The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-14
BY Mary Roberts Rinel1art
(Copyright, 1900, The Bobbs-sIerrm Company

have hysteria and then turn on
me and blame me for It all. 1t
all came over me at once and
overwhelmed me, while Anne was
crying and saying she wouldn't
cook IL she starved for it, and
Aunt Selma was taking off her
wraps. I felt queer all over, and
1 sat down suddenly. Mr.. Harbi-
son was looking at me, and he
brought me a glass of wine.
ut won't be so bad as you
fear" he said comfortingly.
There will be no danger once we
are vaccinated, and many hands
make light work. They are pref
ty raw now, because the thing is
new to them. but by morning they
will be reconciled."
''It isn't the work: 1t is some
thing entirely different" 1 said.
And 1t was. Bella and work could
hardly be spoken in the same
breath.
If I had only turned her out
as she deserved to be. when she
first came. instead of allowing her
to carry through the wretched
farce about seeing Takahiro! Or
If had only run to the basement
the moment the house was quar-
antined, and got her out the
areaway or the coal-hole! And
now time was flying, and Aunt
Selma had me by the arm, and
any moment I expected Bella to
pounce on us through the door
way and the whole situation to
explode with a bang.
1t was after eleven before they
were rational enough to discuss
ways and means, and, of course,
the first thing suggested was that
we all adjourn below-stairs and
clean up after dinner. I could
have slain Max Reed for the no.
ton, and the Mercer girls for
taking him up.
"Of course we WILL" they said
in a duet. what a lark!" And
they actually began to pin up
their dinner gowns. 1t was Jim
who stopped that.
"Oh, look here, you people," he
objected, "I'm not going to let
you do that. Well get some serv-
ants in tomorrow. I'll go down
and put out the lights. There
will be enough clean dishes for
1t was lucky for me that they
started new discussion then and
there about who would get the
breakfast. In the midst of the
I slipped away to. car
ry the news to Bella. She was
where l had left her, and she
had made herself a cup of tea,
and was very much at home,
which was natural.
do you know" she said omi-
nously, that you have been away
for two hours; and that l have
gone through agonies of nervous
ness for fear Jim Wilson would
come down and think came here
to see him?"
"No one would think that,
Bella" soothed her. EVERY
body knows you loathe him-Jim,
too" She looked at me over the
edge of her cup.
'I'll run along now" she said,
"since Takahiro isn't here. And
if Jim has any sense at all, he
will clear out every maid in the
house. never saw such a
kitchen in all my life. Well, lead
the way, Kit. I suppose they are
deep in bridge, or roulette, or
something"
She was fixing her veil, and ]
saw l would have to tell her. Per-
sonally, would much rather have
told her the house was on fire.
"Wait minute, Bella" I said.
I"You see, something queer has
happened. You know this is the
anniversary--well, you know
what it is-and Jim was awfully
glum. So we thought we would
come"
What are you driving at?"
she demanded. you are sea-
green. Kit. What's the matter?
You needn't think / mind because
Jim has a jollification to celebrate
his divorce"
''It-it was Takahiro-in the
ambulance" I blurted. Small
pox. We-Bella, we are shut in,
quarantined."
She didn't faint. She Just sat
down and stared at me, and I
stared at her. Then miserable
alarm clock on the table suddenly
went off like an explosion, and
Bella began to laugh. knew
what that was-hysteria. She
always had attacks like that when
things went wrong. / was quite
despairing by that time; / hoped
they would all hear her and come
downstairs and take her up and
put her to bed like Christian.
so she could giggle her soul out.
But after bit she quieted down
and began to cry softly, and L
knew the worst was over. / gave
her a shake. and she was SO an
cry that she got over 1t alto
gether.
Kit, you are horrid." she
Don't you see what a