dn't want to go to bed,
havin' desires to set up and torment Simeon with questions about his
whiskers; askin' if they growed or was tied on, and things like that.
Course he didn't know his ma was goin' to the show, or he wouldn't have
let her. But finally he was coaxed upstairs by Margaret and a box of
candy, and, word havin' been sent down that he was asleep, Sam got
out his plug hat, and Grace and Cousin Harriet got on their fur-lined
dolmans and knit clouds, and was ready for the hack.
"'I feel mighty mean to go off and leave you this way,' says Sam to
me and Simeon. 'But you make yourself at home, won't you? This is your
house to-night, you know; servants and all.'
"'How about that boy's wakin' up?' says I.
"'Oh, his maid'll attend to him. If she needs any help you can give it
to her,' he says, winkin' on the side.
"But Cousin Harriet was right at his starboard beam, and she heard him.
She flew up like a settin' hen.
"'Indeed they will NOT!' she sings out. 'If anyone but Margaret was to
attempt to control Archibald, I don't dare think what might happen.
I shall not stir from this spot until these persons promise not to
interfere in ANY way; Archibald, dear, is such a sensitive child.'
"So we promised not to interfere, although Sim Phinney looked
disappointed when he done it. I could see that he'd had hopes afore he
give that promise."
CHAPTER XI
IN THE GREAT METROPOLIS
"So they left you and Sim Phinney to keep house, did they, Hiram?"
observed Wingate.
"They did. And, for a spell, we figgered on bein' free from too much
style.
"After they'd gone we loafed into the settin' room or libr'ry, or
whatever you call it, and come to anchor in a couple of big lazy chairs.
"'Now,' says I, takin' off my coat, 'we can be comf'table.'
"But we couldn't. In bobs a servant girl to know if we 'wanted
anything.' We didn't, but she looked so shocked when she see me in my
shirt sleeves that I put the coat on again, feelin' as if I'd ought
to blush. And in a minute back she comes to find out if we was SURE we
didn't want anything. Sim was hitchin' in his chair. Between 'nerves'
and Archibald, his temper was raw on the edges.
"'Say,' he bursts out, 'you look kind of pale to me. What you need is
fresh air. Why don't you go take a walk?'
"The girl looked at him with her mouth open.
"'Oh,' says she, 'I couldn't do that, thank you, sir. That would leave
no one but the cook and the kitchen girl. An
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