The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-15

heard a creak of bedsprings and the sound of someone moving. Then the door opened and Linda acted upon her instant impulse of sympathy.
 Rosie, dear child whatever's the matter? Let me come in. There! Sit down and tell me all about it."
 It was hard for Rosie to get started. Never fluent, she seemed baffled completely. Finally, in a sudden burst of relieved confess sion, the story came blurting out. Stripped of its incoherence and re- petitions, it was brief enough. She had launched upon guilty yet de- licious filtration with Shaughnes- sey. The breakfast tray of the first morning had proved its beginning. Later, vastly fiattered that he pre- ferred her to the quality" Rosie had agreed to meet him on the pine path the night of the dance. ("But wasn't there over-long. Mrs Averill," Rosie vowed and Linda believed her. "Annie'd ha' knowed if I'd stayed out far into the nightly At last, fearing Annie's reproofs for herself and possible trouble for him. Rosie had sent him back to the club grounds. That Is, he had started that way and she had hurried Linda perceived, have tarried joined the dance, and, finding ann1annn r,anra xuillin0 for a nvn . longed solitary filtration, returned to the shelter of the trees. As Rosie went on with her story Linda inclined to the latter idea. For before breakfast the next morning Shaughnessey had come to the kitchen door with bundle and a petition. He had spilled liquor on the front of his evening shirt. torn 1t slightly and smeared grass stains into the cuff.
 Iris poor he is, for all the grand looks or him." said Rosie naively, land proud that ye should not know he has but the wan shirt. Sure, 'tis the Irish know how to be poor with illigance, an glad l was to do him the service without anywan bein' the wiser for it. But" and again her voice was choked. "'tis the divvil's own luck, beggin' yer pardon. ma'am seems to haunt the affair. First tried some of the clanin' fluid yersllf was afther givin' me for spots on the tabIecloth an fine il worked fur the liquor. But whin it hit the grass stains terrible color it turned thim intirely! l Worse yet, whin I come to slar it with hot iron. whole paces of cloth came away under me hand" Conflicting emotions chased | through Linda's mind but hel face showed only sympathetic at- | tention. stt..
 We'll" she exclaimed. 'That was Q mess! But. 1t wasn't your fault, Rosiev
 "Oh. but --. twas mine. that made matters worse, ma'am. was frantic-like, you see, an how
 was I to know he'd stay quietly in the house this avenin' an not need the dress clothes, at all. al all?' She hesitated, then plunged Iris thief I am, ma'am - me as ye've always threated so fair! Linda calmly. Rosie turned, eyes l spoke in an awed whisper.
 "Himsilf has missed it al. ready?"
 Tn way" Linda hedged i But never mind, Rosie. l dOn'i blame you. You didn't want Nil Shaughnessey to be embarrassed and you tried to save his face
 Mir Averill would gladly have len, him a shirt but he wouldn't have wanted 1t known-and if he had
 worn the one you gave him ana just left 1t with you when he went you could have returned 1t with. cut MT Averill being any the wiser"
 | Rosie's eyes were grateful That's what I thought, ma'am But twas wrong of me to do il | without his knowin'!"
 Linda patted the roughened hand.
 There. Rosie! It's over and nc harm done. Now I've an idea thai will make everything all right. IT tell MT Shaughnessey l happened to find you working on the shir' and told you to try the cleaning
 fluid. As 1t was spoiled when you did what l suggested. it would bs
 up to me 10 make up the loss ts him and I told you to send one oi
 MT Averill's tin could get an other" i Rosie shook her head.
 q swore Co tell no-wan of it. J she said. "And this afternoon h'