The Listening House by Mabel Seeley

Author:Mabel Seeley [Seeley, Mabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-06-08T00:00:00+00:00

14

MRS. HALLORAN KNOCKED ME up bright and early the next morning, which was Sunday. She stood in my doorway with bills in one hand, a pen and Mrs. Garr’s receipt book in the other.

“I guess nobody can’t take this money away from me,” she crowed triumphantly. “I’ll thank you for your rent money, Mrs. Dacres.”

“But I’m paying in advance, you know. Are you sure you’ll want me to stay out my week?”

She struggled, but four dollars in hand beat getting rid of me, in the bush.

“I guess I can’t get you out of here in less’n a week, anyhow. You go ahead and pay.”

Except for two one-dollar bills, I had only a ten in my handbag; I offered that to her.

She gave me a five and a one in change; sat down with a fine air of business to write out my receipt.

I thumbed my change idly while I waited; my little finger caught in a tear. It was in the five-dollar bill, right in the lateral crease.

The bill was as familiar to me as a read newspaper. It was the same bill I had taken down to the cellar to pay my rent on the day before Mrs. Garr was to have gone to Chicago.

I thought I had the Hallorans then. I debated with myself, wildly, whether I should call for the man in the hall, but the pleasure of facing Mrs. Halloran myself was too great. I spoke softly.

“So you did find some of Mrs. Garr’s money.”

She looked up, startled; my words had had intensity enough to make them noticeable.

“No, I never did. Only what I found yesterday and the policeman took.”

“Oh, I suppose Mrs. Garr gave you the money!” I made it insulting enough so she’d want to deny it.

“Not a cent she didn’t give me for almost a month. Mr. Halloran give me the money to go to Chicago, except the ticket. He got his gov’ment money right on that Friday. His June money.”

I wasn’t interested in her Chicago money; I couldn’t imagine her bringing back any she’d taken along. I laid the torn bill on the table before her; she stared at it with bewildered, frightened eyes.

“I recognize this bill. It’s the bill with which I paid my rent last week. To Mrs. Garr.”

“Oh my,” she whispered tremulously. “I must of got it offen somebody in the house. I didn’t bring no five-dollar bills with me when I come. All I had was my car tokens, and fifty cents, and two one-dollar bills. And maybe some nickels. All the rest I got goin’ around and askin’ everybody for their rent.”

So that was it! Or was she lying? If her husband had given her the bill, she’d be as frightened as this, too. And she’d lie, of course. I tried again.

“Can you remember who gave it to you?”

“Lemme think. Mr. Kistler come down early wearin’ his fishin’ clo’es. A five and a one he give me. So then I waited till Miss Sands went down to light the heater; she give me a five, even.

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