South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-10-09

= cummings was taken there. enc
formerly was Miss Isabella Wanna
maker.
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chair. looking vacantly through the
window. She paid no attention to
my first knock, and as / repeated it
more loudly the thought crossed my
mind that she must be deaf At the
second knock. however. she looked
up with annoyance mingled with the
stupidity Mirrored on her face, and
as she moved toward the door 1 saw
that her feet were shoeless, though
the golf hose that covered them were
Of the finest quality, the most fash
ionable shade.
I saw something else. too. as she
opened the door. or rather my nose
told me first, as 1 caught Whit Of
her breath Her look Of stupidity
was explained. She had been drink
ing, and that rather heavily. If my
brain had not issued a peremptory
command TO my feet to stay where
they were l am afraid they would
the steps. / dread, infinitely, the
proximity Of a drunken person.
What do you WANT" she asked
with the slow. hesitant articulation
of the person who knows that speech
is unsteady and betraying.
Il am afraid / have the wrong
house" 1 said, glad of any excuse to
get away. IT am Mrs. Richard Ora
ham OF Marvin. and some one tele-
phOned me an hour ago thaC a GER
tain property was for sale. L"
oh" She surveyed me owlishly
after the exclamation. "Thash all
right. A girl was here-somewhere
-" she looked about vacantly-"and
she did telephone. and told me you'd
be here, and that 1 was-what did
she tell me I was TO do" she de-
manded. gimleting her eyes into
mine.
Perhaps to show the house." 1
ventured, beginning to see that there
was nothing 10 fear. much TO pity in
the ridiculous but pathetic figure be-
fore me.
"Thash it, she exclaimed, evident
" relieved Well! come along. III
show it TO you"
do YOU live here" I asked.
She turned a suspicious look on
me.
Where else should l live?" she
demanded irrititably. then fell again
into her heavineSs of manner. Yes,
live here. me-and my little dogs.
and my husband" she added. evil
IDENTIFY as On after thought.
That she was a breeder and fan
cier OF thoroughbred dogs I saw
before we had proceeded a few steps
from the room I had entered. Tiny
woody dogs were everywhere. sick
ones in baskets. mothers with lit
tiers Of puppies on soft beds in boxes
groups Of others in improvised ken
nels in the kitchen, while from the
upper regions proceeded the yapping
OF others. And yet, 10 her justice.
she had not spoiled the house as I at
first decided she must have done.
followed her from room TO room,
now deciding that the house would
never do, again admiring some fea-
ture OF II, wondering If we could not
make It do. I put some judicious
questions TO her She stopped and
leaned against a window. regarding
me with the owlish look had found
so ludicrous.
Now, I'm not tryin' 10 knock the
house understand" she said SOL
EMMY, but I've taken a fancy TO
you. dearie, and I'm not goin' TO let
the agent put anything over on you.
In the first place, don't you think if
the house was good we'd have bought
IL? Had the money 10 pay cash for
II. But the plumbing is awful. ali
old and falling 20 pieces. and we've
burned 90 tons of coal so far. and it's
a mild winter. too. and the neighbor
on one side is going 20 turn her
place into a piggery this summer,
hundreds OF pigs, and the man on
the other side is a truck gardener,
and he piles loads OF fertilizer next
the fence - brings thousands OF
files"
I interrupted her with a little
shudder Of disgust.
Thank you so much for telling
me these things, I said. 'Of course
II shall not want the house. And l
must not keep YOU longer"
There was something else I was
TO tell you" she said vacantly. but
I can't think what il was"
Never mind about II now. Linda,
a voice that I recognized said behind
me. "Tll tell Mrs. Graham the rest
wheeled. 20 look into the face OF
Grace Diaper.