Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-22
CHAPTER XII. (continued).

nereIOre, Jne LnlnS was uOhe. Hs
three Brookes would not eat until H
Hedge did the same which was te
rescind the rules and regulations thai
marked the installation of household
efficiency.
II observe that there are only three
signers," said H. Hedge, reinspectine
the declaration. Does 1t extend to the
entire household"
Alice made signal to Horace. who
drew deep breath and walked quick,
ly to the doorway that led into the
pantry. He returned at the head of a
procession. Directly behind him was
Mary.
.IVhere is it.? she asked in tone
Of dreadful calm.
"You mean this?' asked the
efficiency man, handing her the declar-
alton.
Mary glanced at Alice, and Alice
nodded.
Has anybody pen an ink" asked
Mary.
H. Hedge produced fountainpe pen,
shook it, and proffered it to the house
hold cook.
Mary wrote laboriousiy, twice stop
ping to shake the pen again and spat-
tering black drops on the tabaec4oth.
There! IT'S done," she said at
length, "An', now, Eivira, do ye sign"
ElyiTa took the pen with timd
hand.
Ill don't know what it is" she fal
tered
Mary regarded her with look of
osntempt
asign!" she commanded roughly.
y ed?'
.s;ss I i - ,oo,- ~ 49,. )
Eivha signed
Minnie and Ruth, the homsemaids,
signed with trembling fingers. So did
Fanny, the lannire0.
i GiovanM eyed the document with
6stsust
.wAt for- he asked, scratching his
h2ad.
'Tor independence declared Alice
psqmptly.
n .YW Garfbaldi." cried Giovanni With
Z gesture. Gimme da pen. sign"
!. Mary Monahan looked at him souriy.
rs IT'S the likes of him settin' store
~ GarbAldi," she muttered. AN me
siguin' the same for st. Pathrick an
Robert Emmett. An Efyra for God
knows who, EXCEPT me. An the dear
child Alice for indepindence IT'S like
we're all crazy. A-ah! An there goes
Trunk. Sign Frank, for the love av
Saint Michael"
Whereupon Frank signed and
George and then Mat1ida AEaminta
Jones. Matilda signed her name with .
flourish at the end She looked only to
make sure that the signature Of Con-
stance Brooke was above.
~ Horace hesitAted. He heard the read-
ing Of the document and he Was trun-
bled. Mary studied him with hostile
eye.
Are We afearvd1" she aszed con
temptously.
Horace favored her with a balefd
glance, which she met udincringty.
I'm thinkin' We are she added,
curling her lip.
Horace signed, but he did it with
sinking heart. He only had heard the
declaration read.
II suppose" remarked H. Hedge, as
he inspected the signature, ~that you
are all aware OF the contents Of this
document"
The servants shook thar heads.
1T is 4 Declaration Of IDdepend-
enoe," he informed them.
Praise the satnts!" a4inned Mary
fe1ventiy.
III calls upon me toabosiah he time
c3nok and IN rules"
TASe me Sign II agtn, Misther
RsdEe! IT'S twice, aye. three times,
m paak me nme to T." ;.
And" saad the efficiency man i'm
pres6Sely, "uu hsEe al pledged your-
eslyes not 10 eat unk1 have abolish
ed tie rules"
Il My tel. back a.step and her gaance
Onm1e4nssfy TUNED to meet the eyes
q To aa11r Of the declaration. Alice
Nnsed Inadvertently.
'Does Il say thot," inquired Mary IN
Ahbow vuioa-
Hsdee showed tho pledge to her 10
pd.
s1h starvation al last,~ exclaimed
My, - she read the awful words.
'81t don't ye care, Hiss Alice, deary.
I've Kt8ned, an I'D stay signed. An we.
too. HlvRA Not crsnhser, do ye mind.
now! An no cookin! An look we,
OOv0ul, O1ON we u10 tu6 WOfu b
for Gar1haidi, mind ye-the far down!
An ye, George"
Mary transnxed the footman with
e1nny xeare.
let yez not be hanging around "a
VIA, to see Win she cut yez a slice
nv hxm between meals. Aye, know
tho wsys Az ye Don't We be listenin'
to him, Hvira. us the ham, not yez.
Thrust man for thoti"
K As the servants filed from the din
inroom the three Brookes arose from
the table and initiated their example.
H. Hedge alone remained In his place.
He folded the declaration and placed It
in his pocket.
"Igcr.ce" he said. 'inasmuch as I
am not signer, you may continue to
serve breakfast"
He ate in solitude, yet with obvious
relish. 1t was not until the end OF the
meal that he bethought himself of
something. Then he tore sheet of
paper from his loose-leaf notebook and
wrote: