The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-04-22
THE EMF STORY
THE BOOZE ROOM.

copyright. 1913. by w. Wcrner.)
1t began to he a bogic room when
Mrs. Roberts had typhoid fever. and it
kept on being n long after tho fever
was a half forgotten thing. 1t was an
eycsOre to Mrs. Roberts and ar
peration to every n in the house.
She always was going to s%traighten 1t
up. but she never got around to 1t.
Some wicked sprite contrived to keep
the boyle room what Mr.. Roberts
f~accttously named 1t. Every one polk
ed things into it: nobody picked them
up. When tho time came for discard.
ing rubberS and winter things the boys
pitched them into the bogie room.
was done with, in ii went
In the course Of time there were
collected there enough half useful.
half useless articles to have stocked a
junk shop. If the iron did not reach
all Of the freshly washed clothes Mrs.
Roberts thrust them into the bogic
room. with a sigh of relief. All UNI
washed clothes We're kept there: all
present use and some for which there
was. Once a thing reached there II
was doomed; seldom did 1t again
emerge.
But when u letter came from, Aunt
Rebecca, with the startling news that
her long promised visit was at hand,
Mrs. Roberts arose before day and at
tackled the bogie room with a will.
But it's treasures had not been light
~ collected. nor would it %reltnquish
them readily. 1t put forth a trap
and it tripped Mrs. Roberts as adroitlS
as a mischievous boy could havedone.
The pain Of the sore. twisted ankle,
the disappointment. the thought of
Aunt Rebecca was too much for any
except an Indian to endure. and Mrs.
Roberts sat on the floor of the bogie
room and added tears to the general
confusion. Mr.. Roberts consoied her
in half-jesting fashion when he came
home.
Don't worry. Della" he said. ":All
is lost save honor You've the honor
Of having tried. Brace UP now, and
We'll have Warren up to see what's
the damage. It'll be we'll in no time"
But Mrs. Roberts put down her
foot: faguratiys,y speaking. NO, no;
put me to bed. and there's no Tine.
She comes day after tomorrow. That
room! I'd die If she saw it,"
Il say, let me try" lie said. IT used
to b great hand at helping with a
ihouse,:s'.-
Then indeed she put down her foot
NhN aaSPPVN obOlS W NuS NOOE VI lllS
bogie room. prepared to defend !. or
die. Il WON'T" she said. Il won't let
YOU touch it-you Or any one. It'll
stay this way if l can't clean it. You
fin something for the boys when they
come home. I'll manage this"
But long before night she had to
give it up. The swollen ankle became
more painful each moment and a
binding headache added It's mite of
torture. Mr.. Roberts gathered her up
in his arms and carried her into the
wholesome cleanliness of the sunlit
"Hegs.xau stay" he said grimly: cor
mind: I'm done With fooline. II
Aunt Rebecca doesn't like the looks
of the place-why, she can dislike it
for all l care"
But in the end he was almost as
anxious a She. Cant We lock it or
or something" he asked the next
day: "a kind of hate for the old
She mustn't, mustn't. mustn't.
That's all there is to it. But the keys
are lost in there somewhere. 1 don't
know what to do"
f1ll51E it n way or another" he
assnrsAshsT; Don't worry. Where
there's 'aswM there's a way I'll put a
chair under each door. I guess that'll
hold her out"
But how'll FOL get out if you barri-
cade both doors?"
he
laughed.
But in the end he forgot the bogie
room altogether. There vas the SER
want to engage. Aunt Rebecca to
meet-a hundred 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
landased ankle, was her favorite
source Of information. and she asked