The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-12-30

I THOUGHT THAT I HEARD THE
SOUND OF VOICES.
Jane Mary called Especial good
trouncing'' from Badly Towner and
an assertion on his part as to who
was the head of the family, but it
was not to my interest to say so. I
could not get along without him. NV
heart sank within me as l heard the
murmur, and | wondered if she would
really persuade him to go back to
her and Waukekan Town and his
beatings.
l crouched in the window, listen
ing, but though | strained my ears
to the aching point, caught no dis
tinct word. Finally the man stopped
and put his hands on the woman's
shoulders. He kissed her. Oh, dear!
Then the reconciliation was com
plete. He would leave me on the
morrow. What should 1 do, with the
marketing to attend to, the cooking
to do, the beds to make, the house
to keep clean, not to speak of the
shoes!-the muddy shoes!
Goodnight" 1 did hear that
much, and, then, instead of the wo-
man going away, it was the man,
who drew towards him wheel,
which had been leaning against the
tree in the shadow. "Ill be over in
the morning" l heard him say. "An
right" answered the woman's voice.
hn t,,r nd
gate, and came along up the gravel
path,-no, not the path, she walked
on the grass.
OF course, | knew now who it was,
and why she had walked on the grass.
Naturally she did not wish anyone to
know of her midnight designation.
Well, l would see that she had no
more of them. My house, Aunt Jane
Mary's rather, should not be used as
a rendezvous for such creatures as
she. l would tell her so in the morn
ing. ! would give her warning. Of
course, she must eat up and sleep out
her ten dollars worth, but as soon
as that debt was paid she should
leave the house and never set foot
inside it again. l listened and heard
her come in at the front door, lock
it softly and go into her own room.
If she shot the bolt of her door, it
was unheard by me. Well, no mat
ter She should have warning before
breakfast.
| spent restless night. My room
was opposite Aunt Jane Mary's, over
the parlor and across the hall from
my lower-front's bedchamber. I
wondered if Aunt Jane Mary had
heard the movement in the house.
However, | was almost certain that
she had not, or | should have been
called by the tinllle of the bell. l
was now hopelessly awake, and Law
tossing in my bed, furious with my
self, my boarder, and everyone else
more angry than anything with the
fact that ] should need all the rest
that | could obtain to spur me up to
the stand that l was going to take
in the morning. l dropped asleep a
little before daylight, and on awaken
ing found that | was u half-hour late.
Oh, dear, there was so much to dol
Where should l begin? l dressed
hastily and ran down the stairs.
My boarder was evidently up, for
her door was open, her bedclothes
thrown back, and the room airing in
a manner to suit the most particular
of housekeepers. This somewhat
Modified me towards her, but still |
was determined that she should go,
and that l would tell her as soon as
l had the time. She nodded to me
as l looked out of the door, for she
sat there, calmly rocking in my chair,
looking unblushingly at the morning
sun as it rose over Farmer Barker's
hickorynut wood She had on her
feet pair of loose slippers. Her
shoes, well cleaned, were standing
within the door of her room.
II thought you hadn't any slip
pers?" said /.
"Good-morning," said Miss Dacres
politely. This made me conscious at
once OF my own rudeness.
"Good-morning," said l. Excuse
my remark, but you know you told
me yesterday
Yes, SO | did. Well, I've got them
Il have no time to talk now" said |,
but please to understand that when