Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-29
|@2ho Three Of Them f &dz3<ii 1891

sounded thick brogued. sure sign Of
distress with her.
I'm sorry to be a-botherin' we, Mis-
Phut. It's Nellie speakin'-Irlsh Nell
lie on the sixt'."
whats the trouble, Nelliec",
ITS that six eighteen again. She's
goin' on like mad. She's carryin' on
something fierce"
What about?" -
"Th'-th' blankets, Mis- Phut."
"Blankets?"
She says-it's her wurruds, not
mine-she says they're vile. Vile, she
says"
Martha Foote's spine had stiffened.
I'm this house, vile."
III there was one thing more than
another upon which Martha Foote
prlded herself it was the Senate Hotel
oed coverings. Creamy, spotless,
ooWny they were her special fad.
Brocade chairs and pink lamps and
sold-snake work are all well and
good she was wont to say. land so
are American beauties in the lobby
and white gloves on the elevator boys.
But it's the blankets on the beds that
stamp hotel first or second class"
And now this from Nellie.
Il know how We feel. an ALL I seq
to 'er. l SEE: There never was a.
blanket in this house. sez that
didn't look as if it cud be sarved up
wit whipped cr-cream.' seq, AN ct
SEE to her: AN furthermore seq"
Never mind. Nellie. I know. But
we never argue with guests. You
: know that rule as we'll as l. The
guest is right-always. I'll send up
the linen-room keys. You get fresh
blankets: new ones. And no argu-
-ments. But l want to see those
those VILE
Listen, Mis- Phut." Irish Nellie's
voice, until now shrill with righteous
anger. dropped a discreet octave 81
seen em. An they are vile. Wait a
minnit! But why? Becus that there
maid of hers-that yella' hussy-give
her body massage wit cold cream
an all. usin' tn blankets FIR coverin'
an smearin' em right an lift. This
was afther they come back from tn
theayter TIL crust Of thin people.
using the iligent blankets offn the
beds t.
Good night. Nellie. And thank
you"
Sure. We know I'm that upset rr
distarbin' yuh. an all, but
Martha Foote cast an eye toward
the great walnut bed. That's all
right. Only. Nellie
'Yesm'm"
"If I'm disturbed again on that
womans account for anything less
than murder"
"Yes'm?" j.
We'll. there'l be one, that's ALL
Good night"
Such had been Mondays cheerful
close.
Martha Foote sat up in bed. now.
preparatory to the heroic 1inginE
aside Of the covers. NO" she as
sured herself. "it can't be as bad as
vest erday" She reached round and
about her pillow. cropping for the re-
calcitrant hairpin that always slipped
out during the night; found it, and
twisted her hair into hard bathtub
bun.
With jangle that tore through her
half-weakened senses the telephone
at her bedside shrilled into life. Mar
tina Foote. hairpin In mouth. turned
and eyed it. speculatively. fearfully,
1t shrilled on in her very face, and
there seemed something haunting and
vindictive about it. One long ring.
followed by short one: a long ring.
short. "Ca-a-ant? Ca-a-a-an't it?.
Something tells me I'm wrong"
Martha Foote told herself, ruefully.
and reached for the blatant snarlins
thing.
Yes"
Mrs. Foote: This Is Healy. the
night clerk. Say, Mrs. Foote. l think
you'd better step down to six-eighteen
and see MATS"
II am wrong" said Martha Foote.
whats that"
Nothing. Go on. Will step down
to sx-eghteen and
She's sick or something Hyste
I'd say. AS far as | could make out 1t
was something about a noise or a
sound Or Anyway, she can't locate
il. and her maid says IL we don't stop
IL right away"
I'm go down. Maybe it's the plumb
ing. Or the radiator. Did you ask
mo. nothing like that. She kept
talking about u wall"
"a what
"A wall A kind OF grOaninE Won