The Purple Heights

common, stupid, and uninteresting. If one should happen to be a house-psychologist, one would know that behind the Nottingham lace curtains looped back with s

hink, or how to cook; and that if by any chance a larger life, a real thought, or

ved into his pockets, fished up a handful of small change, whistled to insure their greater attention, and flung the coin among them. While they were snatching at the money like a flock of pigeons over a handful of grain, the elderly gentleman rang the bell. He could hear it jangling through the house, but it br

would pull nails, open a can, and peel potatoes. Or maybe a religious book agent. She rather suspected him of wanting to sell her Biblical Prophecies Elucidated by a Chicago Seer, or something like that. Or, stay: perhaps he was a church scout sent out to round up stray souls. Whatever he might be, she was bitterl

reg'lar an' ain't interested. If it's explainin' God, nothin' doin'! An' if it's tack-pullers with nail-files an' corkscre

ping mustache came up under his nos

edly, in order to prevent her from shutting the d

yin', an' you got to call again. Come next week, on Tuesday. Or maybe

ed a desp

is that she lives in this house. I should have stated my errand at o

a female voice from a ba

day when them biscuits is burnin' up in the oven? Send that felle

esitated,

ly. "I got no time to talk with you now, Mister, but you can wait in the parlor until I dish up d

er

in an' wa

ws how partic'ler Poppa is about his biscuits; they gotta be jest so or he won't l

told her visitor, hastily. "There's a breeze there, maybe. You'll find to-day's paper an' a fan on the tab

to a chair. Everything he looked at adde

ith a silkoline scarf trimmed with pink crocheted wheels, was a virulently colored landscape with a house of unknown architecture in the foreground, and mother-of-pearl puddles outside the gate. Mr. Champneys studied those mother-of-pearl puddles gravely. They hurt his feelings. So did the ornate golden-oak parlor set upholstered in red plush; and the rug on the floor, in which colors fought like Kilkenny cats; and a pink vase with large purple plums bunched on it; and the figured

few pictures, glimpses of brass and silver, large windows opening upon lawns and trees and shrubs and flowers, a flash of blue river, a vista of green marshes melting into

ike this! This was being poor sordidly, vulgarly. He had seen and suffered enough in his time to realize how soul-murdering this environment might be to one who knew nothing better. He himself had had the memory of

e as they passed the open parlor door, but stampeded for the basement dining-room. Mr. Champneys could hear the scraping of chairs, the rattling of dishes, the hum of loud convers

He was sitting with his back to the window; she sank into t

ing and sweeping. They were shapely enough hands, even if red and calloused. The foot in the worn, down-at-the-heels shoe was a good foot, with a fine arch

were grayish-green eyes, their expression made unfriendly by her habit of narrowing them. She had good teeth and a round chin, and her nose would have passed muster anywhere, save for the fact that it, too, was freckled. Unfortunately, on

folded newspaper. She wiped her perspiring face on her arm, tilted back he

at the name Champneys a fain

shin' to find out somethin' about him or Aunt Milly? Because if so I don't

" he told her. "And I have come

to find your way, ain't it?

rns yourself. To begin with, do you like living with your mother's step-s

was too little to do anything else, I minded the children an' run errands an' washed doilies an' towels an' stockin's an' sich, an' set table an' cleared table an' washed dishes an' made beds an' empt

s; and once or twice he had seen orphan children raised in homes where they "h

an' set them pie-plates! My Gawd! that girl's goin' to r

t Mr. Champney

h me tellin' her to set them

said Mr. Champn

like quickness. Also, she lifted

n't co-ome. Set

you doin'?" shriek

'm doin'! It's somebody come to see me. An' I'm goin'

Nancy slammed the parl

t waste no time askin' if I'm stuck on

hen, to leav

by his first wife. Sure I want to leave her. She took me because she needed a servant she didn

not kind

you ain't come here to talk about them, I take i

s," his gesture damned the whole room, "a beautiful home, travel, culture, ease, all

me especial? Not hand-me-downs an' left-ov

dren? Certainly not! I am not hiring

y an' tight. If I could ever get enough money o' my own together, an' enough clothes-" she stopped, and looked at him with the sudden ferocity that at times flashed out in her-"earned

on his monomaniacal purpose, he would have settled a sufficient sum upon her, and gone his way. His disappointment, so far from turning him aside, hardened his determination to carry the thing through.

r Aunt Milly's sake. I propose, then, to take you away from these surroundings, and to educate you as a lady bearing the name of Champney

she, cautiously. "Go on:

close relative, my brother's son. Y

old i

t twe

l heir, where do I co

ke. He's my nephew:

uzzled frown comin

found out nobody don't get somethin' for nothin' in this world.

elf unreservedly in the hands of those appointed to instruct-and-ah-fo

aid Nancy Simms. "So that 's nothin' new to me. I want yo

ter, back there in South Carolina. He looked challengingly and fiercely at the girl, as if his bold will meant to

You?" asked N

. Champneys. "A

she asked, not unna

e such is my will and intention," said he, perempto

he? He ain't got nothin' t

lly's niece came upon Ch

tily. "Why on earth should he ha

fellow, with ideals, to take on trust this young female person with the red hair. He felt g

at ain't no explanation, nor yet no reason. After all, it's me. I got the right to ask why, then, ain't I? You can't expect to walk in

make it clear to Peter. Peter, being Peter, had presently unde

oney shall go to my own people-but on my own conditions. These conditions being that it shall all be kept in the Champneys name. It is an old name, a good name, it was once a wealthy and an honored name. It must be made

ther, seems to me. But seein' you've got the money to pay for your notions, them that's willin' to take y

agr

ay here, an' have time to think it over, down in that sizzlin' kitchen, with her squallin' at me all day, I'd end up in

nd she went

with me feelin' that desperate I been minded to walk out anyhow an' risk things. Y

rmal in every respect," sa

the face?" she demande

igidly. "As to his appearance, I believe he resembles

orse," said she,

me notion about-er-ah-marrying for love, or something like that? There may be some young fellow you think you fancy? Young people in

er feller: they're all alike," said she, contemptuously. "I just asked about him for-fo

ting a considerable portion of the Champneys m

ney. But if it's there, I'm willing to do what I'm told, for my s

stand, then, t

agree?" she asked, twist

ith a bald head and a red face, followed by a shrewish,

our own parler, Miss Simms? Has you resigned your job that you gott

f the tall old gentleman an avid cur

ister an' Missis Baxter. Mister an' Missis Baxter, this gentleman is Aunt Milly's husban

ed the man. "But no, you gotta upset the whole house! She's the provokin'est pi

asylum an' fed an' clothed an' learned her like a daughter, is what Nancy

Mr. Champneys

Not that I'm any kin," she added, hastily. "When all's said an' done, Nancy ain't no real kin, neither. You an' her's only connected by marriage, but bein' as

ever done for me you paid yourself for double. If you don't owe me nothin', like you said th

it always so? You take a orphan child to your bosom an' after many days it'll g

in' to when you go?" dema

ed-plush parlor very soon, he was going to be violently sick. "I am now in a position to look after my wife's niece, and I

ow," put in Nancy, in a hard voice. "I

kle-face! I sure hope he'll get his fill of you before he's done! Walkin' off like a nigger without a mi

n', so's they won't quit without notice,

ly Champneys's husband?" asked

said hastily: "Let us go, for God's sake! If there's a teleph

ge in ten minutes," she repli

pair before him. He felt like one in an evil dream, a dre

he Palace Hotel until this evening," he told them.

es slitted; th

"Yes, sure we'll take the hundred. We ain't refusin' money.

ently until Nancy appeared. Champneys almost screamed at sight of her. His heart sank li

s belongin' to my mother. You're welcome to the rest," sh

skirt, and a hat that was an outrage on millinery, climbed in. There were no farewells. The girl settled back, clutching her hand-satchel. "Giddap," said the