan of
the Teeth, boiling with rage. She was
an austere woman of 35, not to be trifled
with.
And I'm sure me and Lucy, too, we
takes all the trouble that we can
with II sets of chambers to be gone
through, and the bells ringing on every
landing all day long. 'Tisn't as if was
afraid Of my work, for l ave KEEP my
self ever since was littlo girl of thir-
teen, nor Lucy neither. But when that
lady on the staircase spoke to me an tolc
me that | was inattentiye an Lucy. too.
an smuts all about your room, sayin
that was to take extra care of you, sir, |
was put out.
"Do rs you would be done by, 1 thinks,
an show no favor to amy chambers more
than another, for some ono must lose by
it, and if it isn't you it will be some 9th
er gentleman. An there aren't no slnuts
III your room not to be seen, an Lucy,
know she as been on the fourth floor
since l come down with the Stops, but
didn't say nothink TO that lady when
she said what she said-an Lor, sir, what
ave you been doin to the furnichewre-
all pulled across the room? An you 'avin
to see your friends in your bedroom-as
if it was our fault'
Fanny said |, ''if there has been
any fault. that fault is mine. Take, oh,
take those lips away. and-herc's half
sovereign"
1t was danning confession of guilt,
received rs such. Fan removed herself
with an uni:oiy ligh, III her eye.
hated Fan, and this still further shook
my nerves. Worn with Il thousand con-
fiicting emotions, fled to the sideboarYl
and pulled myself together with the nee
essary liquids. Men never seem to do
that on tho stage after any unusual cri-
sis. They do III the prosaic world of real
life.
Rc-entered Fan, the half sovereign in
her hand, and placed it OH my table.
GIVE took them in their teas" she
said oracularly, IAN she was tellin i'm
all about it. She is real nice little
lady, she is, an--an l don't want no arf
suffering for that"
No comedy that could think of had
any mention of the soubrette-to be
sure. Fan was rather too angular for the
soubrette-refusing n tip.
And you're lady, too, Fam" said l.
keep 1T. Few people return money
Still fewer dismiss preconceived suspi
cions"
She withdrew slightly alarmed.
stepped into the hallway to set down
the empty soda water siphon in TIN
place appointed. The door leading to
the landing was half open. heard
voices descending the stairs.
He was really very nice, Joe, about
it. Said he had sister of his own and
laughed"
"H'mph. Then Pm sorry for his sis
ter, that's all. He drinks like fish.
Why, only last night found him ON his
hands and knees on the second floor