The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1902-12-23

IL, DuG Sne mas PAID me TOR the room
in advance"
"Fcr how long?"
I might have said for a nearly a
twelvemonth, had 1 been so inclined,
but l knew that Aunt Jane Mary
would demand the care of the funds,
so l said only:
ooh, for week. I am to give her
her breakfast and dinner"
"How do you know she isn't walk
ing off now with my mothers sheets
and pillow-cases?"
1 laughed aloud as I thought of
the poor, tired, overworked nurse and
her one pair of muddy shoes. said:
because your mothers sheets and
pillow-cases are upstairs in the lit
tie hall closet. Those are my own,
the ones she has-those that the
ladies at the Hall gave me when 1
went to housekeeping" l sighed.
'Srhe clock, then"
''The clock is mine too"
'The Holy Bible with the card
board MARKER
"All those things are mine, Aunt
Jane Mary. That room is furnished
with my own things. Poor creature!
She doesn't want to walk off with
anything. She's trained nurse.
She's tired out. She has just come
from her last case. She is nearly
dead. The man died"
what of?"
l sat down stunned 81 never
thought of that" l said.
Aunt Jane Mary held her hands
out as if to ward me off. $50! go!"
she said. "Out of my sight! Out
Of my presence! Go, and fumigate
yourself, and when you are sure
that you can bring me no infection,
come back to me and tell me the
rest"
AS l arose to leave the room, cast
backward glance at the helpless oc-
cupant of the old-fashioned bed.
Aunt Jane Mary was very stout
old lady. She had her head shaved
and wore a black cap and a false
front. She tied the ends in front in
rabbits ears. She wore lowered
sacque with large ruffles. She was
not pretty, but she was my mothers
sister, and the house was hers, and
l had no where else to go. She
needed a great deal of waiting on,
and she scolded me unpleasantly
sometimes, but if I left her, where
would Tom come for his holidays?
my dear boy Tom! And 1 must
say right here that she allowed me
to take half of all sums coming in
from the boarders in consideration
of my doing the work. She needed
an immense amount of waiting. on,
on account of her rheumatic govt,
but there could be no question of
my declining the service She was
helpless and she gave me home.
l ran down stairs as swiftly as
possible. l could not believe that j.
A. d.. had brought infection to US,
certainly not willingly. Her pro-
fession of nurse must have taught
her to be careful, and she had, was
sure, come from nothing worse than
a sudden death from heart failure
or something similar.
| went out on the veranda and re-
sumed my discarded hemming. 1
had not sat there many minutes when
L saw man coming along the road
leading out from Galtersville. He
was on a wheel, and, as J. A. d. had
done, he stopped at my door and
jumped lightly to the ground. He
leaned the wheel against tree and
opened the gate. There was no
click of the latch, and in coming to-
wards me he walked on the grass,
which angered me little, as l hated
to have path made in my small
lawn. He came and stood at the
foot of the steps and looked up at
me with pleasant pair of brown
eyes. He wore whiskers and mus
tache. He was Il man of about thir-
ty-five, strong and stocky, but with
the lightest, deftest movements 1
ever saw in anyone. He had on knee
breeches and an old gray coat, very
much worn. From his lower pock-
from his breast pocket stuck up the
cts protruded several papers, and
rubber head of pencil. l knew at
once that he was a newspaper man.
[ wondered if he had come to ask
questions about the great family on
the hill. If he had, he might as well
go away again; my lips would be
sealed forever on that subject. 1t
was too dear a one to me, too near
and too dear. saw that he was
speaking, but our great dog, Bill
was barking at the stranger, and
could not hear what he said
BE quiet, Bill" said /, giving the
great creature useless push with
my knee. what did you say?"
II heard in town that 1 could get
a room out here"
ITS good way from the city,"
said l.
"Oh, that's nothing. ] can take the
trains and leave my bike at the
station when l go in. Have you a
vacant room?"
YES" said I, "but l don't know
that it will suit you"
LET me see it." AS he said these
!,