Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-11-08
Florence Bingham
Livingston

bills into different piles. There was
wrapping paper on the table, ball Of
cord, stick of red wax
There was no child in the room.
Having glanced around to make sure,
Lettie tried to withdraw quietly, but
the doorknob slipped in her hand. It
clicked sharply. The woman turned
with a violent start, sprang up.
"What are you doing hereY she de-
manded.
Lettie shivered at the sound of her
voice. 1t was low but harsh, cold. as
different as possible from Pennies
like voices she had been accustomed
to in those lean years before she came
into The Custard Cup. With jerk
the woman had covered her money
with one of the papers. She turned on
Lettie with eyes that glittered,
threatened. Her face had shut look.
81 want to see Mr.. Bosley," Lettie
| floundered.
The woman gazed at her coldly.
"Ain't nobody here by that name"
HE comes here"
he uOu I, neither.
''Yes, he does," insisted Lettie des-
perately. 1--WE seen him"
"You hain't, neither" retorted the
woman with vehemence. She came
forward. "You get out" She broke
off in the midst of her intensity and
glanced back at the table, as if con-
sidering how much the unwelcome
visitor had seen. How'd you get il? r.
Through the window. wouldn't
ha' done it if you'd answered the bel"
"What did you come for?',
My little brother. Please let me
have him-quick."
The Woman's brows drew together
in horrible scowl. "There amt no.
body here but me. I'm alone-and
been alone all the time, too. What do
you mean, you little devil?' She made
dive at Lettie; then paused. 1t was
evident that she could not make up
her mind what to do with the intruder.
Finally she gripped the child's Shout
der, whirled her about, and forced
her into chair. "You sit there" she
Kissed. Don't you move. You're a
lun'tfc. Wen have you put in a 'sy-
lum."
Lettfe glared steadily back at her.
The grip on her thin shoulder had con-
vinced her that physical resistance
was inadvisable, but she was serene in
the knowledge that she was not lu-
natic
Il want my little brother" she re
peated, with diplomatic calm.
A tide of color surged into the wom-
ans face. She looked as If she were
strangling "Aint nobody here" she
snapped.
A terrible fear clutched Lettie's
heart. What if Thad really were not
here? She had been so blindly certain
of his presence that she had not faced
the opposite possibility.
please"
'Shut up
The woman sat down across from
Lettie. They glared savagely at each
other. The shades were drawn down
below the window-sills, so that not a
ray of light could penetrate outside
-. No one would dream that little
girl was prisoner in this house, dark,
deserted, for all that passer-by could
tell. =. The room was close and fear
somely silent. The gas spurted up
now and then with an angry sizzling.
Letties frightened glance travelled
around the bare room, seeking for
some means of outwitting the woman
before her. Nothing occurred to her.
Suddenly she heard a sound that
was like faint moan. It seemed to
come from a distance. She heard it
again. 1t might be in the basement.
Againl She was sure it was below her
somewhere.
"Oh!" Lettie started to her feet ST
hear him. It's Thad. Let me-
The woman pushed her back into
her seat. You fool! 'Taint nothing
but cats"
Lettie struggled to free herself. at
is, too. know it's Thad. Lego
Leggol Darn it all, leggo!''
."Shut up. / got ways to keep you
still" She seized the chiId's arms and
twisted them back with a swift
wrench. Lettie gasped; she turned
faint with the pain. But when the
first agony had passed, she was filled
with renewed defiance. It flashed into
her mind that the woman was waiting
for something. Lettie wished it would
come. Whatever it was, surely she
could
The moan struck her ears again, a
long wall of human suffering, the des-
olation Of a child that is spent with
crying. Lettie's fingers worked, but
she held herself still. Perhaps the
woman would go to sleep after while.
Nobody could stay awake always.