The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1909-04-29
When Betty
Can1eHOn1e.
By c. B. LEWIS.
By c. B. LEWIS.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

Gil around. Mrs. Hardin, the widowed
mother, accompanied by her daughter
Betty and, maid, was to spend July and
August at a seashore resort. Will
Hardin, the son, and his college chum,
Frank Archer, We're to keep bachelors
hall in the Long Island manor house.
The faithful old servant who had
acted as cook for many years past
was willing to remain, to care for their
wants and keep the house from being
turned into 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 a fall, Miss Betty lost the
only young man worth flirting with,
and the maid came so near being
drowned in the surf that she threat
ened to quit her job unless the family
retired to a 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
enough ahead to enable the two camp
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 a brother who doesn't go to
the postoffice 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
rive home, Will had to go up to Brook
lyn on pressing business. 1t was mid
night before the young lady gave an
answer to his pressing question, and
it was two hours later before he
dropped 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 60 to
bed at any hour that suited his con-
venience That hour was O'Clock.
and he 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
his 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 a 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 great deal of
the "RaHles" 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 or
the spot prepared to die for his host.
Getting softly out of bed and partly
dressing. he soon assured himself that
| Will had not vet returned. Just ther
he distinctly heard noise in the lower
part of the house-the fall Of some
thing.
| Raffies had effected an entrance anl
blundered over chair. The student o1
chemistry hesitated no longer. HI
softly opened his door, and, with {
lamp in one hand and revolver in tht
other, he stepped out into the hall t.
descend the stairs.
There had certainly been noise
two noises In fact. Mother and daugh
ter occupied rooms ut the front of th'
house. After sleeping for couple O
hours the mother had awakened in
nervous condition and called he
| daughter This was number one.
The daughter had answered, mixet
a sleeping draft and knocked tn
bottle off the stand to the floor Thi
noise had brought young Archer from
lis room into the hall. and he was jus
In time to encounter Miss Betty as sh
was returning to her own room.
OF course she was startled. o
course he was startled as well. The.
were not ten feet apart. and as the.
stood there staring at each other sh
forgot that Will was to have his chur
with him, and it went clean out Of hi
head that Will had a mother and siste
anywhere on earth.
Some girls. under the circumstances
might not have been the first to RI
cover their wits. Miss Betty wa:
She motioned the young man down tn
hall, and when he could back up n
farther she advanced quite close
him aud whispered:
s'Mother is very nervous. and II sh
knew you were in the house the shoe
might kill her"
"Y-e-s," replied Archer in Dme wo'
derment.
"rhere is some silver plate dOWl
stairs. but I'm afraid it's not yer
good. Do you take bric-a-brac! Ii s.
there are few pieces In the parlt
worth your bother. Won't you pleas
step down and take what you wal
and leave us alone up here?"
"But, Miss-Miss"- stammered Arc
er, who hadn't yet got it through h
head that the family had returned II
expectedly.
"We have two watches and thr,
diamond rings up here. but if "
must have them let me get them.
| won't ho 0onc more than y minuf