The Cairo bulletin., 1910-06-14
GoiingF1orne


to be perpetually demanding informa-
ton as to one another's movements
and plans. The result Is that no Fal.
oway knows at all about the other
Falloways.
This was why Sumner galloway had
a sudden idea In the middle of COLT
game. He had been west for two
months on business and was breaking
off the travelling habit by degrees In.
stead OF landing in Chicago at once
and umersing himself In work
inside OF Is minutes, after the habit
Of most men, he had dropped off his
train when 1t neared his golf club be-.
cause the day was fine.
The idea which had clutched him
while he was playing golf that day
was that probably his father and moth,
er had arrived home from their win
ter in California and the family house
was open again The elder Falloways
We're due at Just about this time. If so
It would be Joy to go home instead oi
to the club, where he had lived while
IN town that winter
Fastening indoors. he called his
home telephone number, and after til,
usual delays was told coldbIoodedly
by d meat market that 1t was not the
Falloway residence. To be sure |,
might have the old galloway telephone
number, but nevertheless it was inter
ested only In chops and steaks. Dis
gruntled. Sumner concluded that In
stead Of going through the red tape OF
calling the information bureau biz
would save time by calling up The
Bremers. who lived next door to ths
galloway home.
When he got the Bremers there wa,
nobody in but foreign maid, who was
hard Of comprehension. Reducing hi
inquiries to simple form he learned
from Freda that there were people II
the house next door" and sighed re
lievedly. 1t would be fine to see his
father and mother again after so man,
months, and It would be pleasant te
have his own roof over his wanderins
head once more
Then he finished his golf game, hat
dinner with some friends, and, once
more clutching his faithful suitcase
started for home.
There were no lights downstairs, bui
through the hall window on the SECOND
floor he could see the reflection from
lights In the rear, Probably they were
Just beginning to get settled Whistins
he ran up the steps and tried his latch
key. The key turned, but the door was
bolted inside. That was odd, so early
In the evening, tool
Then he rang the bell. There waa
no answer. Suddenly he comprehend
ed, In eyerybody's absence thieves
were living there and sacking the
house! Anyhow, he was going to SEQ
what was going on inside. He re
membered a certain basement window
that could be opened Crawling In
and sprawling on the coal pile, he
stumbled carefully up to the ground
floor and stealthily to the second.
The house seemed deserted and
deadly still. But at the second floor
landing he saw the light again, and on
tiptoe he ventured toward 1t. The
door of bedroom was open, and he
walked in. To all appearances he was
in hospital room. There we're no
rugs. curtains or fripperies, and the
white-capped nurse who arose In
alarm from her chair by the bed added
the browning touch She and Sumner
stared in establishment at each other.
"Wh-what's happened?" he gasped.
Nothing" said the nurse. little
crisply; but scarlet fever is happen.
ingdidn't you know? What are you
doing here?"
Then she told him the story II
seemed the Hopknses on the other
side of the Falloways from the Bre.
mer's had a relative who had come to
visit them, bringing her little boy and
the little boy had brought along case
of scarlet fever. The Hopkinses. pos.
sessing three small children on their
own account, in their panic had begged
from Summers brother Fred, who was
married and lived elsewhere, the tenn
porary use of the vacant galloway
house for their afflicted relative. AS
the elder Falloways had decided to
stay away another month Fred had
granted the Hopkinses request. The
scarlet-fever boy, his mother and q
nurse were occupying the quarantined
galloway home.
AS ii appeared so did Sumner. When
he, after an agonized and heated talk
With the powers that be, learned that
he was indeed at home and home to
stay for quite time, his remarks
were vigorous and profuse.
AZ present he is still In quarantine.
waiting TO be fumigated and released
Daily, over the telephone with its new
number he reproaches his charitable
brother Fred who has an abominable
sense OF humor and SO Ia not soothing
to talk to-.