The Huttig news., 1910-05-21


 1 cheerful frame of mind. There had been a polo game the day before and l I had lent pony, which is always bad thing to do. And she had wrench i ed her shoulder, besides helping to lose the game. There was no one in l town; the temperature was 90 and climbing and my left hand persistent l ly cramped under it's bandage. 1 Mrs. Klopton herself saw me served, my bread buttered and cut in tidbits, my meat ready for my fork. She hov- cred around me materially. obviously l trying to cheer me.
 The paper says still warmer" she ventured. "The thermometer is 92 now
 And this coffee is 250,' said, put l ting down my cup. Where is Flu l phemia? I haven't seen her around, or heard a dish smash all day"
 "Euphemia is in bed" Mrs. Klopton said grayely 'ls your meat cut small l enough Mr. Lawfence?' Mrs. k1op- ton can throw more mystery into an ordinary sentence than any one I know She can say Are your sheets damp, sir?" And l can tell from her tone that the house across the street has been robbed, or that my left hand neighbor has appendicitis. So now looked up and asked the question she Was waiting for.
 Whats the matter with Euphe- mia?' I inquired idly
 Frightened into her bed" Mrs. Klopton said in a stage whisper. She's had three hot water bottles and she hasn't done a thing all day but moan
 She oughtn't to take hot water bottles" l said in my severest tone. One would make me moan. You need not wait, I'll ring if l need anything.
 Mrs Klopton sailed to the door. where she stopped and wheeled indig- nantly. T only hope you won't laugh on the wrong side of your face some morning, MT. Lawrence, she declared, with Christian fortitude. But l warn you, I am going to have the police watch that house next door
 1 was half inclined te tell her that both it and we were under police sur. veillanee at that moment. But l like Mrs Klopton in spite of the fact that 1 make her life torment for her, so l refrained
 Last night, when the paper said it was going to storm, I sent Euphelnia to the roof to bring the rugs in. Eliza had slipped out. although it WAS her evening in Euphemia went up to the roof-it was II o'clock-and soon I | d. tof1 frfor When she got to my room she just folded up on the floor She said there was black figure sitting on the para pet of the house next door-the empty house-and that when she appeared it rose and waved long black arms at her and spit like cat
 l had finished my dinner and WAS lighting a cigarette. If there was any one up there, which 1 doubt, they probably sneezed,' l suggested. But if you feel uneasy. I'll take a look around the roof tonight before turn in As far as Euphemia goes, I wouldn't be uneasy about her-doesn't she always have an attack of some sort when Eliza rings in an extra evening on herr"
 So I made a superficial examination of the window locks that night, visit ing parts of the house that 1 had not seen since I bought it. Then l went to the roof. Evidently it had not been intended for any purpose save to cover the house, for unlike the houses around, there was no staircase. ladder and a trap-door led to it, and haIo offf an my part to get up with my useless arm. I made it, however, and found this unexplored part of my domain 1 rather attractive. 1t was cooler than downstairs, and 1 sat on the brick parapet and smoked my final cigarette The roof of the empty house adjoined mine along the back wing. but inves- 1 tigation showed that the trap door across the low dividing way was 1 bolted underneath.
 There was nothing out of the or dinary anywhere. and sc assured Mrs. Klopton. Needless to say. did not tell her that 1 had left the trap door open to see if it would improve the temperature of the house. l went to bed at midnight, merely because there was nothing else to do. l turned on the night lamp at the head of my bed. and picked up volume of Shaw at random Git was Arms and the Man and l remember thinking grim y that I was a good bit of chocolate cream soldier myself), and prepared to go to sleep. Shaw always puts me to sleep. I have no apologies to make for what occurred that night. and not even an explanation that l am sure of. | did a foolish thing under impulse, and | have not been sorry.
 It was something after two when the door-bell rang It rang quickly, twice. I got up ,drowsily. for the maids and Mrs. Klopton always lock themselves beyond reach of the bell at night and put on a dressing gown. The bell rang again on my way down. stairs. l lit the hall light and opened the door. I was wide awake now, and I saw that it was Johnson. His bald