Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-01-05

mist among the trees. Ano maven
learned vet to love my beautiful room
at Mrs. Ess Kay's, though ! admire 1t
mmensely-admire to the verge Of
awe.
It's pink and white and silver. The
carpet is pink and feels like moss, as
you step. The wall is covered with
pink and silver brocade. except where
there are panels with Watteau-like pic
lures. The curtains are foamy lace.
with the pink and silver brocade fall
ing over them. The furniture looks
as If 1t were made Of ivory; there's
mirror In three parts, reaching from
the floor half way to the ceiling, so
that you see yourself in front and two
profiles, like astral bodies, things
which I've always wanted to cultivate,
as they would he SO nice for trying on
dresses. or making calls on dull people.
On the dressing table Is another mir
J ror, an oval one, framed with pink
roses, each of which has an electric
light hidden in its heart. and the bed
,, spread is of pink and silver brocade
to match the hanglngs, with a large,
hard roll like an osslfied bolster, at the
top.
believe It's that bed more than any.
thing else which makes me feel that
it's always Sunday In my room ut Mrs
Ess Kay's I'm used to old fashioned.
ruffly pillows and a plain white cover
let smelling of lavender. on which ]
can flop down whenever like, to read
a novel or to have nice little weep"
But there's no Topping on this gor-
geous pink and silver expanse, and It's
small consolation to know that no
queen of England ever had one as
handsome.
Mrs. Ess Kay and Sally escorted me
to my room when I came to 1t first.
After I'd admired everything enough
to satisfy them, I was taken to see
the bathroom adjoining, and then a
kind of wardrobe room opening out Of
that. was almost Frustrated by the
magnifcence of both, which pleased
Mrs. Ess Kay very much, and in the
grand wardrobe room, smelling de-
liciously, though family, of cedar, my
poor boxes-already arrived-looked
mean and Insignificant. Mrs. Ess
Kay's and Sally's huge Innovations"
would have been much more appro-
pirate than my dress baskets, which
had been squashed into lopsided de-
formity under heavier things In the
hold.
Louise was on the scene armed with
my keys and Mrs. Ess Kay wouldn't
hear of letting me do anything myself.
"Now. I'll explain why I had to desert
you on the dock" she said. "Or per-
haps / needn't explain. II you watch
Louise unpacking for few minutes
you'll see for yourself. And do hope,
sweet child. that you'll excuse my tax
ing liberty"
This made me curious. Louise
opened one Of my boxes which had
had been labeled "Not Wanted" and
l could hardly believe my eyes when
she lifted out an exquisite poppy col
ored chiffon, embroidered with sprays
Of golden holly and berries made OF
some cleaning red jewel.
"Why. there's been some extraordi-
nary mistaken I exclaimed. "That
can't be my box. I've no such dress"
81 know, love, but l have" said Mrs.
Ess Kay, "and, thanks to you, I've got
It and several others through without
paying duty. l thought you wouldn't
mind, you're such dear pet and It's
been such an accommodation. Not that
I care about the money. but do love
to get the best Of those fiends ut the
custom house, and l have, for once.
You see, It was like this: When Louise
went to the baggage room to get out
some thin Is for you had them put In
my trunks afterward and some Of my
dresses changed into yours. as your
frocks had all been worn and mine
hadn't. l told Louise to put my things
down at the bottom, some In each OF
your trunks, and was pretty sure the
man wouldn't touch them, as you're q
British subject. trusted to luck that
you'd be too cute to say anything and
give me away II you saw the dresses
while your trunks were being exam
ined. but just hoped he wouldn't dig
down to them. dared not tell you
what was going on. as Sally said l
ought to, because II had you might
have refused or else spoiled everything
by being self conscious. If you'd been
with me the fiends might have caught
on to our little game. they're so suspi.
cious, but where you were they never
suspected any connection between us.
You're just dear"
had been a dear in spite Of myself.
but there was no use In making a fuss,
now the dearness was all over, what
ever I might have done II I'd known
beforehand that was to be cats
paw. Perhaps II l hadn't been given
the iced stun with the strawberries I
might have been crosser; but, fortified
by that, lived up to my reputation as
a dear during the half hour Of the un-
packing.
When my frocks all hung In row
like Bluebeard's wives, In the cedar
wardrobe, and was left alone with
them Mt last. my first thought was to
plunge my imprisoned roses in water;
my second, to do the same with my
self.
The hope of tea (Which hadn't been
fulHlled) and u bath had kept me alive
through those two hot hours on the
dock, and now could choose between
several kinds of bath, each one more
luxurious than any I had ever known
At home there's either the big bath, in
the bathroom, or there's tub in your
bedroom, so it doesn't take you long to
make up your mind which you will
have. But here there were SO many
things could do that grew quite con.
fused among them.
There was the big bath, so big thai
two of our big ones at Battlemead
could have gone into 1t, and instead Of
climbing ignominiously In in the ordi
nary way you walked down several
| glittering white marble steps. It was
very alluring, but as the marble tank
was so vast feared might have te
spend all the rest Of the afternoon ir
getting it full Of water. 1t seemed
impertinent to make a convenience Of
such a splendid, early Roman sort Of
receptacle for a mere FIVE minutes
splash. A bath Of such magni6cence