The Washington herald., 1910-06-22

have been sitting together in a corner
all evening"
Yes, that was what she said; when I
had not spoken TO Jimmy the whole time
In the den. Bella was catfish. and she
was Jealous, too I turned on my heel
and went to the door; then I turned to
her, with my hand on the knob.
''You have been misinfoTmed." I said
coIdly. You cannot possibly know,
having spent -hree hours IN a corner
yourself-with Mr.. HARRISON" 1 abhor
jealousy In a woman
Well. Aunt Selma ate all the lobster
salad, and drank the Port after Bella had
told her 1t was beef, iron, and wine and
she slept all night, and was able to sit
up in a chair che next day, and was so
infatuated with Bella that she would not
let her out II her sight But that is
ahead of the story.
AT midnight the house was fairly
quiet except for Jim. who kept walking
around the halls because he cOuldn [
sleep. got up at last and ordered him
to bed. and he had the audacity 20 have
a grievance with me.
Look at my situation nowi" he said,
sitting pensively on a steam radiator.
Aunt Selma is crazy. ! only kissed
why you sat IN the den all evening: you
might have known that Bella would
notice it. Why couldn't you leave me
alone to my misery?''
VERY we'll" l said. much offended.
After this / shan sit with Flanagan In
the kitchen. He is The only gentleman
in the house
I left him babbling apologies and went
TO bed. but / had an uncomfortable feel
ing that Bella had been a witness to our
conversation, for the door into Aunt
Selina's room closed softly as / passed.
/ knew beforehand that ] was not going
10 sleep. The instant I turned out the
light the nightmare events of the even
ing ranged themselves in a procession, or
a series of tableaux. one after the other:
Flanagan on Tire roof, with the bracelet
on his palm, looking accusngly at me;
Mr.. HARRISON and the scene on the roof,
with my fiippancy; and the result OF that
filppancy-the man on the stairs. the
arms that held me. the terrible kisses
that had scOrched my lips-it was awful.
And then the absurd situation across
Aunt Selina's bed, and Bella's facet Oh,
1t was all so ridicul0us-my having
thought that the HARRISON man was q
gentleman. and finding him cad, and
worse. II was excruciatingiy funny.
quite got a headache from laughing; in
deed. I laughed until I found I was cry
ing. and then knew I was going 10 have
an attack OF strangulated emotion. called
hysteria. So I got up and turned on all
the lights, and bathed my face with CO.
logne and felt better.
But I did not go 70 sleep. When the
hall clock chlmed two. 1 discovered
was hungry. I had had nothing since
luncheon, and even the thirst following
the South American goulssh was gone.
There was probably something 10 eat in
the pantry, and If there was not I was
quiet equal to going TO the basement.
AS Ii happened. however. I found a
very orderly assortment of left-Overs and
a pitcher of milk, which had no business
there. in the pantry, and with plenty OF
light ! was not At all frightened
ate bread AMI butter and drank milk.
and was fast becoming a rational person
again: ! had pulled cut one Of the draw
ers part way and with a tray across the
corner I had impr0vised a comfortable
seat. And then I noticed that the drawer
was fun of s0iled napkins. and ] renem-
bered the bracelet. / hardly know why
decided TO go through the drawer again,
after Flanagan had already done II, but
I did. / finished my milk and then. get
ting down on my knees, / proceeded syS-
tematically TO empty the drawer. took
out perhaps a dozen napkins and as
many doilies without finding anything.
Then I took out a large tray cloth. and
there was something on Il. that made me
look farther. One corner of Il had been
scorched, the clear and well defined i'm
print or a lighted cigarette or cigar. a
blackened streak that trailed of into a
brown and yellow. I had a queer. trem-
bly, feeling, as II I were on the verge of
a discovery-perhaps Anne's pearls. or
the cuff buttons with stoTks painted on
china in the center. But the only thing
found. down in the corner Of the draw
er, was a half-burned cigarette.
To me. it seemed quite enough II was
one of the South American cigarettes.
with a tobacco wrapper instead OF paper,
that Mr. HARRISON smoked.