The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-05-24
Breaking In

4
ones, sighed young Mrs, Martin. as
she rubbed her bandaged forearm care
fully. Harry says | ought to thank
my protecting gods that | am not wear.
Ing splints for every bone. and sup
pose ought But the burglar was a
big man--so they told us afterward--
and why couldn't | manage a transom
with all my basketball training as well
as he?"
But do tell me what 1t Is all about
said her friend, as she dropped a
bunch of sweet peas into a delicate
vase and filled it with water Your
husband phoned me this morning ask
ing that run over to see you, as your
uncle had gone and you were laid up
with game arm. That's all | know
What about abe burglar? You haven't
had another"
mo, dear, notE another answered
Miss Martin ..What loves of flowers
How sweet of you to bring them! II
is the same old burglar that we had
two months ago and uncle John who
are to blame for all this. Only uncle
John did not mean it.
Harry, you see, called me up late
Thursday after Hilda had left for the
afternoon to tell about uncle Johns
telegram. He was coming that night
and Harry said he would bring him out
II said SO land of course | did
for dinner.
Sudden things always stir me up
dreadfully and flew around for two
hours, getting things ready. till my
head swims even yet.
i set the table and managed every
thing down to the salad before any
thing went wrong. The lettuce the
grocer had sent was wlted and old
and impossible. There was nothing to
do but go out for more. for 1t was too
late to trust to an order by telephone.
So ! went In rush. had to go to
two places before found any lettuce
that would do, and finally | got back
to find that had left my key inside.
| all but screamed then, for | knew
how hopeless 1t was to look for a jani-
tor on Thursday afternoon But be-
gan the hunt-goin. into strange base
ments that proved as dark and empty
as tombs. ~. &
Il was all but desperate when l
thought ROT the burglarz-our burglar.
He had entered through the transom
over the kitchen door, you know, be.
cause our stepladder was on the back
porch and handy The transom was
open, knew, so finally hurried home
and up the back stairs ito our floor.
Hilda had been washing the windows
and had left the ladder out there,
though had told her repeatedly never
to do 1t again. SO ! blessed her for
her disobedience and climbed the lad
der. The transom was only half.open,
but | pushed II up fat and looked in.
1T was dusk by this time, and |
could all but see Harry and uncle
John on their way home. And, no
salad Far down the hall could see
our little dog, Togo. He began to bark
wildly. That made me laugh, and /
saw humor in the situation for the
first time. Here was |. experiencing
just what the burglar must have felt
when he heard Togo bark-for | am
sure Togo barked at the burglar.
Il slipped into the opening easily
and drew my feet off the ladder. Just
tbap tha fro,,t doorhall ronu l,,o.
It must be Harry with uncle John, and
the house was dark and there was no
one to welcome them. So | shut my
eye and jumped.
81 can't for the life OF me tell you
what happened, but the transom
crashed down with me, my foot
slipped from the door knob when |
stepped on 1t and all of us crashed
down together-for Togo met me at
the bottom. having bravely advanced
to the attack With the awful noise
of breaking glass and barking dog, the
front door few open and in came
Harry He thought 1t was the bur.
glar again!
"He rushed in, saying, tauntmgly.
80 you thought you'd come back and
finish the job? Well, you're caught
with the goods this timen And he
flashed on light.
"Well, whenever / think OF my state
OF mind at that moment realize what
crazy people feel like just before they
forget their egos. In the general chat.
ter that followed learned that uncle
John wouldn't get here till the next
day; that Harry had tried to reach
me by phone and had come home
early when he couldn't reach me. |
kept telling him about the lettuce that
had left on the stepladder.
But what really hurts worse than
MY arm is the fact that all of 1t was
useless.
"ln the first burst of coherent talk
Harry asked: Why didn't you 20 back
when you heard my ring and knew |
had a key? Though, after all you
didn't need one. The noise OF the fall
scared the wits out OF me and flung
open the door without even trying to
find my key. Did you slip the latch,
or what was the matter?
Then remembered that did slip
the latch off when went out, because
/ knew the key was In the finger OF
~, ~ aray 5lfyuu and I didn't ba,,a 49,.