The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-06-25
Going Home

another, they have carried to the SUI
perlative degree the theory of letting
one another alone. Their idea is that
the only way to be truly happy Is not
to be perpetuaIly demanding informa-
ton as to One another's movements
and plans. The result is that no Fal-
loway knows at all about the other
Falloways.
This was why Sumner galloway had
a sudden idea in the middle of golf
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 1mmersing himself in work
inside of Is minutes, after the habit
of most men, he had dropped Off his
train when it 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
were due at just about this time. If so,
1t would be joy to go home instead of
to the club, where he had lived while
in town that winter.
Fastening indoors, he called his
home telephone number, and after the
usual delays was told cold-bloodedly
by meat market that 1t was not the
galloway residence To be sure It
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 he
would save time by calling up the
Bremers, who lived next door to the
galloway home.
When he got the Bremers there was
nobody in but a foreign maid, who was
hard of comprehension. Reducing his
inquiries to simple form he learned
from Freda that there were people in
the house next door," and sighed re-
lieVedly. It would be fine to see his
father and mother again after so many
months, and it would be pleasant to
have his own roof over his wandering
head once more.
Then he finished his golf game, had
dinner with some friends, and, once
more clutching his faithful suitcase,
started for home.
There were no lights downstairs, but
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. Whistling
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, too!
Then he rang the bell. There was
no answer. Suddenly he comprehend
ed. In everybody's absence thieves
were living there and sacking the
house! Anyhow, he was going to see
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 were 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, a little
crisply; "but scarlet fever is happen
ing-didn't you know? What are you
doing here?"
Then she told him the story. It
seemed the Hopkinses on the other
side of the Falloways from the Bre-
mer's had relative who had come to
visit them, bringing her little boy and
the little boy had brought along a case
OF scarlet fever. The Hopkinses, DOS
sesstng three small children on their
own account, in their panic had begged
from Summers brother Fred, who was
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 a
nurse were occupying the quarantined
galloway home.
AS It appeared, so did Sumner. When
ne, 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
AT present he is still in quarantine.
waiting to be fumigated and released.
Daily, over the telephone with it's new
he reproaches his charitable
brother Fred who haa an q hopoin,Llo