The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-02
CHAPTER XXI-Continued.

He opened the door to let me pass out.
and as our eyes met. all the GOODNESS
died out OF his He held out his hand,
but I was hurt. refused to see it.
kit" he said unsteady. lin an
obstinate. pig-aeaded brute. am sorry.
Can't we be friends. after aIl?'
When we do not have friends we can
not lose them " replied with cool mall
ice. And the next instant the door closed
behind me.
It was that night that the really seri-
Gus event of the quarantine occurred.
We were gathered in the library. and
everybody was deadly dull. Aunt Selma
said she had been reared TO a strict OBJ
servance OF the Sabbath. and she re-
fused to go 10 bed early. The cards and
card tables were put away and every one
sat around and qusrreled and was gen
orally nasty. except Bella and Jim, who
had gone into the den just after dinner
and firmly closed the door.
I think II was Just after Max proposed
10 me. Yes, he proposed 10 me again
! that night. He said that Jim's Illness
had decided him; that any Of US might
take sick and die, shut in that contain
mated atmosphere, and that II re did he
wanted 1t all settled. And whether 1
took him or not he wanted me TO remen-
/ Der him kindly If anything happened. I
really hated to refuse hin-he was in
such deadly earnest. But II was quite
unnecessary for him TO have blamed his
| refusal. as he did. on Mr. HARRISON. 1
am sure I had refused him plenty OF
/ times before I had ever heard of the man.
| Yes, 1t was just after he proposed TO me
| that Flanagan came 10 the door and
called Mr. HARRISON out into the hall
Flannigan-liks most OF the people in
the house-always went to Mr. HARRISON
when there was anything to be done He
| openly adored him. and-what was more
he did what Mr.. HARRISON ordered with
out a word while the rest Of US had 10
get down on our knees and beg
Mr. HARRISON went out, muttering
| something about a storm. coming up, and
seeing that the tent was secure. Betty
Mercer went with him. She had been al
his heels all evening. and called him
TON" on every possible occasion. In
deed, she made NJ secret Of II; she said
that she was mad about him, and that
she would love TO live in South Amer
ica, and have an Indian squaw for a
ladys maid, and sit out on the veranda
in the evenings and watch the Southern
Cross shooting across the sky. and eat
tropical food from the quaint Indian pot
terry She was not even daunted wheT
Dial told her the Southern Cross did not
shoot, and that the food was probably
canned corn on tin dishes
So Betty went with him. She wore {
pale yellow dinner gown. with just {
| sophisticated touch of black here ans
there. and cut modestly square in th'
neck Her shoulders are scrawny. AND
after they were gone-not her shoulders
Mr.. HARRISON and she-Aunt Selma an
nounced that the next day was Monday
that she had only a weeks supply o
clothing with her, and that no policeman
who ever swung a mace should wash he
undergarments for her
She paused a moment, but nobody Of
fered to do IL. Anne was reading D.
Maupassant under cover of a table. ant
the rest pretended not 10 hear. After
, pause, Aunt Selma got up heavily ant
went upstairs. coming down soon afte
with a bundle covered with a greer
shawl, and with a white balbriggal
: stocking trailing from an opening in II
She paused at the library door, surveys
the inmates, caught my unlucky eye. ant
beckoned to me with a relentless fore
finger.
, 1--WE can put them to soak tonight.
she conhded to me. "and tomorrow the.
will be quite simple to do. There is n
. lace to speak of''-Dal raised his eye
! brows-"and very little fiouncing."
Aunt Selma and I went 10 the laundry
II never occurred 20 any one that Bell
should have gone; she had stepped int
all my privileges-such as they were
l and assumed none OF my obligations
: Aunt Selma and I went to the laundry
, It is strange what big things deveio
8 from little ones. In this case II was
> bar Of soap And If Flanagan had use
, as much soap as he should have instea
of washing up the kitchen floor with col
dish water. II would have developed soon
l er. The two most unexpected events Q
the whole quarantine occurred that nigh
at the same time. one on the roof and on
in the cellar. The cellar one, althoug
curious, was not so serious as the 9th
er, so ii comes first.
Aunt Selma put her clothes in a tn
$ in the laundry and proceeded 10 dres
g them like a vegetable. She threw in
i handful Of salt. some kerosene oil. an
Y little ammonia. The result was vi
| famous, but after che tasted it-or smut
d, | fed it-she said 1t needed bar of soa
= cut up in give 1t strengthen favor-an
1 went into the storeroom for it.
S The laundry soap was in box. too
: in a silver fork. for hated to touch III
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