They have a water system that is supplied by so much mud from the river that it often happens that the 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twice a week, and on Sunday afternoon takes her out in his new and rakish runabout, that is as modern as his behavior is obsolete.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 awake nights just to think of you over here—­alone.  How long is the torture to go on?”

Jane, I tried, but if I had frankly and courageously shown Polk Hayes what was in my heart for him at that moment, I couldn’t have answered for the results.

From the time I was eighteen until I was twenty the same sort of assault and battery had been handed out to me from him.  He had beaten me with his love.  He didn’t want me—­he doesn’t want any woman except so long as he is uncertain that he can get her.  Just because I had been firm with him when even a child and denied him, he has been merciless.  And now that I am a woman and armed for the combat, it will be to the death.