She was a tall woman,
about twenty-eight, with very white teeth and yellow hair, which she
parted a little to one side and drew down over her ears. She had a
sullen face and large well-shaped hands, with her nails long and very
pointed.

"The 'she-devil' has brought you some tea," I said. "Where shall she
put it?"

"'She-devil'!" she repeated, raising her eyebrows. "It's a very
thoughtful she-devil. Who called you that?"

But, with the sight of the valise and the fear that they might be
leaving, I thought it best not to quarrel. She had left the window,
and going to her dressing-table, had picked up her nail-file.

"Never mind," I said. "I hope you are not going away. These floods
don't last, and they're a benefit. Plenty of the people around here
rely on 'em every year to wash out their cellars."

"No, I'm not going away," she replied lazily. "I'm taking that dress
to Miss Hope at the theater. She is going to wear it in _Charlie's
Aunt_ next week. She hasn't half enough of a wardrobe to play leads in
stock. Look at this thumb-nail, broken to the quick!"

If I had only looked to see which thumb it was! But I was putting the
tea-tray on the wash-stand, and moving Mr. Ladley's papers to find
room for it. Peter, the spaniel, begged for a lump of sugar, and I
gave it to him.

"Where is Mr. Ladley?" I asked.

"Gone out to see the river."

"I hope he'll be careful. There's a drowning or two every year in
these floods."

"Then I hope he won't," she said calmly. "Do you know what I was doing
when you came in? I was looking after his boat, and hoping it had a
hole in it."

"You won't feel that way to-morrow, Mrs. Ladley," I protested,
shocked. "You're just nervous and put out. Most men have their ugly
times. Many a time I wished Mr. Pitman was gone--until he went. Then
I'd have given a good bit to have him back again."

She was standing in front of the dresser, fixing her hair over her
ears. She turned and looked at me over her shoulder.

"Probably Mr. Pitman was a man," she said. "My husband is a fiend, a
devil."

Well, a good many women have said that to me at different times. But
just let me say such a thing to _them_, or repeat their own words
to them the next day, and they would fly at me in a fury. So I said
nothing, and put the cream into her tea.

I never saw her again.

CHAPTER II

There is not much sleeping done in the flood district during a spring
flood. The gas was shut off, and I gav