The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-08-21

Hct Hodu 'uGOI nef llJUle pOfJhOle OF WIN
dow and yelled. But the boy with the
gong had only poked his head through the
doorway on the other side of the house
and her voice did not reach him. Mean
while Miss Cordelia's thinly clad condi-
ton was telling upon her. As she sat shiv-
ering on the edge of the bed she felt as
though she must do or die and determined
1t should be the former She stumbled her
way down the dark stairway, meaning to
open her trunk in the hallway and pack up
some clothes in her arms But it was no
go. The stair door slammed to, and being
old and sagged it had stuck hard and
fast With her most persistent effort Miss
Cordelia was unable to bulge it. so she
CROPPED her way back up stairs, turned her
own key without meaning to, and sat
down to think
Now, 1t transpires that Miss Cordelia is
nothing If not resourceful. Having gotten
sheet of paper from her bag she scribblcd
these words thereon:
am in distress in the roofroom Of the cot
tage opposite the spot where you will find
this Come TO my rescue.
CoRDELIA C. SMITH.
This paper she wrapped about her cake
of soap and tossed through her little win
dow squarely out upon the boulevard.
After this Miss Cordelia waited and lis
tened until listening seemed in vain, and
by and by she turned into bed, pulled the
blankets up about her shivering shoulders
and dozed. At first she was haunted by
the sound of footsteps and the humping Of
her trunk UP the stairs, but finally these
died away beneath the breaking of the
waves and she slept
just how long she slept Miss Cordelia
does not know, but 1t was fairly along aft
or midnight that she heard an unfamiliar
voice calling her name, and she sprang up
| in bed, to see a mans head poked through
her portfolio.
AS Miss Cordelia had never screamed
before in her life she screamed then, and
jumping out of bed she flew to her door
and tried to open it. But it was locked,
and the kcc would not turn. She beat
upon the door with her fists and presently
had the satisfaction of hearing a voice
without. The wiry girl had room next
to hers, into which she had crawled long
after Miss Cordelia was asleep, and she
came to the rescue grandly, pummeling
with her fists and giving directions.
Whats the matter there on the insideY"
she screcched.
"Burglarsr' responded Miss Cordelia in
the same high pitch.
why don't you open your door, thenP'
II can't" Miss Cordelia replied In q
tone that drowned the dash of the waves.
Turn the key the other way. Seey'
came from the wiry girl
~ have, and it's stuck O-o-o-hp And
the voice of Miss Cordcla ceased.
Meanwhile the man had reached his arm
through the portfolio, struck IA match and
lighted the gas.
What the NATTER Seer" he said, lean
ing his elbows on the window and grin
ming in at Miss Cordelia
ooh, are you burglar" asked Mis-
Cordelia.
Burglar? Not much amt. Seer In
lineman when I'm at home, which
mean New York, but l used to be San
Trotter as run away from yer father
ranch in Jones county, Tex, six years ago
Don't you remember me, CordieP"
"Oh, Sam, of course do, and glaC
enough am to see you. But how in tn
world did you get on that balcony roof
and won't you come in, Samp" said Mis-
Cordelia, forgetting the scantiness of he
attire and the peculiarities of the situation
"But how did you know was here"
"Got your note, Cordie. Seer sal,
! Sam. See herel l come down on lark
: you know, an l brought my bike along TO
a turn on the boulevard. See? Well, IL
wheelin along hell to split when dow
, come the rain fore / knowed it, an l jes
climbed into a stage, wheel an all, an start
ed back to the hotel jest as the stag
, came long in front here, plumb come
cake or soap Dustin through the windoN
wild yer note tied to 1t, See? Now, says
:. there Cordie come all the way from Jone
county to git herself in trouble, an me b
chance happenin along to git her out, 5
back goes to Broadway to Teller know
. an got some old clothes an couple er line
mans boots, spurs an all, cause, you SET
! PIE down here doin the SWELL you know
= an hadn't nOthin but my best rig Vel
:, l didn't know what sort er predicamer
. you'd be in, an l thought I'd better wa!
= till night to see about it. An 50 die
Q When things growed slow on the avenoC
= lest tackled the cornder er the house her
"a | III COlllc up IlcIt IlkO a DdCh SUTccO lllOI
. post, slid on to the roof, an here 1 an
!. yours to serve now an forever, If you
!, open the door an stop that girls yellin. !"
"But that's just what can't do, " sal
: Miss Cordelia. 1.-THE key is stuck an
= won't turn"
Then hustle into the closet an let N
:, tackle her" said the gallant Sam as
= scrambled with difficulty through the ma
row portfolio
: "Here we are at last, d" he said as
7, flung the door open and scared the VIII
=, = girl out of the few wits she possessed
y BY this time the house was pretty we
aroused, you may be sure, and MATCH
were striking and voices We're calling fro
all quarters.
In the midst of 1t the housekeeper a
= peared upon the horizon, and it took Sai
- and the wiry girl, who miraculously r
- covered, and Miss Cordelia, with her hes
=, through the closet door, until nearly da
break to get things explained.
- 1t Is all settled now, though. Sam hir
- self packed Miss Cordelia's trunk upstai
before he left ordered u locksmith up
y fix the lock and declared his intention
VI keeping an eye on Miss Cordelia durir
. the rest of her sojourn by the sea.
!! "An when you git ready to go back
n Jones county, why, I'm goin along, to
=. Cordie, an bring you up here again +
70 keeps Seeg" he called to her as the hous
keeper hustled him out at last.
-