The Democratic advocate., 1908-08-14
When Betty
Can1eHOrl1e.
Nv C. B. LEWIS.
o.,vrirhted. 1908. by Associated
Cop' Literary Press.

Copyrighted, 1908, Dy Associated -
Cop' Literary Press. u
:s :
r,, arrangement was satisfactory
naro,nd Mrs. Hardin, the widowed
al thor accompanied by her daughter
n.t,, nV and maid was to spend July and
D' r,.t at a seashore resort. Will
din the son, and his college chum,
n~ank n Archer, were to keep bachelors
~ IN the Long Island manor house.
nIr THO faithful old servant who had
,otod rs cook for many years past
49, willing to remain, to care for their
nonts and keep the house from being
,,rnod into a stable, but she was given
two months off with wages and told to
make herself scarce.
N wont we'll at home and at the
,.bora for month. Then the time
ans rne for something to happen, and
.,matbing did happen. The mother
w. with a fall, Miss Betty lost the
M DnIr voung man worth flirting with,
0nJ tha maid came so near being
aron.npd in the surf that she threat
0nod to quit her job unless the family
sstirod to a safe distance from the
Miss Betty wrote her brother Will
that they would arrive home on GER
tain date, and the date was put far
snonch ahead to enable the two camp
~, IN get the dishes washed up and
thoir fish poles removed from the par
Ior But what is the use of writing
iottors TO a brother who doesn't go to
tbo nostofice for mail? The letter ar
rivod all right, but was not called for.
Then, on the afternoon or the even
,nr on which the family were to ar
rive home, Will had to go up to Brook
Ivn on pressing business. 1t was mid
night before the young lady gave an
answer to his pressing question, and
# was two hours later before he
dropDed off freight train at the coun-
try station half mile from home.
Archer was left to fish the time
away, cook his own dinner and go to
he'd at any hour that suited his con-
yeuience. That hour was 9, o'clock,
and be had sixty minutes to get to
sleep when the family arrived. No
Will appeared at the depot to meet
them. but fortunately they found a
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 Will wasn't In
bis bed and that it 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 up. He was dream
ing that he had hooked q fish five feet
long and was playing it. when he
found himself sitting up in bed with
his eyes wide open.
He felt that some noise had disturbed
him. There had been a great deal of
the "Rafles" business in the country.
The chums had talked the matter over
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 alb
sent on this occasion made a differ
ence, 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
Will had not yet returned. Just then
he distinctly heard noise in the lower
part of the house-the fall Of some
thing
Rafles had effected an entrance and
Numbered over a chair. The student of
chemistry hesitated no longer. He
softly opened his door, and, with a
lamp In one hand and a revolver in the
other, he stepped out into the hall to
descend the stairs.
There had certainly been a noise
TWO noises in fact. Mother and daugh-
er occupied rooms at the front of the
mousse After sleeping for a couple of
hours the mother had awakened in a
nervous condition and called her
uaugnter This was number one.
4 Inc daughter had answered, mixed
1 Sleeping draft and knocked the
OOuie OF the stand to the floor. This
I IoaSe mad brought young Archer from
~ room into the hall, and he was just
II ume to encounter Miss Betty as she
"Ss returning to her own room.
Vi course she was startled. OF
sOu'Se ne was startled as well. They
,.e, +e.s not ten feet apart, and as they
.'Ou there staring at each other she
%Sot m;,s mat Will was to have his chum
u nin, and it went clean out of his
1u tuat viii had a mother and sister
'lyWhere on earth.
s,me girls, under the circumstances,
4 ~s su' not have been the first to re-
a.. tlelr wits. Miss Betty was.
ban louoned the young man down the
h,th. aud When he could back up no
him Sne advanced quite close tc
l %, and whispered.
har' O'aer Is very nervous, and If she
pIs%, you . were in the house the shock
Islt kill her."
Ss,n' replied Archer in some won
s,i,a 'e IS some silver plate down
na Md out I'm afraid it's not very
Ss,a 10 you take bric-a-brac? If so,
Worth .e few pieces in the parlor
sen ass sOuf bother. Won't you please
AMI ,. uown and take what you want
w cave US alone nm boro2n