er Milady
By the sands of the sea
She always will be
Just M'lady to me.
--WILLIAM SYLVANUS BAXTER, Esq., July 14

It is impossible to say how many times he might have read the poem over,
always with increasing amazement at his new-found powers, had he not
been interrupted by the odious voice of Jane.

"Will--ee!"

To William, in his high and lonely mood, this piercing summons brought
an actual shudder, and the very thought of Jane (with tokens of apple
sauce and sugar still upon her cheek, probably) seemed a kind of
sacrilege. He fiercely swore his favorite oath, acquired from the hero
of a work of fiction he admired, "Ye gods!" and concealed his poem in
the drawer of the writing-table, for Jane's footsteps were approaching
his door.

"Will--ee! Mamma wants you." She tried the handle of the door.

"G'way!" he said.

"Will--ee!" Jane hammered upon the door with her fist. "Will--ee!"

"What you want?" he shouted.

Jane explained, certain pauses indicating that her attention was
partially diverted to another slice of bread-and-butter and apple sauce
and sugar. "Will--ee, mamma wants you--wants you to go help Genesis
bring some wash-tubs home and a tin clo'es-boiler--from the second-hand
man's store."

"WHAT!"

Jane repeated the outrageous message, adding, "She wants you to
hurry--and I got some more bread-and-butter and apple sauce and sugar
for comin' to tell you."

William left no doubt in Jane's mind about his attitude in reference
to the whole matter. His refusal was direct and infuriated, but, in the
midst of a multitude of plain statements which he was making, there
was a decisive tapping upon the door at a point higher than Jane could
reach, and his mother's voice interrupted:

"Hush, Willie! Open the door, please."

He obeyed furiously, and Mrs. Baxter walked in with a deprecating air,
while Jane followed, so profoundly interested that, until almost the
close of the interview, she held her bread-and-butter and apple sauce
and sugar at a sort of way-station on its journey to her mouth.

"That's a nice thing to ask me to do!" stormed the unfortunate William.
"Ye gods! Do you think Joe Bullitt's mother would dare to--"

"Wait, dearie!" Mrs. Baxter begged, pacifically. "I just want to
explain--"

"'Explain'! Ye gods!"

"Now, now, just a minute, Willie!" she said. "What I wanted to explain
was why it's necessary for you to go with Genesis fo