The Detroit times., 1917-03-19

LevznIa Bump climbed slowly 20
the attic she climbed by her left
foot. dragging the right painfully up
the step. The attic stairs we're steep
and slippery and narrow. and she
never mounted them without fear
Of falling Her l&meness made her
timid.
The attic lay under the roof Of fhe
large house, which had not long been
Quilt. II smelled strongly OF new
lumber this hot August morning
when the sun beat upon the shin.
giles. There was q high window at
each end thru which The air came
fUebly.
At the head Of the stairs Levantia
paused a moment perspiring. with
her heart going very fast. ral'or
gathered about her tired mouth. The
close. hot smell OF The attic smots
her with faintness. 1T don't seem
as II I ever could in this world, !"
she said TO herself.
Her eyes lifted toward the center
% the low space. There. suspended
by cords, each girt about the middle.
were seven huge. fat feather beds
m the cleanest OF tlue and white
striped ticking They seemed TO
await Levantia helplessly. Here
We are" they seemed to say. We've
got 10 be aired and beaten and In.
spected for moths. but we can't do
II for ourSelyes."
at don't seem as n I ever oould
In this world" repeated Levantla 90
herself
She sank down on the top step
and leaned her head on her hands.
She had been up since 5 O'Clock
she had got breakfast for her bus
band and had done a hundred other
things which her housewifely in
ptiDcts would not allow her TO beg
lect. All the time the thought CT
The feather beds remained with her.
They must be attended 10, however
UGH she dreaded The tack.
OF course, ss far ~ Ell and Horny
were concerned she need never so
near the beds at all, they would not
know. They trusted her. Besides.
men-llke. they had doubtless by this
time forgotten whether there were
three beds or seven But Levantta's
sense OF duty was powerfully d.
Veloped. To have neglected those
feather beds . one day would have
been to lay a weight on her con-
science thai she could not remove.
When Henry Bump had written
that his mother was stricken sud
Gently and that Iii and his vita
must come at once, Levantia had
cropped the task that engaged her,
packed ELS shirts and a few things
fer herself. and flown on the wings
OF duty and pity. During the three
weeks that Mother Bump had strug-
Eied TO kecp her grasp on life
Levantia had, forgiven her every
thing and been the tenderest OF
nurses. For Mother Bump had net
wanted Lsvantia In the family, and
she never would have been II Eli
had not had a streak ~ his mother
In him. ia was Just as determined
10 have Levsntia a. bis mother was
determined he should, not have Der.
However. she had had her own way
with Henry. and he had not mar
RED at all 80 n was that when old
Mrs. Bump died Henry and Els were
left joint posHessors OF the BIG
house, with It's vast accumulation
OF old.fashlcned Furnishings. not The
least Of which were tile seven foath.
cr beds.
I've hung them ID the attic" said
cid Mrs. Bump 10 Levsntia. giving a
last injunction. Il don't have EN-
on the beds, Of course, in sumner.
und Henry never will sleep on one.
don't know where he Got the no
ton not TO. for I brought him up
ON feathers. think a good deal OF
my beds. vAnchy Every one NJ
ems made from geese feathers Try.
picked There's one for each bed In
ths honse. n used TO be consider
"a disusoenl NOT 70 have your