The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-26
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BYMARY ROBERTS RINEHART
Author observation-disclosures nENkNN LOWEEM
Copyright. fsos. Ths Roess MsrrsH oszrl

bare fafIN1tJ lAfBi 4''7t b''''t'N'' $50
windows was an array Of pans OF va
rlous sizcs-dish pans. cake tins. and
a metal foot tub. The pans were rails
ed from the floor on bricks, and seem
I'd 10 he fun Of paper. All the chairs
and tables we're pushed back against
the wall. and the bric-a brac was
stacked on the mantel
Half an hour yet" Dal said. clos
ing his watch. PLENTY OF time. ana
remember the signal, four short ana
two long"
-Four short ard two io1g-all right.
sir"
"And--F1anniFan here's something
for you, on account"
THANK Won. sir
Dai turned to go ont trippcd over
the rug. said something. and passed
me without an idea OF my presence.
4 moment later Flanagan went out,
and | was left huddled against the
wall. and alone.
II was puzzing enough. -Four long
and two short" "All but the powder
Net that / believed fer moment what
Max had said. and anyhow Flanni-
gan was the sanest person ! ever saw
in my life. But IT ali seemed part
of the mystery that had been hang
my way across the room and knelt
by the pans Yes. they were there
full of paper and mounted on bricks
Ii had not beer a delusion.
And then | Strengthened on my knees
suddenly. for an automobile passing
under the windows had sounded four
short honks and two long ones. The
signal was followed instantly by q
crash The foot bath had fallen from
it's supports. and lay quivering and
vibrating with hOrrid noises at my
feet The next moment Mr.. Harbi-
| son had thrown open the door and
lenped into the room.
who's there ?" he demanded.
Against the light I could see him
reaching for his hip pocket, and the
rest crowding up around him.
! IT'S only me-" l quavered. that is,
/ l. The--the dish pan upset"
"Dish pant" Bella said from the
| back in the crowd Exit, of course
Jim forced his way through then and
{ turned on the lights. | have no doubt
| / looked very strange. kneeling there
! nn the bare floor, with a row Of pans
! mounted ON bricks behind me. and the
furniture ali piled on itself in back
/ corner.
Kit, What in the world" Jim
/ began and stopped He stared from
me to the pans, to the windows, to the
bric-a hrac OH the mantel. and back
to me
sat stonily silent Why should
+ / explain? Whenever ] got into
foolish position, and tried TO
/ explain, and tell how 1t hap
pened, and who was really TO
me somehow. So | sat there on the
floor and let them stare And finally
Iollie Mercer got her breath and said.
How perfectly lovely: it's charade! y
And Anne guessed Kitchen" at
once. Kit, you know. and the pans
and-all that" she said vaguely At
that they all took to guessing! And
| sat still, until Mr., HARRISON saw
the storm in my eyes and came over
to me.
Have YOU hurt your ankle" he SAID
in an undertone. let me help you
up"
Il am not hurt / said colby, land
even if were, it would be- unneces-
sary 10 trouble you"
4 cannot help being troubled" he
returned just as evenly. You see
1t makes me ill for days If my car
runs over a dog"
Luckily. at that moment Dal came
in. He pushed his way through the
crowd without q word, shut off the
| lights, crashed through the pans anc
slammed the shutters close. Then h
} turned and addressed the rest.
"Of all the lunatics--!" he began
only there was more to 1t than that
, ~ fellow gees To all kinds of trou-
bic 20 put an end to this miserable
situation. and the entire household
! turns out and sets to work to frus-
trate the whole scheme. You like t,
stay here, don't YOU, like chickens IN
COOP Where's Flahnigan?"
Nobody understood Dal's wrath then
but 1t seems he meant to arrange the
plot himself and when il was ripe
and the hour nearly come. he intended
10 wager that he could break the quar-
antine, and to take any odds he could
get that he would free the entire par
I " in half an hour. AS for the plan
itself. it was idioticaly simple, we
were perfectly delighted when We
heard IT. 1t vas so simple and vet SO
I comprehensive. We didn't see Low II
could faif. Both the Mercer girls kiss
ed Dial on the strength OF IL. ana Anne
was furious. Jim was not So much
pleased. for SONS reason or other, and
Mr. HARRISON lookeo thoughtful rather
than merry, Aun: Selma had gone &c
bed.
(ro be Conttnued.l