The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-06-23

4
you help me TO the roof?'
| Mr.. HARRISON really turned rather
white. Then he bowed tremendously
and left me-
Max got me a wrap, and every one ex-
/ cept Mr.. HARRISON and Bella, who was
| taking a mass OF indigestables 20 Aunt
Selma, went TO the roof.
Where is Tom?" Anne asked, as we
reached the foot OF the stairs. 'Gone
ahead to fix things" was the answer
| But he was not there At the top of
the last flight I stopped. dumb with
amazement; the roof had been trans
/ formed, enchanted. II was a fairyland
of lights and foliage and eolors. had
to stop and rub my eyes. From the
bleakness OF a tin roof in February to the
brightness and sreenery Of July roof
garden!
You were the immediate inspiration
| Kit" Dallas said Harrison thought
your headache might come from lack of
| exercise and fresh ar, and he has work.
| ed us like nailers all day. I've blister
on my right palm. and HARRISON got
shocked while he was wiring the place,
and nearly fell over the parapet We
bought out two full-sized florists by tel
| ephone.''
It was the most amazing transforma-
tion. At each corner a pole had been
| erected. and wires crossed the roof dag
| onally, hung with red and amber bulbs.
Around the chimneys had been massed
evergreen trees in tubs. hiding their
| brick-and-mortar ugliness, and among
the trees tiny lights were strung Along
the parapet were rows OF geOmetrical
lockwood plants In bright red crooks. and
the flaps of a crimson and white tent
had been thrown open, showing lights
| within. and rugs. and wicker chairs. and
cushions.
Max raised a glass OF benedictine and
posed for a moment. mechanically
ITO the Wilson roof gardeni" he said.
/ ITO Kit. who inspired; 10 the creators.
who perspired; and to Takahiro-may he
not have expired"
Every one was very gay; think the
knowledge that tomorrow Aunt Selma
might be with them urged them 70 make
the most OF this last night Of freedom.
tried 10 be jolly, and succeeded in be-
ing feverish. Mr. HARRISON did not come
| up 10 enjoy what he had wrought. Jim
, brought up his guitar and sang love
songs in a beautiful tenor, looking at
Bella all the time And Bella sat in
! steamer chair with a rug over her and
a spangled veil on her head, looking at
the boats on the river-abOut as soft and
! as chastened as an acetylene headlight.
And Max had told the most improbable
| tale, which Leila advised him to sprinkle
salt on, and Dallas had done a clog
dance Bella said It was time for her
complexion sleep. and went down stairs,
and broke up the party.
IF she only gave half as much care 20
her immortal SOUL" Anne said when she
had gone, ''as she does 20 her skin, she
would let that nice HARRISON boy alone
I -
night. for he went to bed at 9 o'clock.
AT least, suppose he went TO bed. for
he shut himself in the studio and when
I knocked he advised me not TO come in"
I had pleaded my headache as an ex-
cuse for avoiding Aunt Selma all day
and she had not sent for me- Bella was
really quite extraordinary. She was
never in the habit OF putting herself out
for any one. and she always declared
that the very odor OF a sickroom drove
her 20 Scotch and soda But here she
was. rubbing Aunt Selina's back with
chloToform liniment-and you know how
that smells-getting her up IN a chair.
dressed in one OF Bella's wadded silk
robes. with pillows under her feet. and
then doing her hair in elaborate puffs-
braiding her gray switch and bringing
| it, coronet-fashion, around' the top OF
her head. She even put rice powder on
Aunt Selinas nose. and dabbed violet
water behind her ears, and said she
couldn't understand why she AUNT Sc
lina) had never married. but. Of course.
she probably would SONS day!
The result was. naturally that the old
lady wouldn't let Bella out of her sight,
except TO go TO the kitchen for something
10 eat for her That very day Bella
got the doctor 10 order ale for Aunt Sc
ina (oh. yes: the doctor could come IN;
Dial said lit was all R-COming IN, and
nothing going out') and she had three
pints Of Bass. and learned to eat ancho-
vies and caviare-all in one day.
Bella's conduct TO Jim was disgrace
full. She snubbed him, ignored him,
tramped on him, and Jim was growing
positively fiabby He spent most OF hi:
time writing letters TO the board OF
health and playing solitaire. He was a
pathetic figure.
Well. we went 10 bed fairly early Bella
had massaged Aunt Selina's face and
rubbed in cold cream, Anne and Dallas
had compromised on which window
should be open In their bedroom, and the
men had matched TO see who should look
az the furnace. I did not expect to
sleep. but the cold night air had done
its work. and ! was asleep almost i'm
mediately.
Some time during the early part OF the
night wakeaed. and, after turning and
twisting uneasily, 1 realized that I was
cold. The couch in Bella's dresslng-roon,
was comfortable enough, but narrow and
low I remember distinctly chat was
> what was so maddening; everybody
thought l dreamed i'll remember get
ting an eiderdown comfort that was fold
, ed at my feet, and pulling it up around
| me. In the luxury Of its wormth I snug.
. gled down and went to sleep almost In
stantly. IT seemed to me / had slept
for hours, but it was probably an hour
or less, when something reused me- The
room was perfectly dark and there was
not a sound save the faint ticking Of the
clock, but I was wide awake.
And then came the incident that In its
CHASTITY horrible absurdity made the rest
Of the people shout with laughter the
next day. II was not funny then. For
suddenly the eiderdown comfort began
TO slip 1 heard no footstep, not the
slightest sound approaching me, but the
comfort moved; from my chin, inch by
inch. it slipped to my shoulders; awfully,
inevitably, INCREASINGLY 1t moved.
could feel my blood gather around my
heart, leaving me cold and nerveless. AS
1t passed my hands I gave an involun-
tary clutch for II, to feel 1t slip away
! from my fingers Then the full horror
of the situation took hold of me; as the
comfort slid past my feet sat up and
screamed at the top of my voice.
OF course, people came running in in all
sorts Of things. I was still sitting up, de-
claring l had seen a ghost and that the
house was haunted. Dallas was strug-
Cling for the second armhole Of hts dress
ing-gown, and Bella had already turned
| on the lights They said 7 had had q
and perhaps I was taking grip.
And just then we heard Jimmy run
down the stairs and fall over something,
almost breaking his wrist It was the
elderdoMn comfort half.mau I'M The