The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-11
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had been wondering if We could possibly manage without Ada.
 MT. Cutter bowed, and we all filed quietly into the house.
 How did you find Cousin Vic- toria?" my mother asked in a polite voice on the way.
 "As usual" my father answered shortly. He had plainly expected quite different welcome.
 No one spoke as we crossed the piazza.
 Show Mir. Cotter his room. Susan," my mother said when we were inside.
 MO. 10 was the room we had pre- " pared. It was on the back corner Of the second floor, overlooking the bay. It was good room, ordinarily reserved for transients.
 MT. Cutter looked more like a transient than clerk. He was short, but erect, with bearing that sug- gested the military. He had thick, lively gray hair, a trim mustache, and Vandyke beard, the only one we had ever seen outside of a por- trait.
 This way, sir" Sue said. We could see she was awed.
 What's the matter" my father began as soon as they were out of hearing. He was hurt and baffled and little annoyed.
 My mother had to tell him the whole story.
 He took 1t hard. If I had only been here myself" he said, groan- ing, it would never have hap pened.
 My mother always let him keep his vanities. The first thing to do is to send this man back" she told him. we can give him a weeks pay"
 My father hesitated. "All he wants is his board" he finally said.
 His board" my mother echoed.
 That's all"
 Where in the world did you get man for that?"
 That's all he wants" my father assured her.
 My mother did not notice the eva sion then. Well, that's different" she said. He looks presentable. We can try him out, anyway"
 
 MR. CUTTER was more than pre- WI sentable. He was impressive. In- deed, if it hadn't been for his hands, he might have seemed forbidding. They were very white, very soft, and very graceful. He moved them from the wrist with gestures so eloquent that he hardly needed to speak at all. A finger to the lips when some one was telephoning. A backward gesture toward an open door. A half beckoning, half-welcoming sweep to- ward the register. A wide flourish in the direction of the dining room. One finger for the first floor. Two for the second At only one time was he really voluble. That was when he yawned. Then he tapped his lips gently with his fingers and emitted a loud HI HO HUM"
 At first he made quite hit in the office. He gave it real tone. Even 1 the summer people were impressed. His clothes were always neat, his hair well brushed, and his hands and nails immaculate.
 He made quite a hit with Ada, too. Here at last was the kind of man she had dreamed of. Dis tinctive, courtly, alone in the world She gave him clean nap kin every day and always kept a vase of flowers on his table. Some times, when he wasn't there to see her, she slipped into the office with little lunches. A deviled ham sand wich, maybe, or molasses dough- nut, or a glass of bCttermilk, which he fancied.
 This irritated Mrs. Guptill. Food cost money. Ada wasn't paid three dollars week to throw it way.
 If MT. Garter had been a worker. she might have overlooked the lunches. But he wasn't-it turned out-a worker at anything. For hours at time he would sit at the desk gazing at his hands or idly drawing circles on sheets of paper. Often he dozed in the afternoon, occupying his face in his hands so that his beard hung down like a cornucopia. The telephone might ring two or three times before he stirred himself to answer it.
 We girls were very busy-dusting, wiping dishes, setting tables, berry, ing - and his idleness annoyed us. too.
 MT. Gutter ought to do that" we