The sea coast echo., 1907-04-27
Il Letter Writers
B!under.
BY JAMES C. ..hlNELL.

how could you be, while engaged in
washing v indoWs? But he seems sc
anxious to see you, could not say
10. There. I've dropped his card
somewhere. Well, no matter But
If you will, Dolly-just step In and
speak to him
Aunt Jane paused to take breath.
There was a timid quaver, a half de-
precatory tone in her voice, too, as
though she knew that she was asking
great deal. but had still resolved
TO DO her duty courageously.
The room at whose open door she
was stan3ing-the best In the old
fashioned farmhouse Nesting among
che Pontiac Hills-loohed at present
as though no power colld set it
straight again. It was so provoking!
Her pretty niece. Dolly Thorpe, from
the metropolis, had come to spend
the summer with Aunt Jane; and
hardly was she comfortably settled
when a telegram had arrived from
Dolly's father requesting Aunt Jane
to receive, for a few weeks, q par
ticular friend of his own, who wished
to try the effect of the fresh air
upon a somewhat delicate constitu-
ton.
The telegram had been received the
day previous, and, just at that par
ticular juncture, Aunt James one SER
want had given notice, and taken her
departure. There was no help for
{. The work must be done somehow,
and the best room put in readiness
Tor the expected guest.
Dolly Thorpe was standing upon a
stepladder in the CHEEKY apartment
known as "the spare room," busily
engaged in cleaning the windows.
She was pretty girl, with roguish
brown eyes, and mass of curly
black hair. She had been interrupt
ed in her work several times already
that morning, and this last summons
seemed the one drop too much for
her overfiowing cup of vexations.
Each demand upon her time and
patience Dolly had met and faced
bravely, for Aunt Jane was just re-
covering from a serious illness, and
was hardly able to get about the
house. Tomorrow the new servant
you'd come, and Dolly would be
freed from her arduous duties.
In the meantime the expected
guest, whose name her father had
not taken the trouble to mention,
being simply referred to in Mr..
Thorpe's telegram as "a friend of
knew not whether the
expected guest was male or female
was liable at any moment to drop
IN upon them
All this time Dolly had been stand
ing upon the stepladder, gaping down
nto Aunt James appealing face, with
intense dismay upon her own, and
piece of chamois in her hand. She
wore blue calico gown, tied up
above pair of little feet in not alto
5ether irreproachable slippers;
pink cap surmounted her curly head.
Yet she was simply charming,
thought Aunt Jane.
Just step down minute, dear"
pleaded that individual, meekly.
Sitting an inward groan, Dolly
turned round, but catching the skirt
Of her gown upon the ladder as she
lid so, she was left for brief space
like Mahomet's coffin. The
bucket of soapsuds upon the top of
the stepiaider grew uneasy, and
- 10
.er; and the scene that followed can
De better imagined than described.
In the midst of the excitement,
while Dolly was struggling with the
'efractory stepladder, which had sud-
denly collapsed, converting the bare
floor into a miniature lake, in which,
to use her own expression, she was
getting along swimmingly," tall
form appeared in the open doorway,
a pair Of merry gray eyes took in the
scene, and musical voice, struggling
hard to sti6e burst of laughter,
asked sweetly:
Can | be of any assistance?
Why" IN mock astonishment, ''if it
isn't Dolly Thorpe.''
"Jack!' with a shrill little shrek
Of dismay. Yes. it is !. How do
you like my get-up? Aunt James
servant has taken French leave;
somebody lad TO do this
Was it really necessary that all
this should be done?" asked Jack
Bentley, with lurking mischief in his
voice.
Dolly fiared UP in an instant. How
dare he laugh at her?
You know what I mean. Just
lift that side of the stepladder, Jack,
and be quiet There! Thanks aw-
fully. l shall get out of it somehow.
feel like the immortal youth who
stood on the burning deck Jack!"
suddenly emerging from the general
and holding out two white
hands in greeting. her bright eyes
like stars, I'm SO glad to see
you. Did You drop down from the
skies? What brought you here?''
Well, that is good." suppressing
! whistle. Il was so sure you would
be glad to see me that didn't stop
TO invent any excuse for coming. But
| refuse to have anything to say to
you until you have made yourself
presentable. Go and put on dry
dress,
But, she inquired. ruefully, who
Is to finish the room? 1t is a point
of honor with me to carry out an
Undertaking, and then-I've prom
Ised Aunt JaEe.