THE HESPERIAN
She would soon see that those old coats,
which hung from a wooden strip high on
the wall, and that row of boots nndor them
were put out of sight. They savored too
much of the barn-yard. The only thing
really inviting in the whole room was the
stove. A red blaze roared up the pipe shin
ning in red streaks, through many cracks,
and bright sparks popped gleefully as they
fell on the hearth. It looked actually com
panionable. A table, covered with aii ugly
oil-cloth and loaded with milk pans and
wooden covers, stood by the door. Deb
laid her umbrolla on it and kissed her
mother lightly, saying she expected to find
her in bed from what her father had written.
Then she moved toward the stove answer
ing innumerable questions from her mother
concerning her trip.
Deb smiled at the young man, showing
two rows of small white teeth between her
red lips, and asked him to take off her rub
bers, then told him that her father was wait
ing for him to help with her trunk. After
the door had closed she said crossly, "Don't
ask any more questions, I'm dead tired and
want to go to bed right away."
"Of course you air, well 111 git the lamp
right now," and so saying she took one
from a shelf, lifted a hot iron from the etovc
and wrapping an old apron about it, led the
way up stairs, saying the while, "Law!
law! I never would hev knowed you from
Adam if 1 hadn't knowed it wuz you.
Deb was glad to be left alone in the big
feather bed. She cuddled up in the soft
blankets and drowsily asking to be allowed
to sleep late the next morning, she dropped
asleep.
II.
The next day near noon Deb opened her
her eyes and looked wonderingly at the
white walls and rag carpet. Surely this was
not her elegant little room at Madame Ray
monds, then remembering, she shuddered
and drew the bed clothes closer around her,
but finally got up and dressed.
As she went down stairs she could smell
the dinner cooking and hear her motho
moving across the kitchen. Bars of bright
sunshine fell through tho half closed shutters
of a south window on the steps and alto
gether things did not seem quite so dismal
II as they had the night before.
Dinner was soon called. Mr. Dobson
came in, John following, and they all sat
down to the table.
While thanks were being returned, Deb
glanced over the table to find something
edible. Corn bread, molasses and boiled
potatoes might be all right for thoso that
liked them but she saw nothing but some
canned raspberries that looked at all tempt
ing. Pushing back her chair she asked lan
guidly, "Is there an egg and a little toast
I may have? I'm not very hungry."
Poor Mrs. Dobson with her hundred and
seventy pounds of avordupois, roso wearily
and went to the pantry for tho desired egg
and bread for toast.
While her dinner was being prepared
Deb watched her father eating his, and
finally said scornfully, "Can't you eat with
your fork as well as your knife ?"
"Wny ain't my knife jest as good fur
eatin' purposes as my fork?"
"For the simple little reason that civil
ized people used their fork and make a little
Icsb noise about it too."
Then a painful silence followed which
lasted until the meal was almost finished.
Tho berries had boon passed and each one '
was intent on his own plate when Deb heard
a sharp grating sound and looked up just in
time to see her father snatch tho upper sot
of his false teeth out and take two or thrco
little seeds off tho plate.
"I ain't hod no peace with these teeth
sonce I got 'era," testily remarked the old
man.
This was too much. Dob got np abruptly,
upsetting her chair as she did so, and sailed
up stairs. Hero she remained until late in
tho afternoon. She hoard tho prolonged
rattle of the dishes bomg cleared away and