The Cairo bulletin., 1914-02-15

my life. Am / laboring under delu-
sion when | imagine | smell coffee"
Just then there came voice from
the open door OF the kitchen: calls
yosef er man. yo' triflin' recon
structed niggah! Wen marstah gwine-
ter git he brekfus' Wild so ramshack-
lin eroun' wild dat Gawg all his
Gawd's-bleSsid mawa A.? &c fctch
some mo- fah-wood d5 minute. 70
heah?'
A turbaned head poked itself
through the door, with goodnatured
leaf-brown face beneath e, which
broadened into a wide smile Us It's
owner bobbed theoretically at Va
liant's greeting. "Fo de Lawd," she
exclaimed, wiping foury hands on a
bingham apron. 70 sho' is up early,
but All got 20 brekfus' ready, sub
'All right, Aunt Daphne. III be
back directly"
He sped down to the lake to plunge
his head into the cool water and there
by sharpen the edge of an appetite
that neeued no nOnlng.
He came up the trail again to find
the reading-stand transferred to the
porch and laid with white cloth on
which was set a steaming coffee.pot
with fresh cream, saltless butter and
crisp hot biscuit; and as he sat down.
with sigh OF pure delight, in his
dressing-gown - creepy Japanese
thing redeemed from womanishness
by the bold green bamboo of its de-
sign-Uncle Jefferson planted before
him a generous platter of bacon, eggs
and potatoes. These he attacked with
q surprising keenness. AS he buttercd
his fifth biscuit he looked at the dog.
rolling on his back in morning costa
sly, with a look of humorous surprise.
"Chum,' he said, what do you
think OF that? All my life single
roll and cup of coffee have been
the most / could ever negotiate for
breakfast, and then 1t was apt to taste
like chips and whet-stones. And now
look at this PLATED" The dog ceased
winnowing his ear with hind foot
and looked back at his master with
much the same expression. Clearly
his own needs had not been forgot
ten.
"Reck'n All bettah go ter git dat ar
machine thing" said Uncle Jefferson
behind him. "Ol CONAN, heah, she
low ter fix up de kitchen dis mawn'
in en- we begin on de house dis eve.
min"
"Right-o," said Valiant. Its all up
hill, so the motor won't run away
with you. Aunt Daphne, can you get
some help with the cleaning"
"He'p?' that worthy responded with
fine scorn. mo, sub. Moughty few,
in de town 'cep'n low-down yaller new
issue trash Diet ain wu'f kllln'l All
gwineter 20 TO dat house mahse'f 70
long, hannah en- tongs. en- git 1t fix
up"
Splendid! My destiny is in your
hands. You might take the dog with
you. Uncle Jefferson; the run will do
him good"
When the latter had disappeared
and truculent sounds from the kitchen
indicated that the era of strenuous
cleaning had begun, he reentered the
library, changed the water in the rose
glass and set it on the edge Of the
shady front porch, where its Haunting
i blossom made a dash of bright GRIM
son against the grayed weather-beaten
! brick. This done, he opened the one
large room on the ground-hoor that he
| had not visited
1t was double the size of the library,
parlor hung in striped yellow silk
| vaguely and tenderly faded, with a
tall plate mirror set over marble
topped console at either side. In one
corner stood a grand piano Of Circas-
sian walnut with keys Of tinted
mother-of-pearl and slender music
rack inlaid with morning-glories in the
same material. From the center of
the ceiling, above an oval table, de-
pended a great chandelier hung with
glass prisms. The chairs and sofas
were covered with dusty slip-covers of
muslin. He lifted one Of these. The
furnished gold furniture was Louis
XIV. the upholstery of yellow brocade
with a pattern OF pink roses. Two
japanese hawthorn vases sat on teak
wood stands and u corner held glass
cabinet containing a collection Of
small worries and faience.
He went thoughtfully back to the
great hall, where Sat the big chest on
which lay the volume of Lucille He
pushed down the antique wrought
iron hasp and threw up the lid. It
was filed to tho br.-a with textures:
dsasy portIe-es Q: rSse-damask. table
covers Of faded soft.toned tapestry
window hangings of dull greeu-all
with tobaccoleaves laid between the
folds and siited thickly over with the
sparkling white powder. At the bot
tom, rolled in tarry-smelling paper. he
found a half-dozen thin. Persian pray
er-rugs.
"Phewi" he whistled. Il certainly
ought to be grateful to that law firm
that inspected the place. Think o.
the things lying here all these years
And that powder everywhere! I'll
done the work. too. for there's not
sign of moth. II I'm not careful, II
stumble over the family plate
seems to be about the only thing want