The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary Part 21

"Janice, you see that you do all that money can buy for my aunt."

The maid courtesied. She had arranged the tray upon a little table and the spout of the tea pot and the round hole in the middle of the toast-cover were each pouring forth a pleasant suggestion.

Aunt Mary began at once to haul forth her keys.

"Why, Aunt Mary," Jack cried, wondering if her nose was deaf, too, or whether she didn't feel hungry, "don't you see your tea? Or don't you want any?"

Aunt Mary thumbed her trunk key.

"I want a nightgown," she said; "maybe I'll want something else later.

Maybe."

"You're not going to _bed_!"

She drew herself up.

"I guess I can if I want to; I guess I can. There's the bed and here's me."

"Whatever are you saying? It isn't half-past six o'clock."

"I'm not _prayin_' about anything," said the old lady. "I don't pray about things. I do 'em when needful. And when I'm tired I go to bed."

"All right, Aunt Mary," with sugary sweetness and lamb-like submissiveness. "I thought we'd dine out together, but if you don't want to, we needn't. And if you feel like it when you waken, we can."

"Dine out," said Aunt Mary, blankly; "has the cook left? I never was a great approver of goin' and eatin' at boarding houses."

"Well, never mind," Jack said in a key pitched to rhyme with high C. "I'll leave you now-and we can see about everything later."

He kissed her, and retired from the room.

"Did he say we're goin' out to dinner?" Aunt Mary asked, when she was left alone with the maid, who hurried to take her bonnet and shawl, and get her into juxtaposition with the tea-tray as rapidly as possible.

"Yes, ma'am," the girl screamed, nodding.

"I don't want to," said the old lady firmly. "Lots of trouble comes through gettin' out of house habits. I've come here to take care of a sick boy and not to go gallivantin' round myself. I've seen the evils of gallivantin' a good deal lately and I don't want to see no more. Not here and not nowhere."

Then she began to eat and drink and reflect, all at the same time.

"By the way, what's your name?" she asked, suddenly. "Jack didn't tell me."

"Janice, ma'am."

"Granite?" said Aunt Mary. "What a funny idea to name you that! Did they call you for the tinware or for the rocks?"

"I don't know," shrieked Janice, who was busily occupied in unpacking the traveler's trunk.

Her new mistress watched her with a critical eye at first, but it became a more or less sleepy eye as the warmth of the tea meandered slowly through its owner. There was a battle within Aunt Mary's brain; she wanted to please Jack, and she was almost dead with sleep.

"Do you think that I ought to try and go out with my nephew to-night?" she asked Janice.

"If it was me, I should go," cried the maid.

"I never was called slow before," Aunt Mary said, bridling. "I'll thank you to remember your place, young woman."

Janice explained.

"Oh! I didn't hear plainly," said Aunt Mary. "I don't always. Well go or not go, I've got to sleep first. I'm dreadfully sleepy, and I've always been a great believer in sleepin' when you're sleepy."

The fact of the sleepiness was so evident that no attempt was made to gainsay it. Janice brought down a quilt from the closet and tucked her charge up luxuriously on the great bed. Five minutes later she was in dreamland.

Jack came in about seven and looked at her.

"She mustn't be disturbed," he said thoughtfully. "If she wakes up before ten we'll go out then."

She awoke about nine, and when she opened her eyes the first thing that she saw was Janice, sitting near by.

"I feel real good," said Aunt Mary.

"I'm so glad," yelled Janice, and smiled, too.

The old lady sat up.

"I believe I could have gone out, after all," she said. "Only I don't want to take dinner anywhere."

Then she paused and reflected. It was surprising how good she felt and how she did want to make Jack happy. "After all boys will be boys," she thought, tenderly, "an' I ain't but seventy, so I don't see why I shouldn't go out with him if he wants to. I'm a great believer in doin'

what you want to-I mean, in doin' what other folks want you to. At any rate I'm a great believer in it sometimes. To-day-this time."

"Your nephew is waiting," the maid howled. "Shall I tell him you want to go after all?"

"Is it late?" the old lady inquired.

"Oh, dear, no!"

"Wouldn't you go if you was me?" asked the old lady.

Janice smiled.

"Indeed I would."

Aunt Mary rose. A flood of metropolitan fever suddenly surged up and around and over and through her.

"Tell him I'll be down in five minutes," she said.

"Can you change in that time?" Janice stopped to shriek.

"What should I change for?" Aunt Mary demanded in astonishment. "Ain't I all dressed now?"

Janice did not attempt to shriek any counter-advice, and while she was gone to find Jack, her mistress brushed herself in some places, soaped herself in others, and considered her toilet made. When Janice returned she caught up a loose lock of hair, and put the placket-hole of her skirt square in the middle of Aunt Mary's back, and dared go no further. There was an air even about the back of Jack's influential aunt which forbade too much liberty to those dealing with her.