The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-02-17
CHAPTER ].

fortably up the front stairs to the Sec
ond story front room. grumbling loud
IL at every step.
For Mrs. Desterle, who was nearly
fifty years old. and who for more tnan
half that time had supported hersen
and her husband, Pierre. by keeping
q 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
ard 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. L believe III
ask that woman to move when her
weeks up. She never gets down TO
breakfast and the two days she's Deen
here she's acted mighty queer. Don't
know why I'm so foolish to toll all
the way I'D here like this. but I've
rung her bell twice and she don't an
swer. though it's most noon If Pierre
was ever around now. Lately he seems
to be OF less use than ever. Strangers
I'm the house always did make me feel
nervous. I'm most afraid to climb
any further; seems like I sense
something wrong. And as long
as I've been keeping boarders never
before did I 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 love
ly spring day that looking for an
other room may bring a little color
into her pale cheeks. No. / don't want
her around. Young Simpson was max
bad, for he's engaged to Miss Gentry.
And Ada Gentry's a 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. OBSTETRICS 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 front
parlor looked ominously funereal In its
dull responsibility of time-stained wal
nut Annie Desterle was born to emer-
gencies, and had been a mainstay and
a prop all OF her life, but for the first
time within her memory her spirit fall
tered.
"Um." she shifted. as she approached
the door 1T does smell like cigar
cites up here. Ada told me yesterday
morning she thought she smelled
smoke coming from Miss Wayne
room. Oh, Miss Wayne. Miss Wayne,
Miss Wayne," called the landlady In
a succession OF crescendos.
No answer came. So the woman IN
the hall knocked loudly on the door
silence still. She tried the door, Ii
was locked. though beneath the firm
grasp of this experienced landlady
coupled with a vigorous kick, the lock
gave way and the door swung open.
Mrs. OBSTETRICS quick eye gave one
glance around her. her jaw dropped
and her eyes nearly catapulted out OF
her head. She stumbled into the room
and over to the bed. She put out hel
hand, startled, and impulsively fell
- he
them. Her fingers had barely touched
the sheet when a noise from the far
Their corner made her turn. At sight Of
what was there Mrs Desterle tossed
her apron over her head, and scream
ing, shrieking. bowling. ran into the
hall, tumbling down fight after flight
of stairs. to fall in a helpless. frothins
heap at the feet Of her husband. gasp
ing incoherently:
Upstairs. upstairs; at oncel Ny
God, My Cod"
Doherty, the block policeman, who
did extra watch duty on the Desterlt
premises for the daily luncheon tina
came from Annie's kitchen. had tina
instant arrived for his diurnal nibble
At sight OF the calm Mrs. Desterl,
thus Frustrated, Doherty made for tn,
telephone.
"'Tis a riot call I should be sendln
in with Annie knocked out like this.
unused Doherty. For It's never sh
loses her head"
But he simply called the doctor AM
helped the little Frenchman carry hi
stricken wife to her bedroom.
Annie Desterle lay still till the.
reached the second floor. At the land
ing she commenced her writhini
again.
Upstairs, upstairs!" her blood -pur
pied lips commanded, and she vaini.
tried to motion towards the third stor:
front