town has to go unwashed for a week, while
the pipes are cleaned out. There is a wonderful spring that could be
used, with a pump to supply the town, Aunt Augusta says.

The City Council tied up the town for a hundred thousand dollars'
subscription to the new railroad, and failed to tie the shops down in
the contract. They are to be built in Bolivar. A great many of the rich
men have lost a lot of money thereby, Cousin James the most of all, and
everybody is sitting up in bed blinking.

There are still worse things happening in the emotional realm of
Glendale.

Lee Greenfield has been in the state of going to ask Caroline Lellyett
to marry him for fifteen years, and has never done it. Caroline has been
beautiful all her life, but she is getting so thin and faded at thirty
that she is a tragedy. Lee goes to see her twice a week, and on Sunday
afternoon takes her out in his new and rakish runabout, that is as
modern as his behavior is obsolete. Caroline knows no better, and stands
it with sublime patience and lack of character. That is a situation I
won't be able to keep my hands off of much longer.

Ned Hall's wife has seven children with the oldest one not twelve, and
she looks fifty. Ned goes to all the dances at the Glendale Hotel
dining-room and looks thirty. He dresses beautifully and Nell and all
the girls like to dance with him. Just ordinary torture wouldn't do for
him.

Polk Hayes wouldn't be allowed to run loose in London society.

Sallie Carruthers is a great big husky woman, with three children that
she is responsible for having had. She and her family must consume tons
of green groceries every month and a perfectly innocent man pays for
them.

Mrs. Dodd, the carpenter-and-contractor's wife is a Boston woman who
came down here--Before I could write all about that Boston girl so that
Jane could understand perfectly the situation Polk came around from the
side street and seated himself on the railing of the porch so near the
arm of my chair that I couldn't rock without inconveniencing him.

I am glad he found me in the mood I was in and I am glad to record the
strong-minded--it came near being the strong-armed--contest in which we
indulged.

"Me for a woman that has a lot of spirit--she is so much sweeter when
tamed, Evelina," was one of the gentle remarks with which he
precipitated the riot. "I think it has been spunkily fascinating of you
to come and live by yourself in this old barn. It keeps me a