Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-05-20
CHAPTER L


Mrs. Annie Desterle padded uncom-
fortably up the front stairs to the sec
ond story front room. grumbling loud
ly at every step.
For Mrs. Desterle, who was nearly
nifty years old, and who for more than
half that time had supported herself
and her husband, Pierre, by keeping
a boarding house, had recently begun
to grow more than partridge plump.
With the rapid obliteration Of her
girlish outlines, which process might
have been checked had Mrs. Desterle
been less a mistress Of culinary art
and still less fond of her own cook
ing. had developed an increase In the
transportation problem around the
Desterle domicile. In these days, from
the basement kitchen to the third
story front was as appalling a climb
to Mrs. Desterle as the journey up
Washington monument had been when
she and Pierre had taken their hon.
eymoon trip for sightseeing thirty
years ago.
Dear mel" puffed Mrs. Desterle at
the second floor landing. Il believe I'll
ask that woman to move when her
weeks up. She never gets down to
breakfast and tho two days she's been
here she's acted mighty queer. Don't
know why I'm so foolish to toll all
the way up here like this. but I've
rung her bell twice and she don't an
swer, though It's most noon. II Pierre
was ever around now. Lately he seems
to be Of less use than ever. Strangers
In the house always did make me feel
nervous I'm most afraid to climb
any further; seems like / sense
something wrong. And as long
as I've been keeping boarders never
before did let anyone come in that
I didn't know anything at all about.
But the poor little thing looked so
tired and pretty and her big bunch
of violets smelled so sweet why, she
was Just like a spirit coming out of
the rain. 1t was SO late, too, and,
well, as I was none too careful In
finding out who she was, but she's had
time enough to look around by now,
and I'll just tell Miss Cerisse Wayne,
as she calls herself, that she'll AVE to
move tomorrow. This Is such a love-
ly spring day that looking for an
other room may bring a little color
into her pale cheeks. No, I don't want
her around. Young Simpson was max
ing eyes at her last night, which Is too
bad, for he's engaged to Miss Gentry.
And Ada Gentry's nice girl. She'll
be getting mad and leaving next, and
then he'll follow, and they're two OF
my best boarders; been here now for
seven Christmases."
Mrs. Desterle's soliloquy and her up
ward pilgrimage ended with the same
breath. At the end Of the hall before
her the door to the third story from,
parlor looked ominously funereal in its
dull respectability of time stained wal
nut. Annie Desterle was born to emer-
Rencies, and had been mainstay and
a prop all of her life, but for the frs,
time within her memory her spirit fal-
tered.
"Um," she shifted, as she approached
the door. TT does smell like cigar
cites up here. Ada told me yesterday
morning she thought she smelled
smoke coming from Miss Wayne's
room. Oh, Miss Wayne. Miss Wayne
MISS wayne! tiio idHuiduy III
a succession Of crescendos.
No answer came. So the woman In
the hall knocked loudly on the door
Silence still She tried the door. Il
was locked, though beneath the firm
grasp of this experienced landlady
coupled with a vigorous kick, the locl
gave way and the door swung open.
Mrs. Desterle's quick eye gave one
glance around her. her jaw dropped