He went out and bought dish-towels, soap, washing-powder, and
collars of Charley's size, which was an inch larger than his own.
He finished sweeping and dusting and washing the dishes--all
of them. He--who had learned to comfort Istra--he really
enjoyed it. His sense of order made it a pleasure to see
a plate yellow with dried egg glisten iridescently and flash
into shining whiteness; or a room corner filled with dust and
tobacco flakes become again a "nice square clean corner with
the baseboard shining, gee! just like it was new."
An irate grocer called with a bill for fifteen dollars. Mr.
Wrenn blandly heard his threats all through, pretending to
himself that this was his home, whose honor was his honor.
He paid the man eight dollars on account and loftily dismissed him.
He sat down to wait for Charley, reading a newspaper most of the
time, but rising to pursue stray flies furiously, stumbling over
chairs, and making murderous flappings with a folded newspaper.
When Charley awoke, after three hours, clear of mind but not at
all clear as regards the roof of his mouth, Mr.
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