The Press., 1905-10-04


ter all the time.
However, you mustn't think that i
am angry with Aunt Maria or in the
least bit jealous of her for the influence
she exerts over my husband. like her
more than Bert does, If I'm any judge
of the matter. He is polite and atten-
tive to her, but she makes him SO nerv-
Gus sometimes that he nearly has fit.
I heard him walking the floor for two
hours in his room the other night after
he had had one Of his long talks with
her. 1 kept going to sleep and waking
up again, and Bert would be always
tramping up and down. Finally call
ed to him and asked him what time 1t
was, and he uttered a hollow groan and
said it was a quarter of 4. What with
Aunt Maria's conversation and the
dreadful work In the Office Bert Is
growing thin, and there are dark cir
cIes under his eyes. This morning he
was looking particularly bad, and I
asked him impulsively how long Aunt
Maria expected to stay. He suddenly
clapped a hand to his forehead and
cried out, The Lord only knowsp l
think perhaps / ought to speak to her
about it If could summon up the cour-
age; but, oh, am poor worm Of the
dust In the presence Of Aunt Martial
always feel as If she were saying to
herself when she looks at me: What
earthly use is this tow headed creature
anyhow? Is Albert Stevens a child
that he should have dollT And yet
T. kY~s, 0H@ -, Il,
woman. She would be loyal to the
death, I'm sure, and love loyalty. So
I would like to be friends with Aunt
Maria, but she won't have it. She has
no use for me except that shall keep
our maid on duty in the front hall SO
that no strange men can get in. Really,
she Is perfect crank about men. I'm
sure she searches her room thoroughly
before she goes to bed and piles furni-
ture against the door to assist the lock.
And if she should find an intruder there
some day heaven help him! Though
he were stained with all the crimes,
think his punishment would go beyond
the bounds of justice. A hatpin In the
hands of Aunt Maria would be dread
full weapon, for she is the incarnation
Of cold precision, and every thrust she
gave would touch vital spot. Speak
ing of men, had one here yesterday to
fix the kitchen range, and Bert told me
that night that I'd better not have any
more workmen come while Aunt Maria
is with us. So suppose she must have
come upon this man suddenly and have
got scare, though didn't know about
it."
Emily Is such an inexperienced child
and had fallen so far into the wake of
the world before that visit to the city
which sealed her fate that I could
readily understand her simple view Of
Aunt Maria. To my eye, however, the
lady appeared to be something more
than q mere eccentric character and to
stand very much in need Of a rational
explanation. This need became even
more pressing after had made a call
upon a friend Of mine who halls from
Danbury, VT, and goes there frequent
ly to visit his aged parents. According
to this gentleman's report, no such per-
Danbury within the past twenty years.
was endeavoring to formulate
course of action suitable to a situation
SO delicate when received from Cous-
In Emily letter containing an account
Of a very sensational occurrence In her
home, as follows:
"Well, we have had a great time
here. I'll just tell you what happened,
and then you'll Observation-Disclosures than
l do, probably. In the first place, there
was the big storm, tropical deluge Of
rain beginning In the middle Of a win
ter's night. 1 thought that our house
would be swept away or melted like
sugar, and In the morning was by no
means surprised to learn that the roof
had leaked and that the water had run
down through the ceiling Of Aunt Ma
ria's room. She slept SO soundly that
she knew nothing about it till morning.
1.-The garnet was a wreck, for the wa
ter had played peculiar pranks around
one of the chimneys and had washed
out a great lot Of SCOT. A river black
rs the Styx flowed across the floor and
emptied itself in a series Of graceful
waterfalls down the garnet stairs.
BERT had to go straight to the Office,
and was left alone to face the situa-
ton. 1 sent the cook into the garnet
with mop and dispatched the maid to
fetch a carpenter who had done consid-
cradle work for us and was such q
Jovial, harmless fellow that he hardly
seemed to fall under the ban imposed
because of Aunt Maria's peculiarities.
Indeed, described him to her, and she
made no objection to his coming.
"What does the fellow do but bring
an assistant, a rat faced creature cal.
culated to excite suspicion even in SO
trustful heart as mine. Aunt Maria
was in the hall upstairs when the men
came, and so soon as herieyes fell upon
Mr.. Ratty she fled And here's the
part of it: The man ran after
her, He chased her through her room
and Bert's and mine and out into the
hall again. She tried to get down the
stairs, but the carpenter and 1 were in
the way, so she could only flee aloft.
Up the garnet stairs she flew with sur
prising agility, and Mr.. Ratty still pur-
sued her. 1 could do nothing but
scream in a stifed voice, while the
stupid carpenter stood petrifed.
"At the head of the garnet stairs was
the cook with her mop. 1t was soaked
with sooty water. Aunt Maria seized
it, and as Mr.. Ratty came bounding up
the stairs she thrust it hard into his
face. He fell backward to the bottom
and 1 thought he must be dead, but he
struggled to his feet and then sank
slowly down to the floor again and lay
still. ~. ,
81 ran to his assistance, half fright
ened out of my wits, and my state ac-.
for my action that has won me-
NY6 fa5h