The Washington herald., 1910-06-20
CHAPTER X.
Flannigan,s Find.


say nothing about the first day. We
were badly brutal-thats the only word
for 1t. And Mr.. HARRISON. with his beau
tiful eourtesy-the really sincere kind
tried to patch up one quarrel after anoth-
er and failed. He rose superbly to the
called a South American goulash for
luncheon. although it was too salty. and
every enc was thirsty the rest of the day.
Rella was horrid. of course. She froze
Jim until ne said he was going to sit III
the refrigerator and cool the butter. she
locked herself in the dressing-rOon-it
had been assigned TO me, but that made
no difference to Bella-and did her nails
and took three different baths. and re-
fused to come to the table And OF
course Jimmy was wild, and said she
would starve. But 1 said. VERY we'll
let her starve. Not a tray shall leave my
kitchen" It was comfort 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. I was not so bitter as the
others; / did not say that l wished she
would die. The worst l 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 1t was the hard-boiled
eggs and the state of the house that did
germ, she retorted that I had probably
brovobf m baF an my rfpthfug
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 make her
self lawn cap and telephoned out for
a white nurses uniform-that is of
course. for a white uniform for a nurse
She really looked very fetching. and she
went around al the morning with a red
cross on her sleeve and a Saint Cecilia
expression, gathering up bottles OF medi-
cine-most of Ii flesh reduceT, which was
pathetic, and closing windows for fear Of
drafts. She refused 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 bottle
Of cologne to battle her brow, and we all
stood outside the door and listened Betty
tiptoed in in her pretty cap and apron,
and we heard her cautiously draw down
the shades.
What are you doing that for?" Aunt
Selma demanded. 1T like the light"
ITS bad for your poor eyes," Betty's
tone was exactly the proper bedside
pitch, low and sugary.
Sweet and low, sweet and low. wind
of the western sea" Dial hummed out
side.
Put up those window shades" Aunt
Selina's voice was strong enough
What's In that bottle?'
Betty was still mild She swished to
the window and raised the shade.
Tn so sorry you are ILL.," she said
sympathetically. This is for your poor
aching head Now close your eyes and
lie perfectly still, and 1 viii cool your
forehead"
There's nothing the matter with my
head" Aunt Selma retorted. And I have
not lost my faculties; I am not a child
or a sick COW. If that's perfumery, take
II out"
We heard Betty coming to the door,
but there was no time to get away. She
dropped her mask for a minute and was
biting her lip, but when she saw us she
forced a smile.
"She's III, poor dear" she said. "If
you people will go away. 1 can bring
her around all right In two hours she
VIII eat out of my hand
Eat a piece out of your hand" Max
scoffed In a whisper
We waited a little longer. but II was
too painful Aunt Selma demanded a
mustard foot bath and a hot lemonade
and her back rubbed with liniment and
some strong black tea And in the in
tervaIs she wanted to be read to out of
the prayer-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 IN the hall out
side the door, crying, with her fingers in
her ears and her cap over her eye. She
said she had 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 soft thud, fell to
the floor and burst. for q trickie of hot
water came over the sill.
''She won't let me hold her hand. -
Betty walled. cor battle her brow, or
smooth her pillow. She thinks of moth
ing but her stomach or her baekl And
when I try to make her bed look decent.
she splits at me like a cat. Everything /
do is wrong, She spilled the foot bath
into her shoes, and blamed me for -
II took the united efforts OF all of US
except Bella. who stood back and smiled
nastily-to get Betty back into the sick
room again. ! was supremsly thankful
by that time that l had not drawn the
nurses slip. With dinner ordered in from
one OF the clubs. and the omelet ten
hours behind me my position did MT
seem so ur bearable. But new develop
ment was coming.
While Betty was fussing with Aunt
Selma. Max ed search of the house.
He said the necklace and the bracelet