The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-01-06
My Lady
And Perkins.
BY c. B. LEWIS.
Copyrighted, 1907, by Associated
tl-iterarY Press.


!. Literary Press. 4
!.
My lady has reached the age of sixty
She has become nearsighted and bit
a slight stoop and somewhat of an un.
certain gait. But for the vigilance OF
her maid, Perkins. she would have
looked every month of her age and
passed for the old woman she was.
1t was Perkins who skillfully padded
her gowns and applied the dainty pinI
and white complexion and who gave
her daily lessons in the art of remain.
ing young woman,
1t was Perkins who had told her for
the last dozen years that she looked
under forty and who made each birth.
day count one less instead of one more.
In her way, and it was q good way,
Perkins was Il jewel of the first water
My lady had wealth. When. at the
age of forty, she had married again,
only to become a widow for the second
time within three years, her cash in
At fifty a third ardent sutton APP
peared, but my lady decided to pre-
serve her widowhood and retain con-
troll of her money. AT sixty she had
herself and she had Perkins Five
years previously, when the woman had
come TO her. she had said:
Perkins, am Il frivolous thing of
thirty-tive."
Yes m, replied Perkins as she men
tally added twenty years to the figures.
| Il am frivolous, but not quite a fool"
Nom"
"And ! want you to help me from be.
coming one"
Certainly. NM
IF you see me flirting or acting gid
dy, as most young women are apt to
do at times, put your foot down and
stop it."
4 Will, MN"
Should really fall in love, Perkins
should | he so giddy and frivolous
ana foolish as to think OF marriage
put both feet down and bring me tc
my senses ere it is too late That's all
this evening, Perkins"
Thus Perkins became iady's maid,
chaperon and adviser combined. She
was the keeper of the keys and the
watchdog of the treasury. She was a
good judge of human character and a
close estimator of how far a Irritation
could go and still come under the head
of harmless.
|
had gone their limit, she had announc-
ed the fact. and my lady had turned
her back on the affair.
1T was one season at Nice when
things vert wrong. Perkins was find
ing 1t hard Work TO keep the wrinkles
rubbed away. My lady was beginning
to notice her own stoop and limp and
she was almost ready to acknowledge
that she felt all of forty eight and a
few minutes over.
Count Dubois made his appearance
at this opportune moment. He was a
real French count, if that was worth
anything He was also a spendthrif1
and gambler. He had about reached
the end of his tether when he got
around to Nice ON a tour of adventure
and ran across my lady and her
friends
His reputation soon caught up with
him, but in Europe a title excuses
much. There was almost at once an
open Irritation between my lady and
the count. and for a time the Argus
eyed Perkins watched it and said moth
ing
However, when Mrs. Grundy had be-
gun to nod and wink and whisper be.
hind her fan, she took my lady Ia
hand. On all previous occasions the
dear old thing had heaved sigh OF
two. shrugged her shoulders and sub.
mitted TO the inevitable. but on this
occasion, to Perkins great surprise
she proved obdurate
Perkins, | am surely in love-" she
replied.
But you can't be. You are too-too
young"
But / know that l am in love, and
I shall marry the count, poor boy"
Perkins came back at her Will
enough statistics to swamp the char
acters of three or four adventures
but my lady had made up her minc
and nothing could move her. Perkins
{ knew when to argue and when to con
ceal herself behind the portieres.
Before the count left the parlors mex
day she was in possession of all needed
: particulars There was to lie a yacht
ing party Of u dozen friends. and dur
ing the trip the engagement would b'
announced two weeks later mar
rIage and !, honeymoon trip.
The yacht would not make the har
Dor until late hour in the evening
and the count would call for my lad.
in a carriage. he further threw out
suggestion. 1t was that Perkins ~
locked in her room at Il certain hoar II
prevent her wandering about Nice dur
Ing the evening hours and getting los
or falling off the quay.
Humon Jewels such as she had bpal