Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-07-27

and there were still tulips In the
borders around the house. The arbu.
tus was fragrant In the woods undor
the dead leaves, and on the way from
the station, q short mile, while the
car stick in the mud, found bank
showered with tiny fo-get-me-nots.
The birds-don't ask mo what kind;
they all look alike to me, unless they
have a hall mark of some bright color
the birds were chirping in the
hedges, and everything breathed of
peace. Liddy, who was born and brad
on brick pavement, got little bit
down-spirited when the crickets be-
gan to chirp. or scrape their legs To-
gether, or whatever 1t Is they do, ut
twilight.
The first night passed quietly
enough. / have always been grateful
for that one nights peace: 1t shows
what the country might be, under fay-
orable circumstances. Never after
pillow with any assurance how long 1t
for that matter.
On the following morning Liddy and
Mrs. Ralston, my own housekeeper,
had a difference OF opinion. and Mrs.
Ralston left on the eleven train. Just
after luncheon, Burke, the butler. was
taken unexpectedly with pain in his
right side, much worse when | was
within hearing distance and by after
noon he was started cityward. That
night the cooks sister had baby
the cook, seeing lndecision in my face,
made 1t twins on second thought-and
to be short, by noon the next day the
household staff was down to Liddy
AMI myself. And this In q house with
twenty-five rooms and Ave baths!
Liddy wanted to go back to the city
at once, but the milk-boy said that
Thomas Johnson, the Armstrong; col
ored butler, was working as waiter
at the Greenwood club, and might
come back. have the usual scruples
about coercing peoples servants away,
but few of us have any conscience re-
garding institutions or corporations
witness the way we beat railroads
and street car companies when we can
so I called up the club, and about
eight o'clock Thomas Johnson came to
see me. Poor Thomas!
Well, 1t ended by my engaging
Thomas on the spot, at outrageous
wages, and with permission to sleep
in the gardeners lodge, empty since
the house was rented. The old man
he was white-haired and little stoop.
ed but with an immense idea of his
personal dignity-gave me his reasons
hesitatingly.
81 amt sayin' nothin', Mis- Innes."
he said, with his hand on the door
knob "but there's been goin's-on here
this las few months as amt natchal
'Tain't one thing an 'tain't another
| it's lest a door souealin' here, an
| winder closin' there, but when doors
an winders gets to cuttin' up capers
and there's nobody nigh EN-, it's time
| Thomas Johnson sleeps someWhar's S
else.'
| Liddy, who seemed to be never
more than ten feet away from me that
night, and was afraid of her SHADOW
in that great barn of place, scream
ed little, and turned yellow green.
| But am not easily alarmed.
1t was entirely in vain represent
ed to Thomas that we were alone. ana
that he would have to stay in the
house that night. He was politely hrm
but he would come over early the
next morning, and if gave him Key,
he would come in time to get some
sort of breakfast. | stood on tne
huge yeranda and watched him shuttle
along down the shadowy drive, with
mingled feelings-irritation at his
cowardice and thankfulness at getting
| him at all. am not ashamed to say
that I double.locked the hall door
when l went in.
"You can lock up the rest OF the
house and go to bed, Liddy," sad
severely. "You give me the creeps
standing there. A woman of your
age ought to have better sense" 1t
usually braces Liddy to mention her
age; she owns to forty-which is an
surd. Her mother cooked for my
grandfather, and Liddy must be AZ
least as old as i. But that night she
refused to brace.
You're not going to ask me 10 lock
up. Miss Rachel!' she Quavered.'"WhS
4 there's dozen French windows in ths
drawing room and the billiard-roolt
wing. and every one opens on a porch
And Mary Anne said that last nlgn'
there was a man standing by tins
stable when she locked the kitchei
door
MARY Anne was a fool" ] saif
sternly. IF there had been a MAJ
there. she would have had him IN tins
kitchen and been feeding him VIVA
was left from dinner, inside OF ar
hour, from force of habit. Now don
be ridiculous. Lock UP the house ant
go to bed. l am going to read.
!. But Liddy set her lips tight an:
stood still. ;,
"I'm not going to bed" she said. !"
am going to pack up and tomorrow
am going to leave,
you'll do nothing of the sort,
snapped. Liddy and | often desire 1
, part company, but never at the sam
!, time. ''If YOU are afraid, | will g
, with YOU, but for goodness sake don
, try to hide behind me-"
Il The house was typical summe
} residence on an extensive scali
5 Wherever possible, on the first foo
/ the architect had done away with pa:
, titions, using arches and columns IT
/ stead. The effect was cool and spa
= ciouc hut scarcely COW AS IIidd