"
"I reckon," said she, "you's got to de wrong house. Dat lady doan' live
hyar."
"Well, then," I asked quickly, "is there a lady here named Mother
Anastasia?"
The woman showed thirty-two perfectly developed teeth.
"Oh, dat's she? You means de sister. She's hyar, yes, sah. Want to see
her?"
I stated that I certainly desired to see her.
"She's gone out now, sah, an' dere's no tellin' when dey'll git back.
Dey ginerally all gits back 'bout dark. Commonly jist a little arter
dark."
"Not return before dark!" I exclaimed. "That is bad. Can you give me any
idea where I might find Mother Anastasia?"
"I 'spects you kin fin' her mighty easy. Mos' likely, she's at de Patent
Office, or at de Army and Navy Buildin', or de White House, or de
Treasury, or de Smifsonian, or de Navy Yard, or de new 'Servatory, or on
de avenue shoppin', or gone to de Capitol to de Senate or de House, one;
or perhaps she druv out to Arlin'ton, or else she's gone to de
'Gressional Libr'y. Mos' likely she's at one or de odder of dem places;
an' about one o'clock, she an' Mis' Gardley is mighty sure to eat der
luncheon somewhar, an' arter that I reckon they'll go to 'bout four
arternoon teas. I doan' know 'xactly whare de teas 'll be dis arternoon,
but ye kin tell de houses whar dar is a tea inside by de carriages
a-waitin',--an' ef it aint a tea, it's a fun'ral,--and all yer's got to
do is to go inside an' see if she's dar.
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