Amador ledger., 1904-12-16


window and could hear what they said
and watch their reflection in the mir
ror in the sideboard.
Now, Wyote, ours doesn't look like
that. You must have forgotten some
thing. What the devil is it?"
ITS the doilies," f1oated across the
areaway in a musical, half laughing
voice. Then appeared at the window
Mrs. Bronson, roguish, yet flushed at
her own boldness ooh, l beg your
pardon! 1t was most impertinent of
me, but my niece and l have taken
such an interest in your bachelor
housekeeping, especially since you have
been kind enough to take my little din
ing room as your-your'-
"As our criterion. Exactly! 1t is such
dear little room, don't you know 1
hope you don't mind?'
Not at ALL" said Mrs. Bronson.
You see, you must not use candelabra
for breakfast. Then get some plain
Irish linen for doilies and center
piece to match
Understand, Wyote?" The Japa-
nese nodded his head and wisely van
ished
Thanks awfully," said Dubois, CROP
ing for some excuse to continue the
conversation. "We take such a fool
ish pride in our bungalow and wanted
things right
"Well, you have them right" said
Mrs. Bronson, "and l do wish you'd
tell me where you bought those dear
little brown .casseroles."
That deft bit Of f1attery completed
the conquest.
"The little woman's all right said
Dubois as he told the trio of his
mornings conversation. After the rest
had gone Marshall went out to the
kitchen.
"Wyote," he said, didn't you re-
mark that there were no men next
door?"
The Jap nodded.
'Um-um," murmured Marshall as he
went back to his room Enter the
widow!'
But the widow did nothing of the
sort. Neither did she give the coveted
invitation for the bachelor neighbors
to call. But the occasional domestic
conferences across the area - there
were window boxes on both sills now
did their deadly work. Mrs. Bronson
was a bit of Dresden china, and Du-
bois, being a man of domestic tastes,
naturally went in for the Dresden
type. The brown eyed widow saw it
all long before he did, but with curl
GUS persistency and feminine incon-
sistency she refused to capitulate. The
advice Dubois pretended to need in
those days deceived no one save him
self, least of all Wyote.
Then came the awful day when
Wyote fell a victim to the epidemic
Of measles. Dubois struggled against
procession of incompetents who
came and went, seldom empty handed.
One hot afternoon in June he came
home early from the office to find a
colored maid departing with one of
the treasured candlestickS in her grip
The language provoked by this pro-
ceeding floated across the area and
made Mrs. Bronson, writing in her
den, drop her pen and sit up very
straight. Then came quiet, broken by
an occasional rattle of dishes, closing
with tremendous crash of falling
crockery and something very like a
groan.
Mrs. Bronson ran to the kitchen win
dow, and there she saw a food of hot
afternoon sunshine beating in on the
disorderly room, with Dubois in the
midst of it clumsily bandaging his
hand.
"Oh, you are hurtp' she exclaimed,
"Just nasty little cut, but SOME
how / can't make it stop bleeding"
"Of course you can't, binding it up
in that fashion. Come right over here
| and I'll fix it for you.'
II can't" answered Dubois in a muf-
| fed voice. "It was $3.50 beastly hot
just slipped on my pajamas to do up
this mess"
A giggle sounded close to Mrs Bron-
| sons pretty pink cart was very,
very pink just now-and she turned
abruptly.
"Kitty, come with me this minute"
Down the back stairs they sped,
| through the cellar common to both
| apartments and up the back stairs into
the chaotic kitchen. By the time they
reached his side Dubois was feeling
bit faint from the loss of blood.
"There, you're bound up for keeps"
said Mrs. Bronson as she adjusted the
| last fold in the bandage. "Now l shall
send the Janitor's wife up to straight
en- this kitchen, and you and your boys
must dine with us. oh, yes" she add
ed as he protested. "Pve the best of
servants, and one may be neighborly-
sometimes-even in New York.
The other members of the quartet
heard Of the invitation with varying
emotions. Marshall scowled in his
| glass as he tied his crayat. Then, as
he gave it final vicious twitch, he re
marked:
"Well, it may not be enter the wild
ow, but it is bound to be exit old Du-
bois-for life"
But 1t was not so bad after all, be-
cause Dubois only moved across the
area, and now his brown eyed wife
really presides over both flats, and
Wyote is her most devoted slave, bar
ring Dubois.
His Winnings,
did your husband ever win any
thing at the races3"
| "No" answered Young Mrs TorEinS,