y're a class of custom that you
won't get outside the big hotels in the big reso'ts. Yes, sir," said the
landlord taking a fresh start, "they're them kind of folks that live the
whole yea' round in hotels; no'th in summa, south in winta, and city
hotels between times. They want the best their money can buy, and they
got plenty of it. She"--he meant Mrs. Lander--"has been tellin' my wife
how they do; she likes to talk a little betta than he doos; and I guess
when it comes to society, they're away up, and they won't stun' any
nonsense."
III.
Lander came into his wife's room between ten and eleven o'clock, and
found her still in bed, but with her half-finished breakfast on a tray
before her. As soon as he opened the door she said, "I do wish you would
take some of that heat-tonic of mine, Albe't, that the docta left for me
in Boston. You'll find it in the upper right bureau box, the'a; and I
know it'll be the very thing for you. It'll relieve you of that
suffocatin' feeling that I always have, comin' up stars. Dea'! I don't
see why they don't have an elevata; they make you pay enough; and I wish
you'd get me a little more silva, so's't I can give to the chambamaid and
the bell-boy; I do hate to be out of it. I guess you been up and out long
ago. They did make that polonaise of mine too tight after all I said, and
I've been thinkin' how I could get it alt'ed; but I presume there ain't a
seamstress to be had around he'e for love or money. Well, now, that's
right, Albe't; I'm glad to see you doin' it."
Lander had opened the lid of the bureau box, and uncorked a bottle from
it, and tilted this to his lips.
"Don't take too much," she cautioned him, "or you'll lose the effects.
When I take too much of a medicine, it's wo'se than nothing, as fah's I
can make out. When I had that spell in Thomasville spring before last, I
believe I should have been over it twice as quick if I had taken just
half the medicine I did. You don't really feel anyways bad about the
heat, do you, Albe't?"
"I'm all right," said Lander. He put back the bottle in its place and sat
down.
Mrs. Lander lifted herself on her elbow and looked over at him. "Show me
on the bottle how much you took."
He got the bottle out again and showed her with his thumb nail a point
which he chose at random.
"Well, that was just about the dose for you," she said; and she sank down
in bed again with the air of having used a final precaution. "You don't
wan
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