, 1907-11-07
LAZY DORA

young Mrs. Billings-and the facu that
she stopped rocking to say it was a
sign of Its importance-'there's a
question I've been saving to ask you
as oon as you came, and it was all |
could do to keep from writing it. Do
you remember Lazy Dora?'"
do l remember herr" The active
looking, black eyed woman sat erect.
Gould i forget her? OF all the shift
less, good-for-nothing girls | eve saw
and I've seen some!
"Sakes alive!" she added, turning
to the %neighbor from the floor below,
who had run in with her mending.
You'd iced to see her to believe she
was true. My niece and | gave her
that name, just between ourselves, and
it fitted. We knew her in Idaho, when
my husband was doing a piece of en-
cheering out there, and we were
boarding with her mother-a sensible,
industrious woman as eve was.
There was plenty for Lazy Dora to
do, but no-she'd lie abed until time
to dress for dinner-that was at noon
and then she'd appear and talk to
the men-young engineers, you know.
After that she'd lop down and read
novels or sleep until evening, when
the men were home again. Then she'd
come to life in earnest. My, how
she'd sparkle! 1 used to blink
couldn't believe my own eyes, she was
so different from the daytime Dora"
And Auntie." Mrs. Billings wedged
in, "do you remember the young en-
gineer who was so crazy over herr"
"Do I? Rufus Chandler was his
name. Poor mani"
Mrs. Billings laughed softly. You
see, auntie had an eye on him for me-"
she explained to the neighbor from the
floor below. She didn't know at the
time that | already had my y on
Jack Billings, and it went hard with
her to see this other splendid young
nan throwing himself away. She was
always cornering him and telling him
what good pies l could make and how
| had kept house for my father since 1
was Ia, but 1t was no use. Rufus would
slip away at the first sound of Dora's
slippers on the stairs. And Aunt
Sally would shake her head at me in
private and say Just wait till they're
married. He'll find out his mistake.
Just you waltz"
81 was perfectly right, too" Aunt
Sally persisted. IF he ever married
her-which l hope for his sake he
didn't-he's regretting It,"
Aunt Sally" announced Mrs. Bill
iings impressively, "he did marry her,
and they're living in this building
now, in the fiat right over us"
you don't say! Poor fellow"
and he's b~lissfully happy"
"Then maybe he's made enough
money to keep her in idle luxury"
mo; he's hard up. He's told Jack
about his financial troubles. but he
says Dora is the bright star of his life.
They cant ever keep a servant"
You don't mean to say that she
does her own work."
mo: he does her own work. He
makes the beds and gets breakfast
and washes the dishes before he
leaves, and he always brings home the
provisions for the dinner he's going
to cook at night. Yes, and he's rugged
up a wire frame to hold her book, so
hat she can read without getting
tired"
"Eunice Billings!"
IT'S all true. Sometimes she mus
tiers energy to meet him dow on the
front steps and then he puts down his
parcels and carries her up two flights
Of stairs and m running down
again after his meat and vegetables
looking as if she'd given him a king
Aom."
YES, indeed" the ~neighbor said.
I've seen that often"
rs she sick?" Aunt Sally shifted.
mo more than she was when we
knew her, auntie. She's just too choice
and rare to be allowed to exert her
self. She did have a touch of rheuma-
tlsm IN her shoulder a few months
ago, and since then he has dressed her
in the morning and dom up her hair.
That's q fact. She told me herself.
And one Saturday afternoon lack
went up there to see Mr.. Chandler on
II business matter and he couldn't
make anyone near when he raped.
The sewing machine was going and it
made such a noise-needed oiling, of
course-and at last Jack pushed open
the door, and there was Rufus chan
dler down on the floor, working the
treadle of that machine with his
hands while Lazy Dora stitched a
seam"
For the lands sake! What did
Rufus Chandler say to jack"
He came in the hall to talk bust
ness, so that Dora wouldn't be wor-
ried, and before he went back he
said: Billings, If ever a man was
privileged to live with an angel. | am
that man."
Well, | never!" calculated Aunt