' It
must be dreadful to be an 'inmate.'"
Imogene sniffed. "There's all kinds of inmates," she said, "same as
there's all kinds of folks. Far's that goes, there's some folks couldn't
be an inmate, if they wanted to. They wouldn't be let in."
"Oh, is that so? Judgin' by what I've seen I shouldn't have thought them
that run such places was very particular. Where's Kenelm?"
"I don't know. He's to work, I suppose. That's what he's hired for, they
tell me."
"Oh, indeed! Well," with emphasis, "he doesn't have to work, unless
he wants to. My brother has money of his own, enough to subside
on comf'tably, if he wanted to do it. His comin' here is just to
accommodate Mrs. Barnes, that's all. Where is he?"
"Last I saw of him he was accommodatin' the horse stall. He may be
uptown by this time, for all I know."
"Uptown?" in alarm. "What would he be uptown for? He ain't got any
business there, has he?"
"Search ME. Good many guys--folks, I mean--seem to be always hangin'
'round where they haven't business. Well, I've got some of my own and I
guess I'd better attend to it. Good mornin', ma'am."
Miss Howes cautioned Imogene against arousing the Parkers' enmity.
"Lordy! I mean mercy sakes, ma'am," exclaimed Imogene, "you needn't be
afraid so far as Kenelm's concerned. I do boss him around some, when I
think it's needful, but it ain't my bossin' that worries him, it's that
Hannah woman's. He says she's at him all the time. Don't give him the
peace of his life, he says.
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