The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-26
BY Mary Roberts Rinehart
Copyright, 1000, The Bobbs-NIerrill Company

and screamed at the top of my
voice.
OF course, people came running
in in all sorts OF things. l was
still sitting up, declaring l had
seen ghost and that the house
was haunted. Dallas was strugl
CLING for the second armhole of
his dressing-gown, and Bella had
already turned on the lights. They
said l had had a nightmare, and
not to sleep on my back, and per-
haps l was taking grippe.
And Just then we heard Jimmy
run down the stairs, and fall over
something, almost breaking HIS
wrist. 1t was the eiderdown COM
fort, halfway up the studio stafr-
case!
He Does Not Deny 1t. IS
Aunt Selma got up the next
morning and Jim told her all the
strange things that had been hap
pening. She fixed on Flanagan
of course, although. she still sus-
pected Betty of her watch and
other valuables. The incident
of the comfort she called nervous
indigestion and bad hours.
She spent the entire day going
through the store room and linen
closets, and running her fingers
over things for dust. Whenever
she found any she looked at me
drew a long breath, and said
Poor james," 1t was maddening
And when she went through his
clothes and found some buttons off
| (Jim didn't keep a man, and Taxa.
hiro had stopped at his boots
she looked at my quite awfully.
Ellis mother was perfect
housekeeper," she said. James
was brought up in clothes with
the buttons on. put on clean
shelves"
Didn't they put them on him ?"
asked, almost Historically. II
had been a bad morning, after q
worse night. Every one had found
fault with the breakfast, and they
struggled down one at time until
1 was frantic. Then Flanagan
had talked at me about the pearls,
and Mr.. HARRISON had said, Good
morning" very stiffly, and nearly
ratified the inside of the furnace
out.
Early in the morning, too, ]
overheard a scrap of conversation
between the policeman and our
gentleman adventurer form South
America. Something had gone
wrong with the telephone and Mr.
HARRISON was fussing over it with
a screwdriver and a pair of scis-
sors-all the tools he could find
Flanagan was lifting rugs to
shake them on the roof Bella's
order.
Wash the table lineni" he was
grumbling. "I'll do what 1 can
that's necessary. Grub has to be
cooked, and dishes has to be
washed-I'll admit that. If you're
particular, make up your bed
every cay; l don't object. But
don't tell me we have to use thirty.
three table napkins a day. Wha.
did folks do before napkins was
Invented? Tell me that!"--
triumphantly.
whats the answer" Mr.. Har.
bison inquired sabsently, evidently
with the screw-driver in his
mounth.
USED their pocket handker,
chiefs! And If the worst comes
to the worst, Mr.. HARRISON, these
folks here can use their sleeves,
for all care--not that the women
has any sleeves to speak of. Wash.
clothes will not"
"Well, don't worry Mrs. Wilson
about it," the other voice said
Flanagan Strengthened himself
with a grunt.
Mrs. Wilsoni" he said. "A
lot she would worry. She's been
a disappointment to me. Mr.. Har.
bison, me thinking that now she'd
come back to him. after leavin
him the way she did, they'd be like
1.-TWO trutle-doves. Lord the cooE
next door
But what the cook had told
about Bella and Jimmy was not
ldivniged. for the HARRISON man
Icaught him up with jerk and