Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-07-28
BARRETT EDMONDS CALLS
UPON SANDRA.
CHAPTER XXI

~ OAN Sf1AN0HNfAs
CHAPTER XXI.
I WAS glad to be relieved of the re-
= sponsibilities of dinner giving, etc.
But / couldn't help feeling a little |
hurt when | wasn't even consulted. |
was the mistress of the house, yet |
in all ways treated by Everett more
as his daughter than his wife. Nat
urally the servants took their cue
from him, and even Mrs. Gray grad
ually stopped talking things over
with me as she had at first, ard went
ahead as if the house were her own:
and probably as she had done before
Everett married me.
Everett had hired a butler befole
we commenced to entertain, so that
now we had five servants-Mrs GRAY
and Hetty, Richard and the butler.
Peter the chauffeur, and laundress.
| At home we never had had bat the
two old negroes who had done every
thing for us-that is, all save what
mother herself did.
l felt that had quite an establish
ment, and while, as I have said,
had not the slightest desire to have
the responsibility of running it
should have liked them to ask nv
opinion occasionally. / said nothing
of this to Everett, but as the weeks
passed it became another grievance,
one which l also laid to the fact of
my youth.
/ had met Barrett Edmonds. sew
eral times since that supper dance
and each time liked him better. He
lad frank, boyish way that was
very attractive. His fine dark eyes
would light up and he would appear
so interested that / felt fattered.
When was with him l forgot to fret,
because / was not older; and just
laughed and chatted as | had done
with the boys at home.
Barrett was very fond of music
one would know that if they ever
danced with him. When he found /
sang and played my own accompani-
ments, he asked if he might come in
some afternoon and bring me some
his favorite songs.
81 make a big noise myself at
times" was the way he told me he
sang. Afterward l learned that he
had a wonderful baritone voice
which had been highly cultivated.
| was. delighted to tell him that he
might call. Then afterward 1 was
a bit frightened. Perhaps Everett
would object. Then l recalled that
Mr.. Edmonds had set no time for a
call. He might forget all about
it.. | would wait.
But l blushed as l pretended to
think he might forget knew he
wouldn't. l also knew l did not
want him to. | was so nice to have
someone to talk to; someone who
treated yon like human being, and
did not either patronize or make fun
of you. l wanted to be taken seri-
ously. No one seemed to think me
worth while.
Ny birthday was the seventh of
February. Everett had spoken of
having another dinner party; but l
had begged him to take me to a play
instead. For once he agreed to do as
I wished-but l think he had not
really made up his mind that he
wanted dinner party, so he didn't
care.
At breakfast he gave me my birth
day present bond for athousand
dollars and a dainty flexible brace
let.
81 shall try to give you bond on
each birthday. One never knows
what may happen in business"
Then he showed me about cutting
the coupons.
1t was delighted. 1t made me feel
quite important, and l told him so.
He seemed pleased that I liked my
gifts. Before he left package came
day present. bond for a thousand
everyone, even from Buster. There
was nothing expensive, but dainty
embroidered napkins from mother,
books from father and the boys 1t
l