Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-01-19
CHAPTER III.
I MIaht Have Known Il.

The minute | had consented l re-
GREETED it. After all, what were jim
my's troubles to me? Why should l
help him impose on an unsuspecting
elderly woman? And it was only put
ting off discovery anyhow. Sooner or
later, she would learn of the divorce,
and-Just at that instant my eyes fell
on Mr.. Harbison-Tom HARRISON, as
Anne called him. He was looking on
with an amused, half-puzzled smile,
while people were rushing around hid
ing the roulette wheel and things Of
which Miss Caruthers might disap-
prove, and Betty Mercer was on her
Knees winding up a toy bear that Max
had brought her. What would he
think? 1t was evident that he thought
badly Of us already-that he was con-
'temptuously amused, and then to
have to ask him to lend himself to the
deception!
! With gasp l hurled myself after
Jimmy, only to hear a strange voice
IN the hall and to know that | was too
late. l was in for it, whatever was
coming. 1t was Aunt Selma who was
coming along the hall, followed by
Jim, who was hopping his face and
trying not to notice the paralyzed 81
lence in the library.
Aunt Selma met me in the doorway.
To my frantic eyes she seemed to
tower above US by at least a foot, and
beside her Jimmy was a red, perspir-
Ing cherub.
Here she is" Jimmy said, from be-
hind a temporary eclipse of black
cloak and travelling bag. He was on
top of the situation now, and he was
fmendaciously cheerful. He had not
said, Here is my wife" That would
have been a lie. No, Jimmy merely
said, Here she is" If Aunt Selma
chose TO think me Bella, was it not
her responsibility? And if I chose to
accept the situation, was it not mine?
Dallas Brown came forward graVely
as Aunt Selma folded over and kissed
me, and surreptitiously patted me
with one hand while he held out the
other to Miss Caruthers. l Ioathed
him.
I'VE always expect something I'M
usual from James, Miss Caruthers,"
he said, with his best manner, but
this-this is beyond our widest
dreams"
Well, it's too awful to linger over.
Anne took her upstairs and into
Bella's bedroom. 1t was a fancy of
Jim's to leave that room just as Bella
had left 1t, dusty dance cards and IA
vors hanging around and a pair of dis
carded slippers under the bed. l don't
think it had been swept since Bella
left 1t. I believe in sentiment. but l
like it brushed and busted and the
cobwebs off of it. and when Aunt Sc
lima put down her bonnet, it stirred
up a gray white cloud that made her
cough. She did not say anything. but
she looked around the room grimIy,
and l saw her run her finger over
the back of a chair before she let
Hannah, the maid, put her cloak on it.
Anne looked frightened She ran
into Bella's bath and wet the end of
a towel and when Hannah was chang
ing Aunt Selina's collar-her conces-
sion TO evening dress-Anne wiped
off the obvious places on the furniture.
What's that young woman's
name?' she asked me sharply, when
Anne had taken the towel out to hide
II.
Anne Brown, Mrs. Dallas Brown" I
replied meekly. Every one replied
meekly to Aunt Selma.
Does she live here?"
"Oh, no." l said airily. "They are
here to dinner, she and her husband.
They are old friends of Jim's-and
mine"
Seems to have a good eye for
dirt" said Aunt Selma and went on
fastening her brooch. When she was
finally ready, she took a bead purse
from somewhere about her waist and
took out half dollar. She held it up
before Hannah's eyes.
Tomorrow morning" she said
sternly, you take off that white cap
and that fol-de-rol apron and that
black henrietta cloth, and put on a
calico wrapper. And when you've got
this room aired and swept, Mrs Will
son will give you this
Hannah took two steps back and
caught hold of a chair; she stared
helplessly from Aunt Selma to the
half dollar, and then at me. Anne
was trying not to catch my eye,
And another thing" Aunt Selma
said, from the head of the stairs, Il
sent those towels over from Ireland.
Tell her to wash and bleach the one
Mrs. What's-her-name Brown used as
a duster"
Anne was quite crushed as We went
down the stairs. I turned once, half
way down. and her face was a curious
mixture of guilt and hopeless wrath.
Over her shoulder l could see Han
nah, wide-eyed and puzzled, staring
after us.
Jim presented everybody, and then
he went into the den and closed the
door and we heard him unlock the
cellarette. Aunt Selma looked at Lei
las bare shoulders and said she