The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-08-02
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


+oble adornments melt away with a sink |
ING heart She had cautioned. warned |
and scolded, but it awaited nothing Plates |
,rond slip from faccid fingers to the I'M
viaIding surface of the slate drain board.
cnus would bump against the brass fau-
cers above the enameled sink. If ever in
animate things were possessed with a
rage for self destruction the chinaware
of the Thurstons certainly took the sui
cidal palm.
Unfortunately for this theory all these
brsaiages were traced directly to Della /.
Mann.
Della was q good girl and fairly capa- !
bla girl. and she meant to please. but /
when it came to dish washing and wiping +.
she seemed marked with a smashing ma
MIN Alice ThurstOn was patient and
Iona, suffering. She liked Della and bore
with her weakness in a most exemplary
way. once she told her she would have to
rgv for the ware she had broken, and
Ie.;a. who was weak on mathematics
aaarrlv consented. But when the end Of
a.. month came the hreakage total was
8. .rgc that Alice felt ASHAMED To take
ii alt OF the poor girls wages and said
ra more about il.
ulGa was an admirable cook and of
n. and steady habits. She was as hon
e., a- the day and as careful Of the
ri -tou supplies as if they were her
own
It one day poor Della let slip hand
s... platter against the cruel slate, and
q Shower OF fragments scattered over The
hart oi floor. Then the wrath of Alice
I'LL ,on bIazed forth.
.NOIa,' She holly said, "thi< is past all
NJ, @ucc Ii You break another thing
4. #eak, ! will certainly be obliged to
b.. sal 20.
IUH. Della said nothing. She bent low
a .er broom and dustpan as she gath
c.t ap the debris. Sine knew the mis-
tr- was entirely justified in her Jut-
BURST
W.I. for wonder she didn't break
t for three whole days. Il required
ega. self possession and a most painful
indebtedness, but she broke her record
L.. Hury.
a.u came Friday, ANA after tho usUa.
siuI.n luncheon winch George lAUr~t9u
at With AHce Whenever he could spare
Oh. NW" to make Il hurried dash homo
All laek, but which Alice ate alone ON
this particular Friday, she sand u Della:
81 W gong down town To do some
Christmas shopping and VIII probably
wal. and come home with Mr.. Thurstou.
81 sure to answer the bell and have din
uer ready to serve at g.
y y ~, sand Della, and soon she
heard the front door siam and knew her
pretty young mistress had started forth.
Della was dong up the dishes, but
she stopped short and stepped into the
dining room. From the dining room She
passed INTO a storeroom that adjoined the
former apartment. 1t was dark room,
with one window opening on prospect
Of brick wall Its only piece Of furniture
was the new telephone that stood on its
little table against the west wall.
Della didn't like the telephone. She
could use It, but 1t bothered her. Della
was slow thinker, and the rapid pace of
telephone conversation was too confus-
Ing % be agreeable. She took from a
hook the ancient black shawl which she
was wont to toss about her shoulders
when she made hurried excursions to the
iittl- grocery in the next street and threw
It over the phone and its table. Then
She went out with smile Of satisfaction
AM locked the door behind her. She fan
eed she had effectually gagged the an
moving instrument. She certainly didn't
mean to hear the warning bell if she
could help it.
To still further enhance the impossible
y of telephone interruption, Della, as
she resumed her dish drying labor lifted
her by no means unmusical voice in
song OF her childhood days She warbed
on with her back to the door, quite I'M
conscious of the fact that it was being
slowly pushed open
\ moment or two later heavy hand
caught her firmly by the shoulder, and
marsh voice growled fierce threat i'll her
ear
he plate in her hands fell to the floor
with heavy crash.
lAat settles it," said Della Mann
Then she was dragged into the dining
room and the door closed behind. She
looked up There were two men, and one
q ihrm held a revolver close under her
nose She looked at them stupidity. Della
reasoned slowly.
fellow %', mtb We We DO ro, with herr sro"ed the
Ca, bor and tio hor IN chair and
hide her AWAY so,nouhara y ,ros tbo no.
Spouse. And tbev did II with incrndibe
oIEH1neSs; Her ankles were dashed to the
men quickly produced unr hands were
Securely fastened bebind the hack of the
chair, and then an extra large handker-
chief was tied around hor head and over
her mouth. One of the men stepned TO
Tho r4.,.