Tish, The Chronicle of Her Escapades and Excursions

we met at her house. We found her reading about Syria in the encyclop?dia, while spread round her on chairs a

e sign of trouble-Hannah always referring a pain in her temper to her ear

she said. "Miss Lizzie, tha

ernly. "If out of the breadth of her chari

d back and f

he whispere

ed with Tish for many years; but I ha

cerns you, anyhow, Hanna

on to her eyes and

, and night, and the postman telling all over the block he's my steady company-that snip that's not eighteen yet? And don't I do the washin'? And will you look round the pla

l, none of the exaltation of a good

aid kindly. "He hasn't found himself. Be gentle with

ho reads the newspapers

t morning. As Tish said, the boy ought to have lig

uthority of the encyclop?dia. "Grazing their herds and gatheri

he climate is too rigorous. "It's all well enough in Syria," she said, "w

tion of finding a camel for him to look after was neg

hen again-what chance has he of rising? Once a clerk, always a clerk." She looked round at the chairs and tables, littered with the contents of Tufik's pasteboard suitcase, which lay empty at her feet. "And there

htwork. But Charlie Sands said it was impossible-that the editors and owners of the paper were always putting on their sons and relatives, and that when there was a vacancy the bi

a skirmish at the door and Ha

out," s

is not out," in T

l not

y wistful, in Arabian followed by a slap. The next moment Hannah, in tears, rushed back to the

I could strangle that woman!" she sa

or with his arms folded, staring

g to him. "Did she-did she d

ly. "I make my little prayer to see Mis

his face; and Aggie brought a tablespoonful of blackberry cordial, which is soothing. When the p

winter flannels and a pair of yellow shoes-he asked for yellow. He said he was homesick for a bit of sunshi

riental and passionate. He has said he will kill

s Mohammedan-every Mohammedan wants to die and go to his heaven, which is a sort of subli

then Hannah solved her own problem by stalking into

go! You'll find your woolen stockings on the stretchers, and you've got an appointment with the dentist tomorrow morning at ten

"You're a hard-hearted woman, Hannah Mackintyre!" Tish sn

doorway and sneered

soft-headed old maids and learn to kiss their ha

our rage soon faded. Tufik was not in the parlor; and Tish, tiptoeing back

ble for Hannah's leaving and he's getting lunch

nhumanit

less thousa

side of a bowl; a melancholy chant-quite archaic, as Tish said-kept time with the spoon, and

le. They have not changed materially in nineteen centuries, and the traveler i

of grounds; and after a bite of the cakes he had made, Tish remembered the dentist the next day and refused solid food on account of a bad tooth. The cakes were made of lard and flour, without any baking-powder or flavoring, and the tops were

, though my stomach has never been the same since. Tish says the cakes are probably all right in the Orient, where it is hot and the grease does not get a chance to solidify. She thinks that Tufik is probably a good cook in his own country. But Aggie says that a good many things

d to go to Panama, and had our passage engaged; but

y?" he said

o apologize. "You see, we-we are al

know not

for s

there in

A cana

n a ship-and

e you enough money to live on; and perhaps when w

"I have no friends, no Miss Tish,

ly boy was weeping-and Charlie Sands may say what he likes! He was really crying-when he tur

d. "I am wicked; but my sad heart-it ache that m

back in Beirut, wearing a veil over her face and

e were very busy for the next month. Tufik grew reconciled to our going, but he was never

tart off hopefully, with his pasteboard suitcase. But he never sold anything-except a shirt-waist pattern to Mrs. Ostermaier, the minister's wife. We took day about giving him his carfa

not much, as he seemed to prefer the celluloid collar,-he could live in a sort of way on nine dolla

ot well-he could not walk any distance at all and he coughed. At last Tish got Charlie Sands to take him to a

a trip. Tish called me up the day s

'm busy, Ti

Come over and talk to that wretched boy while I pack my trunk. He stands and watc

uddled on the top step of the stairs outside

ic eyes. "My mother has put me out! She does not love Tuf

in. She had had no maid since Hannah's departure and

you away!" she sai

at her p

-go?" he aske

said with resignation, "but for Heaven's sake lock him in a cl

nd sugar, and gave it to him. He was pathetically grateful and kissed my hand. At five o'clock we sent him away firmly, having given him thirty

palpitating travel ecstasy, clutching a patent seasick remedy and a map of the Canal Zone; Tish was seeing that the janitor shut off the gas and water in the apartment; and Char

ds, getting the lid down final

ivering, with streams of water running off his hair down over his celluloid collar, pouring out of his sleeves and cascading down the stairs from his tro

here boy of yours has been committing suicide

ds. "You infernal young idiot

ck; and Aggie, with more presence of mind than we had given her credit for, brought a glass containing a tablespoonful of blackberry cordial into whic

you do not let me die? My friends go on

e did not want to live. We could hardly force him to drink the hot coffee Tish made for him. He kept muttering things about his loneliness and being only a dirty dago; and then he turned bitter and said hard things about this great Americ

on until his clothing could be dried-Charlie Sands having disagreeably refused to lend his overcoat-and when we had

steamer tickets on the table, and was holding his cigarette so that Aggie could

y, "that your train has gone and tha

-and she took off her thing

life? Charlie, we must plan something for t

parasite? Not if I melt! Do you kno

id Aggie sadly, "if one is very tired of l

imono that had given Tish bronchitis early in the winter, and he had twisted a bath towel round the waist. He looked ver

sh! Tufik is wicked. He has the bad heart

your shoes out of the oven. We are not going to Panama. Wh

garette on a book under

ves are not what they used to be an

te make out Tufik's expression; had I not known his gentleness I

nd his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold!'"