The Argosy, June 1904 — page 90: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

576 what do you mean to do now you have come, I’d like to know? ” Evidently the lady did not intend to come down from the height of sarcasm attained in her letter. The agent’s tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. “furry up and do something, can’t vou? There ain’t a man here. The only one that was home went for a car- penter and never came back,” continued Mrs. Iisby in awful. clarion tones. “Well, have you turned to salt: she asked, with biting scorn, as the guilty cause of all the havoe remained immovable, his feet clamped, as it were, to the floor. But the agent made no sign—he was doing some strenuous thinking. Suddenly he became a new man. waved his arms in the air. “Stay there with the lamp till I come!” he cried, and the sorely tried woman found herself again alone with “water, water everywhere,” and the sudden unpleasant consciousness that her hair was unspeakably straight and strageling over her face in damp wisps. The agent soon returned with four table leaves “Give me a boost,’ he panted, and with the aid of Mrs. Fisby’s stalwart “ boosting ” he caught and swung him- self up to a rafter. iTe threw one leg over the beam and balanced himself precariously but tri- umphant. “Now hand me a board! dered, in masterful tones. Undertaking to cover a large area of naked rafters with four table leaves seemed to Mrs. isby something like trving to dam the Mississippi with a tooth-pick, but her faith in the little agent had returned with his assump- tion of command, and she cast all anx- iety and apprehension from her as she clung to one of his feet, the only portion of his anatomy still within reach. Suddenly the foot gave a frantic kick, nearly upsetting the lamp in her other hand. “T had to Iet go of vou!” she shout- ed. “T couldn’t hold on any longer. Are you all right up there? ” % 92 He !” he or- THE ARGOSY. heart leap into her throat—then a faint yell arose from beyond the edge of the roof, . The agent had wnexpectedly taken a short cut to the ground, three stories below. *. e. ¢, ato ate a s e > 7s ok Ile recovered consciousness in the course of time, and with careful nurs- ing the broken leg and ribs were made whole again. fu Mrs. Fisby’s front parlor on a lux- urious spring couch which would fold in three places the injured man lay for six weeks. The ruined carpet was hidden from his remorseful gaze by a skilful - arrangement of rugs, and his nurse was the soul of forgiveness and tender de- yotion. “7 didwt ever expect to fetch ont this suit again for such a purpose,’ she one morning, as she opened a box from which the odor of moth balls arose with overpowering might. “I did my best to get Mr. F. to let me bury him in it. I “always think a Prince Albert looks so refined for a man to be laid out in, but Mr. I. was just dead set that he wanted a shroud. “Why, the very day he passed awav I <pread out those two burving outfits on {he bed and savs, ‘ Now, Mr. I*., take vour choice once and for all time,’ and he stuck to his old idea of the shroud, so I gave up as graceful as I could, for I was that disappointed, and put away the Prince Albert. It never did fit him very good, but vou ain’t quite so wide in the shoulders. “Whew, how it smells! Well, for- evermore! If here ain’t his Grand Army button right in the lapel. Ain’t it a special Providence you didn’t have a Prince Albert? I knew ld use this suit up some way. ’ said, * Land, I ain’t got dressed yet, and— the minister due in an hour, and all those roomers’ll be filing in here and you all fixed up smart in vour chair and me still in eurl- papers! Ilave you cot the ring safe in that pill-box? Don’t lose 1t, for goodness sake. When me and Mr. IF. was married a “Go put on your wedding dress and She was answered by a slipping, slid- let Mr. F. go to thunder! ” roared ! ” the ing, clutching sound that made Ker agent. PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG comiclboolks.com ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED