The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-28
Why Madge Declined William Trum
bulls Invitation Without Wound
ing His Feelings.

| Why Madee Declined William Trum-
| bulls Invitation Without Wound
ing His Feelings.
/ put the photograph of Grace ORA
| per which she had sent 10 Dicky from
| South America, back into the box from
which 1 had taken it, and arranged the
] other contents Of the box so there was
no trace Of their having been dis
| turbed.
| Then refastened the boards of the
cover, being careful to leave the one
| board insecurity fastened as / had
| found it. did not acknowledge, even to
myself that was doing this to prevent
Dicky from finding out l had investi-
| gated the mysterious box which VIII
| liam Trumbull had found hidden be-
| hind the rafters of the attic, and which
| Dicky had evidently forgotten. I still
| chung to the fiction that I had opened
it simply to be sure it wasn't some
| thing of the Brennan's which should
not be moved.
But despite my sophistry, tiny
| voice from my sours inner sanctuary
| told me that l had done a most con-
| temptihle thing. Aad the message of
| the voice was confirmed by the relief
| I felt when I was enabled to finish the
! restoration of the boxs condition be-
lore viii am Trumbull returned.
Amt nothin' else, Mis- Gramie,'' he
| announced when he returned from a
final trip through all the rooms. "Ka-
| lie. she SEE to get out of her kitchen,
she SEE she's takin' care of all that
,ruck An there's nothin' else but the
stuff In your room. I've got that all on
The push cart, ready to start"
"Oh, W1lIiam!" 1 gasped in horror,
for the things he had piled on his old
push cart were my most cherished
possessions, things l didn't dare to trust
any ordinary way Of getting moved
and which had planned to take with
ne in the taxicab when I should fl
nal1y leave.
whats matter?' William demanded
| : trifle sulkily. His encounter with ka-
tie had somewhat ruffled him, for the
old fellow had a most exaggerated idea
of his own Importance in the role Of
protector and manager of any family
for whom he was working, and my
protest probably seemed to him the
last straw.
/ FASTENED to placate him, much as
would have soothed the unreasoning
yrief of a child.
"Why, you see, William" I said, 'I
had planned to take those things from
my room over with me in the taxi cab.
There are number Of boxes yet to
.. and those can't go any other way
than in your cart; you'n have to make
cwU Lips as it is"
Il kin jest as well make three" Will !
liam returned earnestly, his simple, !
lonely face aglow with enthusiasm.
And there amt no kind of use your
hirin a taxi, Mis- Gramie. I kin fix
YOU an awful nice seat among the
things on the push cart. I'll bet youu
ride easier than in any taxi. ana it
won't cost you nothin'. I'd love to /
tote v over
! had a sudden vision of William
rrumbull, flushed and triumphant de-
posting me with the other bundles
from the push cart on the doorstep Of
my new home. The almost irresistible ,
impulse to laughter which the vision
brought was banished, however, by the !
sight of the wistful look on the old |
,hap's face. The push cart was the !
only thing the old follow owned. To |
him ride upon it was a gift fit for a |
queen, and he had offered it to me roy
ally.
Thank you so much, William" I re
turned, "but you haven't time for more |
than two trips, and you must hurry
with those. You know Mr.. Brennan is !
very angry at Mr.. Graham, and has
said that If we are not all finished
moving before noon he will make it I'M
pleasant for US"
William Strengthened his squat fig
re and his face took on look of Dig
nifty.
Then you an Katie better get right
out of here" he said earnestly. II
know Brennan. He's turble ugly when
he's drunk, but kin handle him. amt
afraid of nobody"
1 looked at his long, powerful arms,
and the muscular development of the
upper part of his body, and decided
hat indeed he had no need to be afraid
of any one But l was afraid, deathly
afraid, that my removal from the
Brennan house might be the occasion
If an unpleasant scene. How / regret
unpleasant landlord the day before! 1t
vas like Dicky, 1 reflected bitterly, to
set the fuse for an explosion and then
TO get out of the way.
But l knew better than to go away
leaving William Trumbull to bear the
orunt of any ebullition of our land
lords ugliness. William had a temper
most easily provoked, and I feared the