Larst nite whin the intyre family had retired for there hard airned slape there cum a wild ringing at the dure bell. I herd it first in me slape and yells in frite, thinking of bounding nites and burglars. I opened me dure and stuck me hed out. The hole family were assimbled in the lower hall in their nite gowns. Mr. John called up to me:
“Delia!” ses he, “wud ye plase ansser the bell.”
“I will not” ses I. “Do you tak me for a gump!”
“Theres somewan at the dure” ses Miss Claire swately, “The boys arent drissed and nayther am I. Run along Delia.”
“I’m dummed if I do” ses I wid indigation.
“Oh shaw” ses Mr. James, “what fools we mortals be. Whares me revolver?” ses he. “I’ll go,” and whistling down he desinds. We heer his voyce shouting at the closed door:
“Who’s there?”
“Whats that?”
“Who?”
“A tillygram?”
“One minute,” and he opened the dure.
“Who’s it for?” arsks the intyre family at wanse.
“Delia!” ses he, and the family larfing wint to there rooms.
“Put it on the bottom stip darlint” ses I, “and get out of site if you plaze.”
I wint down and got the paper. It was as follows:
“Coming at wanse. The saints protick you darlint in the manewile. Minnie Carnavan.”
This marning whin I clared aff the brikfust dishes I fownd a letter oonder Mr. Wolley’s chare, which dishthressed me badly. It were as follows:
“Deer sir:
Do not fail to come to night early as Miss Flyte needs attention J. B.”
I intinded to hand the dummed thing back to Mr. Wolley spaking at the same time me humble but contemshus opinyon of an auld sinner like himself wid a luvly lorful wife and 4 preshus children of his own. But after brikfust Mr. Wolley wint out and I sor him not agin till nite. At tin Minnie arrived. She was all exsitement.
“Now tell me widout words” ses she “what divilmint the family has been oop to.”
“Divilment” ses I brideling “shure its a swate family they be. Its ashamed I am to heer you spaking langwidge aginst an innersint and luvly family like the Wolleys.”
“Ah go wan” ses Minnie. “Whats the auld spalpeen been up to larst.”
“If ye mane Mr. Wolley” ses I coldly, “then its a sore subjeck yeve tooched. O Minnie” ses I “the auld gintleman is a baste.”
Minnie like to ate me opp wid hunger for some more words upon the subjeck.
I tuk out the letter and handed it to her widout further words. She red it throo widout spaking, but I seen her mouth and eyes popping wid exsitemint.
Joost thin Mrs. Wolley walks innersintly into me kitchin. She has sum fine lace in her hand, and she ses: “Lind me your ironing bord Delia. I’m doing these oop mesilf.” Joost thin she seen Minnie, and she smiles swately—“Ah is this a frind of yours, Delia?” ses she.
Minnie got oop. I seen her studying the poor crachure for a moment, and then suddintly she walked oop to her and hild out the letter.
“I belave mam” ses she “that this will intrust you.”
“What is it?” ses the madam, putting on her glarses.
“Its a letter mam” ses Minnie “to yere hoosband.”
I seen her reed it throo, and aven then she had not grasped the meaning of the avil minded crachure’s words, till the latter spoke oop agin:
“Are you a dummy?” asks Minnie, “Don’t you see what yere auld man is after being oop to. Delia here” ses she “innersintly remarked about his sneeking out at nite to mate anuther female. The paper there reveels the auld man’s inamoreeta.”
I thort the auld lady wud faynt. She toorned white as milk, and I seen the paper shaking in her hand like she had the ague. But wid out condisinding a ward to eyther Minnie or mesilf she wint out the kitchen and upstares.
“Miss Carnavan” ses I, biling over wid rage, “theres a trane laving widin tin minits. Yell have plinty of time to catch it.”
Minnie smiled.
“Delia darlint” ses she “did you think I’d be after thravelling sixty miles to visit you for harf an our? No darlint” ses she “I’ve brot me bag along and I’ll be wid you for a fortnite yet.”
“That you wont” ses I, “for its your bag will be out in the cinter of the strate and yersilf will follow in a sicond.”
Minnie faulded her arms and fixed me wid a look of power and scorn.
“Delia Omally” ses she “the day you toorn your best frind out into the strate&rdquo............