They owe everybody, and last
week a coal-dealer made an awful fuss at the door with Mr. Vertrees.
Their cook told our upstairs girl, and she said she didn't know WHEN
she'd seen any money, herself! Did you ever hear of such a case as
that girl in your LIFE?"
"What girl? Their cook?"
"That Vertrees girl! Don't you see they looked on our coming up into
this neighborhood as their last chance? They were just going down and
out, and here bobs up the green, rich Sheridan family! So they doll
the girl up in her old things, made over, and send her out to get a
Sheridan--she's GOT to get one! And she just goes in blind; and she
tries it on first with YOU. You remember, she just plain TOLD you
she was going to mash you, and then she found out you were the married
one, and turned right square around to Jim and carried him off his
feet. Oh, Jim was landed--there's no doubt about THAT! But Jim was
lucky; he didn't live to STAY landed, and it's a good thing for him!"
Sibyl's mirth had vanished, and she spoke with virulent rapidity.
"Well, she couldn't get you, because you were married, and she
couldn't get Jim, because Jim died. And there they were, dead broke!
Do you know what she did? Do you know what she's DOING?"
"No, I don't," said Roscoe, gruffly.
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