The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-04-06

D9 inc way aunt cdlly, 2dlu
young Mrs. Blllings-and the fact that
she stopped rocking TO say it was =
sign OF its mportance-"there's a
question I've been saving to ask you
IS soon as you came, and it was all
could do to keep from writing it. Do
you remember Lazy DoraT"
do l remember herr" The active
looking. black eyed woman sat erect.
Gould | forget her? OF all the shift
less, good-for-nothing girls / ever saw
-'and I've seen somel
"sakes alivel" she added, turning
10 the neighbor from the floor below,
who had run in with her mending.
You'd need 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-
gineering out there, and we were
boarding with her mother-a sensible,
Industrious woman as ever was.
There was plenty for Lazy Dora to
do, but no-she'd lie abed until time
to dress for dinneY-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! 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 1? 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 eye on
Jack Billings, and II went hard with
her to see this other splendid young
man throwing himself away. She was
always cornering him and telling him
what good pies | could make and how
had kept house for my father since
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"
Il was perfectly right, too" Aunt
Sally persisted. IF he ever married
her-which l hope for his sake he
regretting It,"
Aunt Sally" announced Mrs. Bill
lings 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 blissfully happy"
Then maybe he's made enough
money to keep her in idle luxury"
No; he's hard up. He's told Jack
about his financial troubles. but ho
says Dora is the bright star Of his life.
They can't even 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 wire frame to hold her book, so |
that she can read without getting
tired"
"Eunice BiIIings!"
ITS all true. Sometimes she mus
ters energy to meet him down on the
front steps. and then he puts down his
parcels end carries her up two flights
of stairs and comes running down
again after his meat and vegetables
as If she'd given him king
iom."
Yes, indeed, the neighbor said.
I've seen that often"
rs she sick?" Aunt Sally shifted
mo more than she was when we
Snew her, auntie. She's just too choice
ina rare to be allowed to exert her
ielf. She did have touch OF rheuma--i
ism in her shoulder a few months
lgo, and since then he has dressed her
n the morning and done up her hair.
That's a fact She told me herself.
md one Saturday afternoon Jack
vent up there to see Mr.. Chandler on
business matter and he couldn't
make anyone hear when he raped.
he sewing machine was going and It
lade such a noise-needed oilirg, OF
at last Jack pENhed open
he door, and there was IlptGs chan
Ter down on the floor, working the
'eadle of that machine with his
ands. while Lazy Dora stitched
cam"
"For the lands sakel What did
ufus Chandler say to Jack?"
He came in the hall to talk busi-
ess, so that Dora wouldn't be wor-
ed, and before he went back he
lid Billings, If ever a man was
riyileged to live with an angel, am
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