Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-12-28
CHAPTER v.
From the Tree of Love.

deScflDe what followed. Anne Brown
began to cry, and talk about the chill.
dren. (She went to Europe once and
stayed until they all got over the
whooping cough.) And Dallas said he
had pull, because his mill controlled
| forgot how many votes, and the
thing to do was to be quiet and com.
Portable and we would get out in the
morning. Max took it as a huge joke,
and somebody found him at the tele.
phone, calling up his club. The Mer
Ger girls were Historically giggling,
and Aunt Selma sat on a stiff backed
chair and took aromatic spirits of am.
monia. AS for Jim, he had collapsed
on the lowest step of the stairs, and
sat there with his head in his hands.
When he did look up, he didn't dare
to look at me.
The HARRISON man was arguing
with the impressive Individual on the
top step outside, and | saw him get
out his pocketbook and offer a crisp
bundle of bills. But the man from the
board of health only smiled and
tackled at his offensive sign. After
while Mr. HARRISON came in and
closed the door, and we stared at one
another.
81 know what I'm going to do" ]
said, swallowing a lump in my throat,
I'm going to get out through a base.
ment window at the back. I'm going
home"
"Home!" Aunt Selma gasped.
jumping up and almost dropping her
ammonia bottle. my dear Bella!
Home?"
Jimmy groaned at the foot of the
stairs, but Anne Brown was getting
over her tears and now she turned on
me in temper.
tits all your fault" she said. 81 was
going to stay at home and get little
sleep"
well, you can sleep now" Dallas
broke in. "There1l be nothing to do
but sleep"
IT think you haven't grasped the
situation, Dal," I said icily. There
will be plenty to do. There isn't q
servant in the housed"
mo servants!" everybody cried al
once The Mercer girls stopped gig.
Cling
Holy cats!" Max stopped in the
act of hanging up his overcoat. "Do
you mean-why, I can't shave myself!
I'll cut my head off,"
You'll do more than that" I re-
torted grimly. "You will carry coal
and tend fires and empty ash pans,
and when you are not doing any of
those things there will be pots and
pans to wash and beds to make
Then there was a row. We had
worked back to the den now, and ]
stood in front of the fireplace and let
the storm beat around me, and tried
to look perfectly cold and Indifferent,
and not to see Mr. Harbison's shocked
face. No wonder he thought them a
lot of savages, browbeating their host.
ess the way they did.
tits a fool thing anyhow" Max
Feed wound up, Ito celebrate the an.
niversary of divorce-especiall
Here he caught Jim's eye and
stopped. But I had suddenly remen1s
bered. Bella down in the basement!
Could anything have been worse?
And of course she would have hys-
terra and then turn on me and blame
me for it all. 1t all came over me at
once and overwhelmed me, while
Anne was crying and saying she
wouldn't cook If she starved for it,
and Aunt Selma was taking off her
wraps. felt queer all over, and / sat
down suddenly. Mr. HARRISON was
looking at me, and he brought me a
glass Of wine.
ut won't be so bad as you fear, y
he said comfortingly. There will be
no danger once we are vaccinated, and
many hands make light work. They
are pretty raw now, because the thing
| is new to them, but by morning they
will be reconciled."
"It isn't the work: It is something
entirely different ! said. And it was.
Bella and work could hardly be
spoken in the same breath.
II had only turned her out as she
deserved to be, when she first came,
instead of allowing her to carry
through the wretched farce about see
ing Takahiro! Or if l had only run
to the basement the moment the
house was quarantined, and got her
out the areaway or coal hole! And
now time was flying, and Aunt Selma
had me by the arm, and any moment
expected Bella to pounce on US
through the doorway and the whole
situation to explode with bang.
1t was after eleven before they we're
rational enough to discuss ways and
means, and, of course, the first thing
suggested was that we all adjourn be
low stairs and clean up after dinner.
1 could have slain Max Reed for the
notion, and the Mercer girls for taking
! him up