The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-17

rlble. Presently he paused in his rest less walk and took up a book from tho table. It was one of Marie Corellf s novels, He stood at the window and read while I sat in a creaking rocking chair and rocked. The silence was un- broken.
 After fifteen minutes of this Tom con suited his watch. It had grown quite dark.
 "what time is it?" timidly inquired.
 "Quarter of seven."
 I laughed It was the only thing to do. In moment we were both shaking with merrinent and fatigue.
 Heavens, Bessl Don't you smell fish?'' Tom stopped laughing and sniffed. Sure enough a faint scent of fried lobster was waited through from an adjoining room.
 "'This is too much. Isn't there any way for us to escape, quietly withdraw, or something?" Toms hand was on the latch of the door For a minute q wild idea of flight also took possession of me, but the next moment recovered my self control.
 ''No Tommy, she'd see you. Besides, she'd never forgive us. She has longed to see more of you, and we are really giving her pleasure'
 I wish 1t was mutual" said Tom, fer vently.
  summons to supper. I was hungry enough to eat anything. but Toms with ering glance at the objectionable lobster might have spoiled 1t where 1t stood, If that had been possible. He would only eat a baked potato, and Cousin Ella was much concerned about his health. Did he suffer from indigestion? If so, had he tried dyspepsia tablets7 She told of friend, clergyman, who had been com pletely cured of a very dreadful form Of dyspepsia by these same little tablets.
 At this Tom began making fun of all patent medicines, with wholesale bitter condemnation of the whole list He oven gave a side hit at the more popular sys- tems of physical culture, with a satirical reference in passing ts vsgetarianism and other food fads. These were Cousin El- las pet theories and her face grew long CT and longer as he went on. After sup per she did not urge us to stay. She gave me a pamphlet called '"The Fat or the Land" and told mo in confidence, out of Toms hearing. that she thought he would find himself mistaken. She also asked me if was really happy-in a plying kind of way.
 It was a subdued couple that sat in the electric car some minutes later speeding homeward l was too tired and cold to laugh. About half way home 1t began to drizzle-an easterly storm which had come to stay. Ol tuO WaJ uP Iio ilAlt to our own little house. which confess had never seemed so dear before. Tom suddenly stopped and commenced hunt ing in his pockets. The blank despair which spread over his face as he came to the last one was enough to tell me the awful truth.
 you haven't lost the keyi"
 well what does it look iiker' he snarled. Plague take it. left 1t in my other coat pocket."
 "What shall we do?" My tones were plaintive.
 "Oh. there are the windows"
 When we arrived at the house Tom went systematically along the the piazza trying the windows. He took ladder from the back yard, next door. and at the rlsk of his life, made thorough exarni- nation of all the others. have always prided myself on my carefulness about locking things up and this was no ex- ception. We stood on the piazza and gazed through the senseiess glass at our cozy little living room, and II was like looking Into paradise. from that other