Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-07-08
CHAPTER TX.
Elanniaan's Find.

|
| CHAPTER TX.
Flannisan's Find.
The most charitable thing would be
to say nothing about the first day. We
| were badly brutal-that's the only
| word for It, And Mr.. HARRISON, with
| cere kind-tried to patch up one quar-
rel after another and failed. He rose
| superbly to the occasion, and made
something that he called a South
American goulash for luncheon, al
| though 1t was too salty, and every one
was thirsty the rest of the day.
Bella was horrd, of course. She
froze Jim until he said he was going
to sit in the refrigerator and cool the
butter. She locked herself in the dress
ing room-it had been assigned to me,
but that made no difference to Bella
and did her nails, and took three differ
ent baths, and refused to come to the
table. And of course Jimmy was wild,
and said she would starve. But 1 said,
Very well, let her starve. Not a tray
shall leave my kitchen" 1t was a COM
fort to have her shut up there anyhow:
it postponed the time when she would
come face to face with Flanagan.
Aunt Selma got sick that day, as
have said. / was not so bitter as the
others; did not say that wished she
would die The worst / ever wished
her was that she might be quite i'll for
some time, and yet, when she began
to recover, she was dreadful to me.
She said for one thing, that it was the
hardboiled eggs and the state of the
house that did it, and when / said that
the grippe was a germ, she retorted
that had probably brought it to her
on my clothing.
You remember that Betty had drawn
the nurses slip, and how pleased she
had been about it. She got up early
the morning of the first day and made
herself a lawn cap and telephoned out
for a white nurses unifOrm-that is, of
course, for a white uniform for nurse.
She really looked very fetching. and
she went around all the morning with
a red cross on her sleeve and Saint
Cecilia expression, gathering up bot
ties of medicine-most of 1t flesh re-
ducer, which was pathetic, and closing
windows for fear of drafts. She refus-
ed to help with the house work, and
looked quite exalted, but by afternoon
it had palled on her somewhat, and she
and Max shook dice.
Betty was really pleased when Aunt
Selma sent for her. She took in bot
tie of cologne to bathe her brow, and
we all stood outside the door and lis
tened. Betty tiptoed in in her pretty
cap and apron, and we heard her eau
tiously draw down the shades.
What are you doing that for?" Aunt
Selma demanded. Il like the light"
It's bad for your poor eyes" Bettys
tone was exactly the proper bedside
pitch. low and sugary.
Sweet and low, sweet and low,
wind Of the western sea-" Dal hum
med outside.
Put up those window -shades!"
Aunt Selna's voice was strong enough
Whats in that bottle?'
Betty was still mild. She swished
to the window and raised the shade.
I'm so sorry you are ill.," she said
sympathetically. This is for your
poor aching head. Now close your
eyes and lie perfectly still. and l will
cool your forehead"
There's nothing the matter with my
head" Aunt Selma retorted. And |
have not lost my faculties: | am not a
child or a sick COW. If that's perfum-
| cry. take it out
We heard Betty coming to the door,
but there was no time to get away.
She had dropped her mask for min
ute and was biting her lip, but when
she saw us she forced smile.
She's il, poor dear" she said. IF
you people will go away. | can bring
her around all right. In two hours she
will eat out of my hand"
Eat a piece out of your hand" Max
| scoffed in a whisper.
We waited little longer, but it was
too painful. Aunt Selma demanded a
mustard foot bath and a hot lemonade
ard her back rubbed with liniment ana
some strong black tea. And in the in
| tervals she wanted to he read to out
| of the prayer-bo book. And when we had
all gone away. there came the most
| terrible noise from Aunt Selina's room.
and every one ran. We found Betty
| i'm the hall outside the door, crying,
with her fingers in her ears and her
| cap over her eye. She said she mad
been putting the hot-water bottle to
Aunt Selina's back and it had been too
hot. Just then something hit against
the door with so:: thud, fell to the
floor and burst, for trickle of hot
water came over the Sill.
She won't let me hold her hand"
| Betty walled, "or bathe her brow. or
smooth her pillow. She thinks "t n"th-
| ing but her stomach or her back. And
when try to make her bed look decent
she spits at me like cat. Everything
| do is wrong. She spilled the foot
bath into her shoes. and blamed me
| for it,
1t took the united efforts of all "f
| us-eycept Bella, who stood back ana
| smiled nastily-t" get Betty back mt"
the sick-ruom again. | was supremacy
thankful by that time that | had not
drawn the nurses slip. With dinner
ordered i'm from one of the CLUBS ana
the nmrlet ten hours behind me. my
| position did not seem go unhearapie'
But n new development was coming.
While Betty was fussing with Aunt
| Selma. Max led a search of the house
II, said the necklace and the bracelet