Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1910-01-14

CHAPTER I.
Mrs. Annie Desterle padded uncom-
hnaby up the front stairs to the sec
mi story front room, grumbling loud
" at every step.
For Mrs. DesterIe. who was nearly
fifty 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 obIiteration Of her
grlish outlines. which process might
have been checked had Mrs. DesterIe
leen less n mistress of culinary art
and still less fond Of her own COOK
ing had developed an increase in the
transportation problem around the
DeSere domciIe In these days, from
the basement kitchen to the third
story front was as appalling a climb
10 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.
AS'sA Al4N. ptlLNNA AhlL - CNSNOAA~ -
the second floor landing. Il believe I'll
ask that woman to move when her
weeks up. She never gets down to
breakfast and the 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
Flng her bell twice and she don't an
STer though it's most noon. If Pierre
was ever around now. Lately he seems
10 be Of less use than ever. Strangers
the house always did make me feel
nervous. I'm most afraid to climb
-2y further, seems like L sense
"@e,hjng wrong. And as long
Is I've been keeping boarders never
se'oTe did l let anyone come in that
1dn't know anything at all about.
Out the poor little thing looked so
urea and pretty, and her big bunch
u NoetS smeUed so sweet; why, she
."S Just like a spirit coming out of
We ram. 1t was so late, too, and,
e,.' as was none too careful III
-"o'HS out who she was, but she's had
"1e enough to look around by now,
~~u III Just tell Miss Cerisse Wayne,
~ size calls herself, that she'll lave to
-''e tomorrow. This is such a love-
spring day that looking for an
t. s, room may bring a little color
mo her pale cheeks. No. I don't want
1. ~. around. Young Simpson was MAX
rs eyes at her last night. which is too
-1 Ior he's engaged to Miss Gentry.
'0 Aoa Gentry's a nice girl. She'll
~ setting mad and leaving next, and
~ ,SU ne Il follow, and they're two Of
~ 0est boarders; been here now for
seven Christmases."
Mrs, Desterle's solfoouy and her up
,-,0 pilgrimage ended with the same
h',1' AT the end of the hall before
~. ne door to the third story front
f,r looked ominously funereal in its
s s~1 Fespectability Of time stained wal
-. Annie Desterle was born to emer-
'-l'eS' and had been a mainstay and
~, s,'P all o. her life, but for the first
,-. -s Within her memory her spirit fall
= H. she shifted, as she approached
~. Uoor. 1t does smell like cigar
nv, ,,.S up here, Ada told me yesterday
s,,,,s she thought she smelled
~" coming from Miss Wayne's
}g Man, Oh, Miss Wayne, Miss Wayne,
- "ayne." called the landlady In
T~l'sSSlon of crescendos.
~ answer came. So the woman in
Sf.. ',''' shocked loudly on the door.
v'Ie suu. She tried the door. It
gros. '0ched. though beneath the firm
Y~S P OF this experienced landlady.
sg rs'so with a vigorous kick, the lock
W. way and the door swung open.
san,. oesterle's quick eye gave one
as5 around her. her jaw dropped
hsr Ter ,'eF eyes nearly catapulted out of
sss s@u' She stumbled into the room
bans' VET TO the bed. She put out her
startled, and impuIsively felt