The suburban citizen., 1900-06-16


forth to wake the landlord.
Notwithstanding his rent-collecting
habit, the landlord seemed to share
the ianitor's views on the subject of
sleep. He hadn't duplicate key, he
informed her, after at last he had
been awakened and appeared at an
upper window. He seemed to Mollie
to gloat over the fact. He intimated
that his business was renting apart
ments, not running other peoples
domestic affairs.
"But can't you suggest something?'
Mollie cried, desperately. 1--WE must
get in, you know"
He suggested the drug clerk on the
corner, who had big bunch of keys,
might be able to open the door, and
then he shut the window.
The drug clerk was asleep, too, and
hard to arouse, but at last opened the
door wide. Upon perceiving young
woman, however, he shut it again
quickly that his disheveled condition
might not be too apparent, leaving,
however, crack wide enough for con-
versational purposes.
"Giye me your prescription" he
said extending a hand through the
aperture. ''I'll turn up the light as
soon as I get in the back room and
you can come in and sit down."
1t was harder than she thought it
would be to explain her errand.
Molle's tongue seemed to cleave to
the roof of her mouth. She expert
enced difficulty in breathing.
"I-it-it isn'ta prescription" she
gasped.
90" said the clerk.
1t was all he said, but it sounded
like more to Mollie. She knew it
meant more.
''I--that is, we-my mother and L,
you know-are in great trouble"
"Of course, [ understand" said the
drug clerk, instant sympathy in his
| tone.
"What does he understand"
thought Mollie wildly.
Don't you know your physiciau's
telephone NUMBER" he went on. "Ill
call him up right away"
''It isn't illness. 1t really isn't any
thing in your line Of business. We are
just locked out"
Mollie blurted it ont at last. She
heaved a little sigh of relief and hur-
ried on.
"Our landlord said you had big
! bunch of keys and were very clever
about-about such things. And ]
hoped you'd help us, SO 1 ventured to
wake you. 1t really is a serious mat.
ter, or L wouldn't have dreamed Of dis
turbing you"
There was a tremble in her voice
that convinced the drug clerk. It
was the same tremble that won the
landlord. Moreover, she was young
and he was young. And he did hap
pen to possess good temper.
81 ought not to leave the store, "
he said. "Trouble for me if 1 get
caught. Is it near?"
"Just around the corner" Mollie
hastened to assure him.
"Wait a minute, then, until get
dressed, and I'll come with YOU"
1t seemed a long time before he
emerged, iingling his bunch OF keys,
but he really made a hasty toilet.
Together they repaired to Mollie's
fiat, and the clerk tried his best TO
unlock the door, but failed. Then
Mollie suggested the freight elevator.
"You know there is a sliding door
in our kitchen where we take the gro
ceres and things off the elevator,
Mary never locks it. / nave to do
that every night the last thing. So
it is sure to be open. And it is quite
a large door, I'm sure I
Then she turned to the drug clerk
deprecatingly.
''I'm afraid I'm heavy and the ropes
are stiff, But do you suppose you
could pull me up on the elevator?"
The janitor's wife's shawl had
slipped off by this time, and Mollie
looked so pretty that it would have
taken a far more seasoned youth than
the drug clerk to Withstand her, es-
pecially when she plead.
/. 'I'm sure can, !" he answered val.
iantly. 'It's a good plan"
But Mrs. Carton refused TO see In
it anything but her daughters doom,
, "Youll be killed." she sobbed
"And then what will your father sayP'
Mollie and the clerk descended tc
, the basement, which, of course, wat
Z dark, but fortunately the drug clerl
hasl a match. They found the ele
| vator after a short search. It WASH
a large elevator. but Mollie squeezed