The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-09-10
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LOVE AND THE
LOCKSMITHS.
By MARTHA COBB SANFORD.
Copyrighted, 1907. by M. M. Cunningham.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

fashionable avenue where she lived
to the dingy little side street, with its
miniature shops and pretentous signs
Yes, it still hung there between a
cigar shop and secondhand store-a
mammoth yellow key. She had seen
1t many a time. That must mean a
locksmith, and a locksmith was for
her at that crucial moment most essen
tial, for Agatha had locked herself out.
But the locksmith's door refused to
bulge. Then a piece of paper stuck
In the inside Of the door frame caught
Agatha's attention
"Out VIII return at 8 p. m.," she
read, with dismay.
She looked at her little chatelaine
watch. 1t was 5:35. In half an hour
her father would be home to dinner,
bringing business friend with him.
It was hard enough, heaven knows, to
have the maid take French Tor, more
truthfully speaking, SCOTCH leave that
very morning and courageous enough,
ner herself so as not to disappoint her
father, but to be locked out of the
house at the eleventh hour and to find
the locksmith out into the bargain
this was a crisis for tears.
A young man stepped out of the
neighboring cigar shop just in time to
see Agatha's handkerchief make lit
tie dab at each of her moist blue eyes.
"Can l be Of service to your he
asked CALAMITY.
I'm afraid not, thank you," Agatha
replied, checking her momentary dis
play of emotion.
But the young man was so politely
sOlicitous that Agatha, In her distress,
explained her dilemma, ending her ex-
PLANTATION with, And the locksmith,
you see, has the reconsideration to be
out"
well, we can overcome that diff
Guilty easily enough" was the young
mans cheerful response. you see, /
know the man who keeps the cigar
store here very we'll and 1 can get
through his shop into the locksmith's.
Just wait a minute"
Agatha waited and soon the young
man reappeared, dangling a bunch Of
skeleton keys in his hand
"These will open most anything, /
reckon" he said, smiling at Agatha
Nov, If you'll kindly let me accom-
pany you to where you live, I'll have
the door open in a jiffy."
IN hfe Ax1
Agatha, actually inside Of her own
home once more, was profuse In her
expressions of gratitude.
IT don't know how to thank you,
Mr. She stopped short and then
added naiveIy, II don't know your
name either"
Black" the young man prompted,
"Just plain Black"
at was an awfully white thing for
you to do, anyway" Agatha replied,
her eyes twinkling. "And am under
deep obligations to you. Mr.. Black"
"Not at ALL" answered the alleged
Mr.. Black, lifting his hat as he left.
The dinner went of with remark
able smoothness, and Agatha had no
intention of discounting the comph-
ments she received by letting her IA
Their know OF her carelessness, but
suddenly she put her hand to her belt
and exclaimed, my watch-I've lost
itW
Then she remembered when she had
last looked at the time, and in flash
it came over her that her watch had
been stolen from her by the solicitous
Mr.. Black" She was forced to make
full confession.
what sort of looking chap was hep
inquired her father.
mot at all bad looking" answered
Agatha almost defantly; really,
rather handsome You don't suppose
I'd let any horrid looking old thing
come to my assistance, do your
Her father laughed In spite of him
self.
But he was a friend of the man
that keeps the cigar store, you say,
and had no trouble in getting a bunch
of skeleton keysT
Agatha admitted both points reluc-
family.
Hum, bad lot" commented her ia
Their. Probably had the keys in his
pocket all the time. Come on, Balm
bridge" he added, addressing his
guest, you and l have got to get busy
mighty quick. Suppose we visit that
cigar store first"
Agatha, left alone, sat for awhile
tapping the toe of her smart little
slipper on the floor, evidently puzzling
over the details of her afternoon ad-
venture. Then she picked up a book
and was endeavortng to make herself
follow the thread of the story when
the bell rang. She jumped up nerv-
ously and ran to answer 1t, expecting
her father and Mr.. cambridge back
again
When she opened the door she gave
little scream of fright and tainted
"Mr. Black" caught her In his arms
and then, realizing the seriousness of
the situation, hurriedly laid her on
couch and ran into the dining room
for glass of water
AS soon as Agatha revived sufi-
GENTLY she screamed "Thiefr' at the
Top OF 06r voice.
AS If in providential answer to her
cry, key clicked in the lock Of the
outside door, and Agatha, hearing her
fathers step, ran to meet him, still
calling Thief, THEIR breathlessly.
Her father grabbed the young man
by the throat and yelled at him hoarse-
IL. $50 it wasn't enough to steal my
daughters watch. You had to come
back, while she was alone, you scoun-
drel, and try to rob my house. Search
his pockets, AgathaP'
Agatha hesitated.
Search his pockets, girlr' Mr.. An
derson repeated This time Agatha
obeyed. She had never seen her father
In such a towering rage
"Oh!" she cried suddenly. ooh, he
did steal 1t! Here 1t is" and she drew
the little jeweled timepiece from one
of the mans pockets.
The young man made a frantic eff
fort to speak, and Mr. Anderson re-
leased his grip on his throat slightly.
"Well, what have you to say for
yourself?' he demanded harshly.
I'm not a thief" Mr.. Black said
huskily. 81 wish to explain how 1
came by the watch. Your daughter
must have dropped 1t this afternoon
outside the locksmith's. The man In
the cigar store found it on the side
walk, and when went back with the
keys he gave it to me and asked me
to find out If 1t belonged to this young
lady"
"a pretty story" commented Aga
tha's father with a sneer. Agatha,
ring up the police. Wait minute"
he added as the doorbell rang. That's
Bainbridge Run and let him in"
'Uncle? exclaimed the prisoner as
Mr.. cambridge crossed the library
threshold