The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-16
WHEN A MAN MIARRIES

ation-and everything. I got to
thinking things over, and then i
realized the studio was getting
cold, SO / thought l would come
down and take look at the fur
mace. didn't suppose anyone
else would think of 1t. But / lost
myself in that pantry, stumbled
against a half-open drawer. and
nearly went down the dumb
waiter" And, as IL in judgment
on me, at that instant came two
rather terrific thumps from
somewhere below, and inarticulate
words, shouted rather than spok-
en-. 1t was uncanny, of course,
coming as 1t did through the reg
lister at our feet. Mr.. HARRISON
looked startled.
ooh, by the way" said. as
carelessly as / could. "In the ex-
element, 1 forgot to mention 1t.
There is a policeman asleep in the
furnace-room. IL suppose we
will have to keep him now" I fin
ished as airly as possible.
ooh, a policeman-in the eel
lar" he repeated. staring at me,
and he moved toward the pantry
door.
"You needn't go down." ! said
|feverishly, with visions of Bella
Knowles sitting on the kitchen
table, surrounded by soiled dishes
and all the cheerless aftermath of
a dinner party. please don't go
down. Its one of my rules
never to let a stranger go down to
the kitchen. I'm peculiar
that way-and besides, it's-it's
mussy."
Bang! Crash! through the reg
lister pipe, and some language
quite articulate. Then silence.
Look here, Mrs. Wilson," he
said resoiutely. What do l care
about the kitehen7 I'm going
down and arrest that policeman
for disturbing the peace. He will
have the pipes down."
you must not CO." said, with
desperate firmness. "He-he is
probably in very dangerous
state just now. We-I-locked
him in"
The HARRISON man grinned and
then became serious.
"Why don't you tell me the
whole thing?" he demanded.
you've been in trouble all even
ing, and you can trust me, you
know, because / am stranger;
because the minute this crazy
quarantine is raised I am off to
the Argentine Republic" (per-
haps Chilli "and because I don't
know anything at all about you.
You see, I have to believe what
you tell me, having no personal
knowledge of any of you to &c
on. Now tell me-whom have
you hidden in the cellar, besides
the policeman"
There was no use trying to de-
ceive him: he was looking
straight into my eyes. So I de.
cided to make the best of bad
thing. Anyhow, 1t was going to
require strength to get Bella
through the coal-hele with one
arm and restrain the policeman
with the other.
Come" I said, making sud
den resolution, and led the way
down the stairs.
He said nothing when he saw
Bella, for which ! was grateful,
She was sitting at the table, with
her arms in front of her, and her
head buried in them. And then
I saw she was asleep. Her hat
and veil laid beside her, and she
had taken off her coat and draped
1t around her. She had rum
mayed out a cold pheasant and
some salad, and had evidently had
a little supper. Supper and a
nap, while l worried myself gray
headed about her!
"She-she came in unexpected
ly-something about the butler"
I explained under my breath.
"And-she doesn't want to stay.
She is on bad terms with--with
some of the people upstairs. You
can see how impossible the situa-
ton is"
81 doubt If we can get her out, /"
he said, as If the situation were
quite ordinary. However, we
can try. She seems very COM
Portable. It's pity to rouse her. /"
Here the prisoner in the fur
mace room broke out afresh. 1t
sounded as though he had taken
a lump of coal and was attacking
the lock. Mr.. HARRISON followed
the noise, and / could hear him
arguing. not gently.
Another sound" he finished,
land you won't get out of here
at all, unless you crawl up the
furnace pipe!"
When he came back, Bella was
rousing. She lifted her head
with her eyes shut and then open
ed them one at time, blinked,
and sat up. She didn't see him at
first.
you wretch!" she said I'M
gratefully. after she had yawned.
do you know what time 1t Isl
And that Then she saw Mr..
HARRISON and sat staring at him.
"phis is Mr.. Harbfson," said
to her hastily. ''He-he came
with Anne and Dial and--he is
shut In. too"