The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-07-26
CHAPTER III.
Ninety.eiqht Pearls.

1t was q suburban town q dozen
! miles from the city. Street cars
had so far failed to spoil its
tree bordered streets, and it was ex-
elusive to the point of stagnation. The
Maitland place was at the head of the
main street. Miss Letita. who was
seventy. had had sufficient commercial
instinct some years before to cut her
ancestral acres-their ancestral acres.
though Miss Jane hardly counted-into
building lots. except perhaps an acre
which surrounded the house. Thus the
Maitland ladies were reputed to be ex-
tremely wealthy. And as they never
1 had taken dinner at Bellwood be-
fore. and the memory was not hilari-
ous Miss Letitia was deaf. but chose
to ignore the fact. With superb indif-
ference she would break into the con-
versation with some wholly alien re-
of ones ideas. making the meal Sc
ries of mental gymnastics. Miss Jane.
through long practice and because she
only skinned the surface of converse
ton. took her cerebral flights easily.
but am more unwieldy of mind.
Nor was Miss Letitia's dominance
wholly conversational Her sister Jane
was her creature. alternately snubbed
and bullied. To Miss Letita. Jane. in
spite of her sixty-five years. was still
child. and sometimes a bad one Miss
Letitia gave her expurgated books to
read and forbade her to read divorce
court proceedings in the newspapers
Poor Miss Jane! She met me with
f1uttering cordially in the hall that
night. safe in being herself for once.
with the knowledge that Miss Letitia
always received me from a thronelike
horsehair sofa in the back parlor She
wore a new lace cap and was twitter-
ingly excited.
"Our niece is here" she explained.
as took off my coat-everything was
"ours" with Jane: mine with Letitia
land we are having an ice at dinner.
Please say that ices are not injurious,
Mr.. Knox. Ny sister is so opposed to
them. and had to beg for this
ION the contrary. the doctors have
ordered ices for my young nephews."
l said gravely. "and l dote on them
myself"
Miss Jane beamed Indeed, there
was something almost unnaturally
gay about the little old lady all that
evening.
Miss Letitia received me. as usual. in
the back parlor. Miss Fleming was
there also, sewing by a window, and
In her straight white dress. with her
hair drawn back and braided around
her head. she looked even younger
than before. There was no time for
conversation. Miss I.etitia launched
at once into the extravaganza Of both
molasses and butter on the colored
orphans bread.
You have had no news at all?" Miss
Fleming said cautiously. her head bent
over her work.
None" | returned. under cover of
the table linen to which Miss Letitia's
mind had veered. II have a good man
working on it." As she glanced at
me questioningly, 1T needed a detec-
tive. Miss Fleming" With every
movement of the girl | could see the
cleaning Of a diamond on her engage
ment finger
IF | didn't watch her. Jane would
ruin them" said Miss Letitia. "She
gives 'em apples when they keep their
faces clean. and the bills for soap have
gone up double. Soap once a days
enough for colored child. Do you
smell anything burning. KnoxY
l shifted and lied. whereupon Miss
Letitia swept her black silk. her color
ed orphans and her majestic presence
out Of the room. AS the door closed.
Miss Fleming put down her sewing.
II do not dare to tell them. Mr..
Knox," she said. They are old. and
they hate him anyhow couldn't
sleep last night. l have hemmed tea
towels for Aunt Letitia today until |
am frantic. and all day l have been
wondering over something you said
yesterday. You said, you remember.
that you were not detective. that
some men could take nineteen from
thirty-fve and leave nothing. What
did you mean?"
| was speeches. for moment.
1.-THE fact is-I-you see," | blum
dered. 1t was a-merely a figure of
speech. a-speech of figures is more
accurate" And then dinner was an
nounced.
Miss Letitia presided in garrulous
majesty. The two old ladies picked at
their food. and Miss Jane had a spot
Of pink In each withered cheek. Mar
gerry Fleming made brave pretense,
but left her plate almost untouched.
As for me. ate substantial mascu-
line meal and half apologized for my
appetite. but Letitia did not hear. She
tore the board of managers to shreds
with the roast and denounced them
with the salad
'Please do eat your dinner" Jane
whispered. II made the salad myself
And | know what it takes to keen a
big man going. Harry eats more than