CHAPTER XVI A STARTLING DISCOVERY
"How funny!" exclaimed Tavia, as she and Dorothy began to ascend thestairs in the deep, dark hallway of the apartment house that Aunt Winnieowned, and in which Miss Mingle and her sister lived. It was six storieshigh and had two apartments on each floor. A porter, with the unconcernof long habit, carelessly carried a rosy, cooing baby on his shoulder upthe long flights of stairs, his destination being an apartment on thesixth floor. The mother of the child climbed up after him deep inthought, probably as to what to have for dinner that day.
"No, there are no elevators," explained Dorothy. "This house is one ofthe early apartments, built before the people knew the necessity for suchluxuries as elevators."
"Luxuries!" said Tavia, stopping to catch her breath, "if elevators areluxuries in a six-story house, I'll vote for luxuries!"
"Just one more flight," said Dorothy, "it's the fifth floor, the leftapartment, I believe," she consulted a card as they paused on a landing.
"I don't wonder now at Miss Mingle looking haggard," said Tavia, "if shemust face this climb every time she comes back. Imagine doing thisseveral times a day!"
"At least, one would get all the necessary exercising, and in wet, coldweather, could have both amusement and exercise, sliding down thebanisters and climbing back," Dorothy said, determined to see the brightside of it.
Tavia slipped in a heap on a step and gasped: "Yes, indeed, I'll admitthere may be advantages in the way of exercise."
"Courage," said Dorothy laughing, "we have only ten steps more!"
While Dorothy resolutely dragged Tavia up the last ten steps, Miss Mingleappeared in the hall.
"I heard your cheerful laughter," she said with a smile, "and I said tosister, prepare the pillows for the girls to fall on, after their awfulclimb. But I didn't say," she added, playfully, "feather pillows to fallon the girls!"
"We really enjoyed the climb," said Dorothy.
"It was lots of fun," agreed Tavia.
They entered a room which at first glance seemed a confused jumble ofbeautiful furniture, magazines, newspapers and books, grocer and butcherand gas bills, and a gentle-faced woman reclining languidly in an easychair. Her smooth black hair fell gracefully over her ears; she had largegray eyes, whose sweet patience was the most marked characteristic of herface.
"My sister, Mrs. Bergham, has been quite ill," explained Miss Mingle, asshe rushed about trying to clear off two chairs for the girls to sit on.Every chair in the room seemed to be littered with what Dorothy thoughtwas a unique collection of various sorts of jars, tea pots, and cups; andlast week's laundry seemed to cover the radiators and tables. The room,however, for all the confusion, was quaint and artistic, and had oddlittle corners fixed up here and there.
"I'm so ill and I'm afraid I've been quite selfish, demanding so much ofsister's time!" Mrs. Bergham said, extending a long white hand to thegirls, and with her other removing a scarf from her shoulders, allowingit to drop to the floor. Miss Mingle immediately picked it up, folded itneatly, and laid it on the window seat.
"I've had rather a sad Christmas," she went on. "Sister, it's getting toowarm in this room," and, removing a pillow from under her head, shepermitted that also to drop to the floor. Miss Mingle stooped and pickedit up.
"There, there, dear," said the latter, "I can't let you talk about it.The girls will tell you all about their trip and you'll forget themiserable aches and pains." She puffed and patted the pillows on whichher sister was resting.
Mrs. Bergham smiled languidly. "It's so fine to be young and strong," shesaid. "I have two small sons, and it made my Christmas so hard not tohave them with me. But I couldn't take care of them. They are such robustlittle fellows! Sister decided, and I suppose she's right--she alwaysis--that it would be best for me not to have the care of them while I amso ill." She sighed and smiled patiently at Miss Mingle. "So we sent themaway to school. I did so count on having them with me this holiday, butsister thought it would only be a worry; didn't you, dear?"
Miss Mingle hesitated just the fraction of a second, then she answeredcheerfully: "Mrs. Bergham is so nervous, and the boys are such livelylittle crickets, we didn't have them home for Christmas."
"Children are sometimes such perfect cares," declared Tavia, feeling thatsomething should be said.
"Then, too," continued Mrs. Bergham, evidently greatly enjoying theopportunity to talk about herself to the helpless callers, "I've triedhard to add a little to our income. I paint," she arched her straight,black eyebrows slightly. "Everything was going along so beautifully,although it is an expensive apartment to keep up, and I cared nothing formyself, I like to keep a home for my sister, and I worked and worked, andwas so worried. Don't you like this apartment? I've grown very fond ofit." She talked in a rambling way, but her voice was pleasing and hermanner quite tranquil, so that Dorothy wondered how she said so much withapparently little exertion.
"The night the telegram came," said Miss Mingle, "I thought she wasdying, and I must say," she laughed, "that that alone saved you naughtygirls from receiving some horrible punishment." They all laughed at theremembrance of that last night at Glenwood. "But when I got here,"continued Miss Mingle, "my sister was much better, and I was so relievedto find her just like her own dear self, when I had expected to findher--very ill--that I forgot everything, even having the boys home, sothat sister's fatherless sons had no Santa Claus this year."
Tavia was curious. The furnishings of the room were good, almostelaborate, but the carelessness of it all at first hid the good points.Surely Mrs. Bergham did not keep it up on her painting. Tavia judgedthat, by the long, slender, almost helpless hand and the whole poise ofthe woman. And the two little boys at school! Could it be possible, shethought, that Miss Mingle supported the family?
"I'm sorry I am not well enough to arrange to have you meet some of myyoung friends," said Mrs. Bergham. "We entertain a little, sister and I.I know so many interesting young people. Bohemians, sister calls them!"
Miss Mingle was arranging the books on top of a bookcase and they fellwith a clatter. If she made any answer, it was lost in the noise.
At the name of "Bohemians" Dorothy brightened. "I've never seen a real,live Bohemian!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together with ecstasy.
"But we met an actress yesterday," Tavia said, hesitatingly.
Mrs. Bergham waved her hand in space. "I mean real artists, people whohave genius, who are doing wonderful things for the world! We count thoseamong our friends," she said.
"My!" thought Dorothy, "did Miss Mingle belong to that society? Did sheknow the geniuses of the world, and yet had never mentioned it to thegirls at school?" But Miss Mingle had little to say. She finishedarranging the books, and moving swiftly, nervously about, she tried tobring some kind of order out of the confusion in the room.
"Do sit down, sister, this can all wait. I'm sure the girls don't mind ifwe are not in perfect order," said Mrs. Bergham.
Dorothy and Tavia, in one breath, assured the ladies that they didn'tmind a bit, and Tavia even added, with the intention of making MissMingle feel at ease, that it was "more home-like."
"I never could sit up perfectly straight nor stay comfortably nearanything that was just where it should be," explained Mrs. Bergham. "Myhusband loved that streak of disorder that was part of my nature, butsister was always the most precise and careful little creature." Shelooked at Miss Mingle with limpid, loving eyes. "Sister was always thegreatest girl for taking all the responsibility, she was so hopelessly inlove with work in her girlhood! What a lovely time our girlhood was!Isn't it time for my broth?" she asked, as she glanced at a small watchon her wrist.
"Forgive me, dear," said Miss Mingle, "I forgot. I'll prepare itimmediately," and she dropped what she was doing and hurried to thekitchen.
Mrs. Bergham arose and walked to the window seat, resting her elbows onsome pillows. She wore a light blue dressing gown, made on simple lines,but so perf
ectly pretty that Dorothy and Tavia decided at once to makeone like it immediately, on reaching home. The light blue shade broughtout the clear blue-grey of her eyes, and her heavy dark lashes shaded thesoft, white skin. She sighed, and asked the girls to sit with her in thewindow seat. In her presence Tavia felt very awkward, young andinexperienced, and she sat rather rigidly. Dorothy was more at ease and,too, more critical of their hostess. She listened to the quick, nervoussteps of Miss Mingle as she hurried about the kitchen, preparingnourishment for her languid sister.
"There isn't much view from this window," said Tavia bluntly, morebecause she felt ill at ease than because she had expected to seesomething besides the tall, brown buildings across the street. Thebuildings were high, no sky could be seen from the window, and the sundid not seem to penetrate the long line of stone buildings across theway.
"Oh, there are disadvantages here, I know, but I'm so fond of just thisone room. The house is in that part of the city most convenient toeverything--that is, everything worth while, of course. So, sisterdecided it was best to stay here. However, the rent is enormous. It wasthat mostly which caused my breakdown. In six months time our rent hasbeen doubled by the landlord. I got ill thinking about it, and I just hadto send for sister. Sister's salary isn't so large, and the constantincrease in our rent is a burden too great to bear."
"I'd move," said Tavia, promptly.
"But where would we find another place that meets all the requirements asthis place does? If sister were always with me, we might come acrosssomething suitable some time, but alone, I am of little use in a businessmanner. Sister is so clever! She can do everything so much better than I.My illness is keeping me at home at present, and as my sister will returnto school directly, there is really no time to look about for otherquarters." The sufferer said this quite decidedly.
"Who raises the rents?" Dorothy tried to ask the question naturally, buta lump seized her throat, and she felt the blood rushing to her cheeks.
"Oh, some agent. Several dozens of persons have bought and sold thishouse, according to Mr. Akerson, since we moved in." The subject wasevidently beginning to bore Mrs. Bergham, for she yawned. "What prettyhair you have, Miss Dale," she exclaimed, "so much like the gold thepoets sing about."
Dorothy brushed back the tiny locks that persisted in hanging about herears, and she smiled shyly.
"Can't you refuse to pay the increases in the rent?" asked Dorothy.
"Oh, these is always some good reason for the increases," answered Mrs.Bergham. "Some new improvements, or some big expense attached tomaintaining a studio apartment, in fact, according to Mr. Akerson, thereasons for raising our rent are endless."
Dorothy's eyes met Tavia's in a quick flash, as she noted the name of theagent.
Then Miss Mingle came into the room with a neatly-arranged tray for hersister. Mrs. Bergham thanked her and waited patiently while little MissMingle drew up a table to the window seat and placed the things on it.
Mrs. Bergham held up a napkin. "I don't want to trouble, dear, but reallyI've used this napkin several times. Just hand me any kind; I know thingshaven't been ironed or cared for as they should be, but I don't mind.There, that one is all right. I'm an awful care; am I not?"
Miss Mingle squeezed her hand. "Just get well and be your old, happy selfagain, that's all I ask." She turned to the girls. "My sister and herboys are all I have in the world to work and live for," she finished.
"I'm really so sorry, sister, that you did not speak about the girlsspending their holiday in town. We could have a nice little dinner beforeyou all return to Glenwood," suggested Mrs. Bergham.
"Don't think of it," said Dorothy, shocked at the idea of little MissMingle being burdened with the additional care of trying to give a dinnerfor Tavia and herself. Indeed, it would have been more to Dorothy's mindto have taken Miss Mingle with her, and have her sit in Aunt Winnie'sluxurious apartment, and be waited on for just one day, as the littleteacher was waiting on her languid sister.
Tavia, too, thought, since the idea of increasing any of Miss Mingle'sresponsibilities was apt to be brought up, it was the right moment todepart.
Dorothy held Miss Mingle's hand as they were leaving and said: "Mrs.Bergham told us of your difficulty about the rent. I'm so sorry."
"We are absolutely helpless," said Miss Mingle. "We are paying threetimes what the apartment was originally rented for and there is nological reason why it should be so. The agent says it's the landlord'scommands, and if we don't like it we can move. It seems that thisparticular landlord is money mad!"
"Oh," cried Dorothy, "something must be done!"
"The only thing that I can think of," said Mrs. Bergham, wiping two tearsfrom her eyes, "is to forget the whole tiresome business. It was horridof me to say anything at all, but it's so much on our minds that I cannothelp talking about it."
"I'm very glad indeed," said Dorothy, "that you did."
"We were not bored by that story," Tavia said, "and we surely are verypleased to have had this pleasure of becoming acquainted with MissMingle's sister."
In another moment the girls began the weary climb down the four flightsof stairs.
Reaching the street Dorothy started off at a mad pace.
"I'm so thoroughly provoked," she said to Tavia, who was a yard behind,"that I must walk quickly or I'll explode."
"Well, I'm disgusted too, Dorothy, but I'll take a chance on exploding,I'm not used to six-day walking races, however much you may be. Andincidentally, I must say I should have liked very much to have shaken acertain person until all the languidness was shaken out of her bones!"
"Shaken her!" cried Dorothy, "I should have liked to spank her!"
"If that is an artistic temperament," said Tavia, "I never wish to meetanother. Of all the lackadaisical clinging vines; of all the sentimental,selfish people that ever existed!"
"To think of that poor little woman teaching school, and going withoutordinary comforts, to help support her sister in ease and relieve her ofthe responsibility of bringing up her two children!" Dorothy hadslackened her pace and the girls walked together, although still swingingalong rapidly.
"A person without a temperament would have moved instantly, but thatcreature stayed on and on, paying every increase, getting the extra moneyof course from Miss Mingle, just because she was so fond of that oneroom!" Tavia mimicked Mrs. Bergham's voice and manner.
"Too languid to look for another," said Dorothy, her eyes aglow withindignation. "But, Tavia, there is one thing certain. Dear Aunt Winnieshall now know where the leak in her income is," said Dorothy.
Tavia did not reply, because a sudden idea had leaped to her brain. Shelistened quietly while Dorothy talked about Aunt Winnie's businessaffairs, her brain awhirl with the excitement of this thing that hadsuddenly come to her; come as a means of repaying Dorothy and Aunt Winniefor all their loving kindness to her. To keep the idea tucked away in theinnermost regions of her mind, she bit her tongue, so afraid was she thatonce her lips opened the idea would burst forth. So Dorothy talked on andon and Tavia only listened.