The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-08-12
When Betty
Came Home.
By c. b. LEWIS.
BY c. b. LEWIS.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.

August ut a seashore resort. Will
Hardin, the son, and his college chum
Frank Archer. were to keep bachelors
hall In the Long Island manor house.
The faithful old servant who had
acted as cook for many years past
WIS willing to remain, to care for their
wants and keep the house from being
turned into n stable but she was given
two months off with wages and told to
make herself scarce.
All went well at home and at the
seashore for month. Then the time
was ripe for something to happen, and
something did happen. The mother
met with II fall. Miss Betty lost the
only young man worth flirting with,
and the maid came 30 near being
drowned In the surf that she threat
ened to quit her job unless the family
retired to safe distance from the
raging sea.
Miss Betty wrote her brother Win
that they would arrive home ON GER
tain date, and the date was put far
ers to get the dishes washed up and
their fish poles removed from the par
lor. But what Is the use of writing
letters to n brother who doesn't go to
the postofiice for mail? The letter ar
rived all right. but was not called for.
Then, on the afternoon or the even
ing on which the family were to ar
III, ha1 -. IL
Ign on pressing business. II WAS mid
night before the young lady gave an
answer to his pressing question, and
It wits two hours later before he
dropped Off freight train ut the coun-
try station half a mile from home.
Archer was left to fish the time
away cook his own dinner and go to
bed at any hour that suited his con
yenience. That hour was o'clock,
and lie had sixty minutes to get to
sleep when the family arrived. No
VIII appeared at the depot to meet
them, but fortunately they found II
conveyance, and fortunately Miss
Betty had carried her latchkey away
with her and could now make use of It.
As the hour was late no time was
wasted looking around-just enough TO
be satisfied that brother VIII wasn't In
his bed and that II would take two
robust women two weeks to put the
house In Its former tidy shape. The
| arrivals had been abed for two hours
/ when Archer woke ap. lie was dream
| Ing that he had hooked fish five feet
| long and was playing II, when he
found himself sitting up In bed with
his eyes wide open.
lie felt that some noise had disturbed
him. There had been great deal OF
| the "Rafiles" business in the country
| The chums had talked the matter ovei
and decided what was to be done In
case he invaded the house under their
| guardianship.
They were armed and they were to
do their best to kill or capture him
One chum and one revolver being ab
sent on this occasion made differ.
encc, but nevertheless the chum on
the spot prepared to die for his host.
Getting softly out of bed and partly
dressing, he soon assured himself that
WIN had not yet returned. Just then
he distinctly heard II noise In the lower
part of the house-~tbe fall of some
thing.
Rallies had effected an entrance and
Numbered over chair. The student OF
chemistry hesitatcd no longer. He
softly opened his door, and, with u
lamp In one hand and Il revolver In the
other, he stepped out into the hall to
descend the stairs
There had certainly been noise
two noises In fact. Mother and daugh-
ter occupied rooms ut the front Of the
house. After sleeping for n couple of
hours the mother had awakened In n
nervous condition and called her
daughter. This was number one.
The daughter had answered, mixed
sleeping draft and knocked the
bottle off the stand to the floor This
noise had brought young Archer from
his room into the hall, and lie was just
In time to encounter Miss Betty as SHE
was returning to her own room.
or course she was startled. OF
were not ten feet apart, and rs they
stood there staring ut each other she
forgot that WIN was to have his chun
with him. ana II went clean out Of bis
head that VIII had mother and sister
anywhere on earth.
Some girls, under the circumstances,
might not have been the first to re-
1T. n..tt
She notoned the young man down the
hall, and when he could back up nc
farther she advanced quite close tC
him and whispered:
Mother Is very nervous, and II she
| knew you were In the house the shock
| might kill her"
"Y-e-s," replied Archer In some won
| derment
"There Is some silver plate down
| stairs, but I'm afraid It's not very
| good. DO you take bric-a-brac? II so
| there are a few pieces In the parlol
worth your bother. Won't you please
step down and take what you want
| and leave us alone up here"
But, Miss Miss stammered Arch
| err who hadn't yet got 1t through his
head that the family had returned un
| expectedly.
I'VE have two watches and three
diamond rings up here, but II you
must have them let me get them.
won't be gone more than minute,
aud | wish you would be very quiet
while I'm gone. I wouldn't have moth
er wake up for thousand dollars"
But see here, miss. y i don't want
| your rings and Watches" the blusbing
and confused young man managed to
| articulate.
"Hushl Not SO loudr' she cautioned
as she raised her hand and entered her
room.
He stood there, feeling and looking
like a polite idiot for the next two
minutes, and then Betty reappeared,
held out the watches and rings on her
palm and whispered: