Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-08-02
operation noticeably contrary TO his

/ operation noticeably contrary TO his
/ custom.
AS for Lettte. Mrs. Penfeld's voice
had been to her like the breaking OF
a SPELL She went suddenly limp.
Rage dropped out of her face; frenzy
released it's hold Of her muscles; a
strange expression took the place of
anger in her eyes-an expression of
realization, Of frightened dismay.
sLettie, go into the house."
Lettie went.
For brief space Mrs. Penfeld did
not move. Her troubled eyes Travelled
from one bit Of testimony to another.
TITS a nice day, Mis- Penield, amt
it?" volunteered Mr. Wopple ingra-
tiatingly.
She did not reply; she seemed not
to hear. Slowly she came forward.
"You seem to have watered lot
in one place." she observed presently.
And thank you for sprinkling my
yard, too.'
"Well, now, see here, Mis- Penfeld,
you wait a minute and I'll tell you
how twas"
ut isn't necessary" she interposed.
"Lettie,l tell me-"
"Sure she'll tell you her side. But
you can't trust a little vixen like
that
Il can always trust Lettie,' Mr..
Wopple. That's the reason I got
faith in her. So long as you can trust
person, you got something mighty
firm to pin to. One thing like bout
Lettie is: she don't never try to hide
behind somebody else"
"Say, now, / want Say, Mis-
Penfeld- Say"
But she had gone.
In the kitchen Mrs. Penfield found
Lettie, down on the floor, grading the
small FIJI Caesar in her arms, Groom
ing and sobbing in remarkable COM
bination.
20 Penzie, his legs broke, and I'm
'fraid he's killed inside. See, he
won't let me touch 1t. Darling Fill
Crink never'n forgive me. Oh, 1
wisht r."
LET me take him. Lettie. Get me
the liniment and cloth out Of the
piece bag. Filibusters bout the SIM
plest problem Of the afternoon"
But when FIJI Caesar had acquired
the badge Of honorable injury and
been invaded to an old rug by the
door, Lettie's anxiety, subsiding at
one point, bulged out at another.
What you going to do with me,
Penzie?'
Il do not know" admitted Mrs. Pen
field YEARLY.
''I-Tm awful sorry, Penzie. You
see, he-he makes me so mad II
Eyes, I should Judge he did. Now
begin at the beginning and tell me
what happened"
Lettie complied, with a faithful OBJ
servance Of sequence and a realistic
touch on all details Hes mean
man." she concluded vehemently. "He
gets me going"
Mrs. Penfeld, sitting on the end Of
the wash bench, watched her gravely,
thoughtfully.
"This is a serious matter Lettie. Do
you realize that you have destroyed
property"
II didn't mean to do that Penzie. /
meant"
YES, you intended to injure hu-
man being. That is far more seri-
GUS"
ooh, not really injure!" protested
Lettie. "And besides, didn't he hit
Fill CaesarY" she added holly.
Mrs. Penfeld sighed. Come here,
Lettie; I want to tell you something.
/ hain't never told you how it makes
me feel when you lose your temper
and do these awful things. / keep my
feelings inside me, but got EN- just
the same. And If you keep on like
this, you'll get me going, too. Had
you ever thought of that? Now, when
things don't go the way 1 want 'em
to-like this afternoon, for instance
If I got mad as you do, and struck
out at ev'rything round, do you know
what 1t would mean to your
Lettie's face whitened; the color
dropped out Of her lips: her black
eyes grew wild with fright. "You
mean-you'd send me-awayT The
words came slowly out of her terror.
"Wouldn't I-if l acted the way
you act?"
Lettie's body swayed. Her lids
fluttered. In the few weeks that she
had been in this house, she had at
tached herself to Mrs. Penfield with
a doglike devotion. All the rich af-
lection in her nature, held in check
for want of an outlet, had poured out
to this woman who had fed and
clothed and loved her. Lettie idolized
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