Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-30

Send MIN up, was Her answer W lAe
inaudible Questioner.
She laid down the receiver Then
she put it back. Then she stood up,
her silver head in the air, her erect
little figure held motionless.
Janet Smiths dark eyes sought
hers; her lips parted only to close
firmly again.
Even the detective perceived the
electric intensity OF the moment. and
Rupert shut his fists tight, with a
quickened beating of the heart: but
emstional vibrations did not disturb
Mrs. Melville Winters poise. She
continued her plant.
This present situation is unbear-
able unprecedented and un-un-un-
expected" she detained, rather gro
ping for climax which escaped her.
Aunt Rebecca raised her hand.
Would you be so very kind. Mill
cent" said she, "as to wait moment?
am trying to listen"
Like a response to her words, the
knob of the door was turned, the
door swung, and Archie entered the
room, smiling his odd little chewed-up
smile.
Janet uttered faint cry and took a
single step, but. as il recognizing a
superior right, hung back while the
boy put his arm about his great-aunt's
waist and rather bashfully kissed her
cheek.
She received the salute with entire
composure, except for tiny splash OF
red which crept up to each cheek
bone is 1t really you, Archie?' said
she. you are little late for dinner
day before yesterday, but quite in time
for to-day. Sit down and tell us
where you have been"
quite sol" exclaimed Mrs. Milli-
cent. Good heavens! Do you know
how we have suffered? Where have
you been? Why did you run away?"
But Archie, who had surrendered
one-half Of him to be Rugged by Miss
Smith and the other to be clapped on
the shoulder by his uncle, seemed to
think a vaguely polite "How-de-do,
Aunt Millicent; I'm sorry to have wor-
ried you!" to be answer enough. Only
when the question was repeated by
Mrs. Winter herself did he reply: I'm
awfully sorry, Aunt Rebecca, but I've
promised not to say anything about it.
But, truly, didn't mean to bother
you"
Millicent exploded in an access Of
indignation: "And do you mean that
you expect us to accept such ridicu-
lous promise-after all we have been
through?"
quite So" remarked Aunt Rebecca,
with a precise echo Of her niece's
most Anglican utterance--the gift of
mimicry had been one of Mrs. Win
ter's most admired and distrusted So
cial gifts from her youth.
Rupert Winter fastened to distract
Millicent's attention by saying, de-
cisively: IF the boy has promised.
that ends it; he can't break his parole.
Anyhow, they don't seem to have hurt
you, old SOM"
ooh, they treated me dandy, those
fellows" said Archie. Miss Janet, l
know how to run an electric motor
car, except backing"
"I'll bet you do" muttered the de-
tective.
Here the colonel came to the boys
relief second time and drew Birdsall
aside. "Best let me pump the chap
little. You get downstairs and see
how he got here, who brought him.
They'll get clean away. 1t is late for
that as it is. You can report to-mor-
row."
It was the colonel, also, who elm
mated Mrs. Millicent by the mastery
sratagem of suggesting that she pass
the news to Mrs. Wigglesworth. He
artfully added that it would require
tact to let the lady from Boston I'M
derstand that the lad had been found
without in any way gratifying her
natural curiosity in regard to the man
ner of finding or the cause OF disap-
pearance. 'I'll have to leave that to
YOU" he concluded. Maybe you can
see a way out; confess my hands
are in the air"
Millicent thus relegated to the am
bassador's shelf, the colonel slipped
comfortably into his pet armchair
facing his nephew on the lounge be-
tween Aunt Rebecca and Miss Smith.
Miss Smith looked frankly, charmingly
happy. Aunt Rebecca looked rather
tired.
"Of course" he remarked, Il under
stand, old man, that you have promised
secrecy to the Fireless Stove gang,
as we'll call them; but the other kid
napers, the crowd that held up your
car and then switched you off On
side track while young Fireless was
haven't any hold on
you?"
mo, sir" said Archie; "but-you
see, that strange gentleman and Aunt
Millicent-I was scared lest I'd give
something away"
They're not here now. All friends
here. Suppose you make a clean
breast of your second kidnapping. 1t
may be important you should
Nothing loath, Archie told his story.
Left outside while Tracy went into
the Office with policeman, to whom
ne gave his assumed name, he re-
NAMED for hardly two minutes before
gentleman and cop" came up to
i'm, and the latter ordered him to
iascend from the machine-but not
until they had found it impossible to