Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-26

But its treasures had not been lightly
collected, nor would it relinquish them
readily. 1t put forth trap In the shape
of tangled ball OF string, and it trpped
Mrs. Roberts as adroitly as mischiev-
Gus boy could have done.
The pain of the sore. twisted ankle.
the disappointment, the thought OF Aunt
kebecca was too much for any except
an Indian to endure. and Mrs. Roberts
sat on the floor of the bosie room and
added tears to the general confusion.
Mr. Roberts consoled her In half testing
fashion when he came home.
Don't worry, Della he said. AN
is lost save honor You've the honor OF
have Warren up to see what's the dam
age ItIl be we'll in no time"
But Mrs. Roberts put down her foot,
f1guratively speaking. NO. no. Arson.
won't have him come. He'd put me to
bed. and there's no time. She comes day
after tomorrow That room. I'd die if
she saw it,
II say. let me try" he said. II used
to be a great hand at helping with
house"
Then indeed she put down her foot and
hoped along to the door of the bogie
room. prepared to defend it or die. Il
won'tr she said Il won't let YOU touch
it-you or any one. It'll stay this way IL
can't clean 1t. You fix something for
the boys when they come home. Ill man.
age this
But long before night she had to give
it up The swollen ankle became more
painful each moment and binding
headache added it's mite Of torture. Mr..
Roberts gathered her up In his arms
and carried her into the wholesome clean
illness OF the sunlit living room.
Here you stay" he said. grimly. "or
I'll have Warren up right away. Now.
Rebecca doesn't like the looks of the
nlace-why she can dislike it, for all l
care"
But in the end he was almost as anx-
ious as she. Cant We lock it or-or
something's" he asked the next day.
I'D kind of hate for the Old dame TO
see it
.She mustn't mustn't. mustn't. That s
all there is to 1t. But the keys are lost
in there somewhere. | don't know what
to do"
..I'll fix it one way or another" he as
sured her Don't worry. Where there s
a will there's way. I'll put chair
under each door. l guess thatH hold her
out
But how'll You get out if you barri-
window keyhoie = somehow. he
laughed
But i'm the end he forgot the bogie
room altogether. There was the servant
to engage, Aunt Rebecca to meet-a nun
dred things to see to.
Aunt Rebecca came. older, deafer than
they remembered her, and so sensitive to
her increasing deafness that after the
very first they forebore to correct her.
Mrs Roberts. with her bandaged ankle.
was her favorite source of information,
and she asked questions and misunder-
stood the answers whenever they were
together.
As the days wore on the ankle respond
ed to the rest and water cure and Mrs.
Roberts began to hobble around. She
avoided the closed door Of the bogie
room though 1t was seldom out of her
thoughts And she lived in dread lest
this speck on the immaculate whiteness
of her housekeeping be discovered.
Aunt Rebecca announced one night that
her two weeks visit was to lengthen
into n month. Mrs. Roberts appreciated
the compliment. yet heard it with alarm.
Long before "A month Aunt Rebecca S
sharp eyes would discover the mysterious
closed door. and, once discovered, ii
would be a closed one no longer.
I've got to clean the boyle room,' she
said To herself.
But the old DAYS when she could have
attacked it i'm peace and comfort were no
longer with her. 1t would take maneu-