Page:The mislaid uncle (IA mislaiduncle00raym).pdf/128

 "Is he?" she asked indifferently.

"Reckon you better come get yours. Joe don't wait for nobody, he don't. ever when he's got the gout on. hurry, maybe, honey," urged the butler.

Josephine rose, observed that she must go wash her hands and fix her hair before she could go to table, and wearily ascended the stairs to her own grand room. Once there the bed looked so inviting, despite its great size, that she climbed upon it and dropped her hot face on the cool pillow. She forgot to remove her wet shoes, nor thought how her dampened clothing might stain the delicate lace spread. She meant to stay there for a moment only, "Just till my eyes get right," but she fell asleep almost instantly.

She did not notice that the window was open, nor that the heat had been turned off, the better to warm the library below. She noticed nothing, in fact, till some time later when old Peter shook her sharply, exclaiming still more indignantly:

"For land, honey, don't you know no