The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-03
reIful Of matches in plain sight in every

reIfuI of matches in plain sight IN every
md ash trays attached to every chair.
50 that the ashes need not be deposited On
the floor. And lots Of puffy cushions
And djvan in the corner, where We
could mean. your sister
Walter. I heard il again-that queer
little cough. LISTEN She had come close
10 him, evidently startled I'm sure 1
heard something
Wasn't it q mouse in the WALTZ he ask
ed. Offering the masculine solution Tor al
feminine teTrors-
No If was a human sound, like Chok-
e6-on s1eezc It might have come from
the next room" Walter boldly led the
wav. closely followed ty Beth, who was
s,.rrantitIousIy holding q corner OF his
coat 10 his vast delight All was empty
and silent
.gThis isn't had room. If you want any
ideas about furnishing, Why don't you ask
Miss Cragan2 She is aEfully good At that
sort of thing" Beth's face changed inde-
scribablv. II she had been in another
walk of life. you would have said that she
turned I'D her nose. 1 don't know the po-
! lite equivalent.
/ Thanks. I'm afraid our ideas would
\ hardly harmonic" she said. Well, I'm
very glad TO have seen you, Walter. but
YOU mustn't let me detain you" This IN
/ the most society of tones. rs a mild pun
/ ishment for dragging in that Cragan girl.
Walter. however, thought she was giving
up rather huffy-
| please remember me to your sister"
he said, with an expressionless handshake.
! Il hope you viii be successful IN your
| hunt Good afternoon"
/ THANK you. Good-by," she said. cooIIy,
! so there was nothing for him TO do but
/ go, which he did with much dignity, shut
! ting the door behind him with exaggerated
l..
so ding to. Nobody was going to
1 call him back Ask that Cragan girl, in
deedI Evidently he was epTis in that
direction already, when just month ago
Ia girl who married him would have q
nice time OF it FickIeness is such a hoT-
rid trait Beth congratulated herself on
being well out of it. and felt so relieved
/ that she sat down on an empty box and
took out her handkerchief: then stuffed il
resolutely back. determined to shake the
dust of that neighborhood from her feet.
As she started to open the door there was
a quick movement on the other side. and,
10 her aTnazement, the knob was seized
and held fast before she had half turned
II. She could not move it one way OF the
other.
walter What are you trying to do2
she exclaimed Indignantly. and then dis
covered that it was not the hall door that
she was trying, but one that she had sGp-
| posed led into closet. A SILVER OF dead
IL fear ran over her, and her heart beat
| wildly. but she would not run. Perhaps
| the door led into the next room, and
Walter had slipped in there, though pTac-
teal jokes were not particularly in his
| line She stole ouh into the next room
but 1t had 10 door on that side. Evident
". then. it was 8 closet, with somebody
in 1t, and she had a right to be fright
ened, so she ran quickly down the stairs
and opened the front door.
Walter, meanwhile, had slowly crossed
the street. Not even after the most bach
eIor Of suppers did he even have any
trouble in mounting his own steps and 1T
| ting his own latch key. but this Afternoon
both took an abnormaily long time. HI
was about to give it up and &c IN whel
he was rewarded by hearing low call O
''WaIterI" from the opposite house.
What is it he asked, hurTying over
''Oh, Walter she said, painting a little
there is someone up stairs in that cor
! ner room closet tried to open the door
and I distinctly felt some enc grab thi
| handle. couldn't move it. I'm awful,
: / frightened
Are you sure It wasn't just stuek?'
; he asked, following her into the house
} Certain Besides. 1 heard somebod,
move. Walter gfinned a little, as mel
! viii, and started to make some teasini
remark, but stopped with uplifted heal
! and listened There was an unmfstakabH
sound from the room above, the whine 0
| door slowly opening. They tiptoed Vi
stairs, Walter signaling caution and Bet
Clutching Up her skirt il one hand.