Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-28

| would much rather nave told ner tne
house was on fire.
wait a minute, Bella" l said. You
see, something queer has happened.
You know this is the anniversary
we'll, you know what it is-and Jim
was awfully glum. So we thought we
would come"
What are you driving at?" she de-
manded. You are sea- green, Kit.
What's the matter? You needn't think
mind because Jim has a jollifcation
to celebrate his divorce"
| TIT was Takahiro-in the ambu-
lance" l blurted. Smallpox. We
Bella, we art shut in, quarantined."
| She didn't faint. She just sat down
and stared at me, and stared back at
her. Then a miserable alarm clock on
the table suddenly went off like an eX-
plosion, and Bella began to laugh.
knew what that was-hysteria. She
always had attacks like that when
| things went wrong. l was quite des-
pairing by that time; l hoped they
would all hear her and come down.
stairs and take her up and put her to
bed like a Christian, so she could gig
gle her soul out. But after bit she
quieted down and began to cry softly,
and l knew the worst was over. / gave
her a shake, and she was so angry that
| she got over it altogether
| Kit, you are horrid," she choked.
L .gTO hot q
in? l am not going upstairs to face
| Anne and the rest of them. You can
lust put me in the coal cellar"
Isn't there d window you could get
through" 1 asked desperately. Lock
ing the door doesn't shut up a whole
house"
Bella's courage revived at that, and
she said yes, there were windows,
plenty of them, only she didn't see
how she could get out. And said she
would have to get out, because l was
| playing Bella in the performance, and
didn't care to have an understudy.
Then the situation dawned on her, and
she sat down and laughed herself weak
| ~
stay, then, and see the fun out. But
| was firm; she would have to go, and
told her So Things were complicated
enough without her.
Well, we looked funny, no doubt.
Bella in a Russian pony automobile
| coat over the black satin she had worn
at the Clevelands' dinner, and l in
cream lace, the skirt gathered up from
the kitchen floor, with Bella's ermine
pelerine around my bare shoulders. and
dishes and overturned chairs every
where.
Bella knew more about the lower re-
gions of her ex-home than l would
have thought. She opened door in
corner and led the way through mar
row hall past the refrigerating-ro room,
to a huge, cemented cellar with fur
mace in the center, and a half dozen
electric lights making it really bril-
| liant.
| Get a chair" Bella said over her
shoulder, excitedly. Il can get out
easily here, through the coalhole. I'm
agine my"
But it was my turn to grip Bella.
| From behind the furnace were coming
the most terrible sounds, rasping noises
that fairly frayed the silk of my
nerves. We stood petrified for an in
stant Then Bella laughed. They are
not all gone" she said carefully.
| 10 there
We tiptoed to where we could see
around the furnace, and, sure enough,
| some one was asleep there. Only, 1t
was not one of the servants; it was
portly policeman, with a newspaper
and an empty plate on the floor on one
side, and a champagne bottle on the
| other. He had slid down in his chair,
with his chin on his brass buttons, and
his helmet had rolled a dozen feet
away. Bella had to clap her hand over
her mouth.
| Fairly caught" she whispered.
"Sartor Resartus, the arrester arrest
ed. Oh, Jim and his fawless service!"
But after we got over our surprise,
we saw the situation was serious. The
policeman was threatening to awaken.
Once he stopped snoring to yawn nois-
| lily, and we beat hasty retreat. Bel
la switched off the lights in hurry
and locked the door behind us. We
hardly breathed until we were back in
the kitchen again, and everything
quiet And then Jimmy called my
name from up above somewhere.
Il am going to call him down Bella"
said firmly. Let him help you ont.
I'm sure l don't see why l should
have all this when the two of you
"Oh, no, no! Surely, Kit, YOU
wouldn't be so cruel" she whisp 7 ed
pleadingly. You know what he
would think. He-oh, Kit, let them all
get settled for the night, and then
come down, like a dear, and help me
out. know loads of ways-honestly
l do"
IF leave you here" l debated,
what about the policeman"
| Never mind him"-frantiCally.
| Listen, There's Jim up in the pan
try. Run, for the sake of Heaven"
Sol ran. At the top of the stairs
| met Jimmy. very crumpled as to
shirt front and detected as To face.
I've been hunting everywhere for
you" he said dismally. II thought you
had added to the general merriment
by falling downstairs and breaking
your neck"
l went past him with my chin up.
Now that | had time to think about it.,
l was furiously angry with him.
Kit" he cried after me appealingly,
but | would not hear. Then he adopt
ed different tactics. He took advan-
tage of my catching my foot in the lace
of my gown to pass me, and to stand
with his back against the door.
You're not going until you hear me,
Kit" he declared miserably. I'm the
first place, for all you are down on me,
is it my fault? Honestly, now, is IT
nv fault"