I studied there, I had a stove in it. I used to
retire to my room early on Saturday night,
change my shirt and collar and put on my
Sunday coat. I waited until all was quiet and
the old people were asleep, then raised my
window, climbed out, and went softly through
the yard. The first time I deceived my grand-
parents I felt rather shabby, perhaps even
the second time, but I soon ceased to think
about it.
The dance at the Firemen's Hall was the
one thing I looked forward to all the week.
There I met the same people I used to see at
the Vannis' tent. Sometimes there were Bo-
hemians from Wilber, or German boys who
came down on the afternoon freight from Bis-
marck. Tony and Lena and Tiny were always
there, and the three Bohemian Marys, and the
Danish laundry girls.
The four Danish girls lived with the laun-
dryman and his wife in their house behind the
laundry, with a big garden where the clothes
were hung out to dry. The laundryman was a
kind, wise old fellow, who paid his girls well,
looked out for them, and gave them a good
home. He told me once that his own daugh-
ter died just as she was getting old enough to
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