The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-09
Something
On This
,continued from Yesterdav.l


There is only one solace. he said.
when We do not have friends. We
cannot lose them.
He opened the door to let me pass
out. and as our eyes met. oil the cold
ness died out Of his. HE held out his
hand, but / was hurt refused To
sec it
Kit" he said unsteady lin
an obstinate, pig-headed brute, | am
sorry. Can't We he friends. after all >"
When We do not have friends
=eAnnat=iose them II efsI.fs4-e-i+4,
cool malice. And the next instant the
door closed behind me
IL was that night that the really
serious event Of the quarantine DC
Cured
We were gathered in the library.
and eNersz hodx-Was deadly dull Aunt
Selma said she had been reared to a
strict observance Of the Sabbath, and
she refused TO go To bed early The
ards and card tables were put away
end every one sat around and quar-
relied and was generally nasty, except
Bella and Jim, who had gone into the
den Just after dinner and firmly elds-
ed the door.
] think it was just after Max pro-
posed TO me. ct, he proposed to me
again that night. He said that Jim 8
Illness had decided him. that any Of
us might take sick and die. shut in
that contaminated atmosphere, and
that II he did he wanted 1t all set
tied And whether | took him Oh
not he wanted me to remember him
kindly If anything happened. | real
ly hated TO refuse him--he was II
such deadly earnest. But IL was quite
unnecessary for him TO have blamed
his refusal as he did. on MIR. Har
hisorf / am sure | had refused hin
plenty of times before | had epel
heard OF the man Yes. it was jug
after he proposed to me that Elan,
nigan came to the door and called
Mr.. HARRISON out into the hall.
Flannigan--like most OF the peopl'
In the house--always went to Mr.
HARRISON when there was anything e
be done. He openly adored him, ant
what was more-he did what Mr.
Harrison ordered without a word
while the rest of us had To- get dow
on our knees and beg.
Mr.. HARRISON went out, mutterin
something about a storm coming NJ
and seeing that the tent was secure
Betty Mercer went With him. Sh
had been at his heels all evening
and called him Tom" on every pos
sfble occasion. Indeed. she made n
secret of it: she said that she was ma
about him. and that she would low
TO live in South America. and hav
an Indian squaw for a lady's-maiC
and sit out ON the veranda In tn
evenings and watch the Souther
Cross shooting across the sky, an
ear tropical food from the quaint In
dian pottery She was not even daunt
V1af FaiA Ia Nc k.l.t4
Cross did not shoot. and that tn
food was probably canned corn on ii
dishes,
So Betty went with him. She wor
n pale yellow dinner gown. with jus
a sophisticated touch of black her
and there. and cut modestly squar
In the neck. Her shoulders are scraw
ny. And after they were gone-~nc
her shoulders. Mr.. HARRISON and sh
Aunt Selma announced that III
next day was Monday. that she ha
only weeks supply Of clothing Wit
her. and that the policeman wh
ever swung a mace should wash he
undergarments for her
She paused a moment. but nobod
offered to do il. Anne was readin
De Maupassant under cover OF a tf
BILE. and the rest pretended not {
hear After pause. Aunt Selma ~
mp heavily and went upstairs, CON
ing down soon after with hund
covered with green shawl. and wit
q white balbriggan stocking trailin
from an opening in 1t. She pause
3 at the library door, surveyed the IL
mates, caught my unlucky eye an
heckoned 10 me with a relentless fore
finger.
I'VE can put them to soak tc
night she confided to me, and t
morrow they will be quite simple I
do. There Ia no lace 10 speak Of
Dial raised his eyebrows-"and yer
little founcing."
Aunt Selma and ] went to III
laundry. II never occurred tn any or
that Bella should have gone: she ha
stepped into all my priviieges-suc
as they were--and assumed none
my obligations. Aunt Selma and
went 10 the laundry.
IT Is strange what big things d.
velop from little ones In this cas-
II MAS a bar of soap. And II Fiann
gan had used as much soap as h
should have instead Of washing II
the kitchen floor with cold dish ws
ter. it would have developed soone