Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-04-09

Nh.
Now we can break off that silly low
affair of Flo's with that silly Net
Wheelock. He shall not know where
we've moved to. l do not intend II
have our name put in that place where
they punch u.s."
In a voice betraying the struggle o.
marital indignation against overpow
ering slumber Mr.. BiXby asked:
"Who has been punching you?
"Nobody's punched me, John. II
like to see somebody try to- mear
over the letter box in the vestibule
you know. 1t is very easy to lose your
self in New York If you want to, ant
we do want to, as far as that young
man is concerned. Florence Is actual
" infatuated with that boy"
"G-r-r-r-snup"
John Bixby, you are the sleepies
headedest creature! If I slumbered a
the post of parental watchfulness a:
readily, l don't know what would be
come of our daughter"
"What's the matter with my daugh
terY' Mr.. Bixby asked in supernatu
rally wide awake voice.
John. please don't scream so In the
middle Of the night! Remember we
are living in fiat, and those awful sc
called airshafts carry every word yor
say to every ear in nine other flats, anC
smells too. am sure the people above
us live entirely on paregoric and cab
bage."
"G-r-r-r-snup"
ooh. snore away! never expect yor
to listen to me with any respect. I'm
used to such treatment"
And, turning ponderously over or
her side, Mrs. Bixby converted her dia
logue into a monologue.
She would bribe Johnnie, with the
promise Of a bicycle at Christmas, moi
to give that Wheelock boy any clew tc
Flo's whereabouts. Johnnie was the
only one Of the family likely to rur
across him, as his school and Wheel
ock's place of business were In the
same part Of the city. In the mean
time 1t would not do Florence any
harm at all to be somewhat closely con
fined to the house, as she must be II
she was going to look after the house
keeping. 1t would keep her from for
getting what she had learned at the
cooking school and get her mind of
that boy. At the hotel, with its recep
ton rooms and winding corridors and
his sister living right there, he and Flc
had had things pretty much their OWL
way. She didn't wish harm to any OF
the Wheelock family, but she did hope
that fire had scattered them like chat
before the wind.
"G-r-r-r-snupw snored Mr.. Bixby.
"Gru-gru-gru-grup" snored Mrs. Blk
by.
With full sense Of the grave re-
spOnsibilities she had assumed Flo in
vaded the dear little kitchen the next
morning at a creditably early hour.
or course the first thing to do was
to build a fire in that cute little stove.
She stared aghast. Neither coal
kindling nor wood was at her com
mand. She faced briskly upon the
row of shining brass mouthpieces pro
truding from the wall That nice jan
itor had made their uses plain to hel
the day before. Confidently applying
her lips to each one in succession, she
sent three nerve shattering whistles
through them. Nothing came Of hel
efforts. Apparently she was the only
creature awake in the wide, wide uni
verse.
That ianitor must be procured some
way or other. He had also fortunately
showed her how to work the dumb
waiter ropes. Perhaps she could cal
him up from the vasty deep of the ele
yator shaft. She opened the meta
sheathed door with cheerful confidence
and looked in, looked down, looked up
Deep, square, windowless, unfriendly
the solid expanse Of whitewashed ma
sonry confronted her. A slight vibra
ton in the twisted cables Of the dumt
waiter made her look down once more
The drawing of a bolt and the opening
of a shaft door several stories above
her head made her look up.
"Stetson? Milk?" came from below.
"Stetson, all right" came from above
The dumb waiter began its ascent
Its platform filed the shaft. 1t cut of
communication with the voice below
She lifted her voice and eyes plead
ingly to the head protruding from the
sixth story aperture. 1t was won
ans by token of its bristling crimpint
pins. Women were always ready t.
give advice.
"Oh, 1 say, miss, won't you please
tell me how people get the elevator
man when they want coal and things
1 am entirely new to this sort Of thing.
"Whistle for him, and perhaps you'll
get him, perhaps you won't"
The waiter came abreast Of her. Sht
ducked her head just in time to escape
decapitation. 1t ascended inexorably
cutting off her view of the open dool
above and her hopes Of help from th'
wearer of those crimping pins. Sh'
glanced downward. Nobody. Dark
ness, abysmal, empty, unresponsive.
With heartless click the door above
closed, and the waiter dropped rapid!
toward the basement. She knew how
to do all that herself. The janitor hat
instructed her. But, goodness alive
where was that wretch now? Sh'
stood her ground firmly. 1t was some
thing like fox hunting, she supposed
You must keep your stand and wal
for the fox to materialize and then Civ
a view halloo.
She extracted a modicum of comfor
from the reflection that her father AM
mother had gone to bed in state Dor
dering on nervous prostration, the nigh
Just gone, and so were not likely to b.
exacting In the matter Of an earl!
breakfast.