Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1910-08-04

the building, and the nonappearancs
! Of Misses Butler, Fairchild and Wa
terman, three Of the prettiest girls In
our home, means that these visitors
are-yes, ladies. we may be sure that
they are men"
"Heavens! exclaimed hundred
voices. and 200 hands were clasped
over another hundred bosoms.
"You ladies were appointed to show
these-these intruders the premises.
Go at once and make q search for
them. Bring them and the three miss
ing girls here. All others remain
where you are"
Meanwhile there was concentla-
ton Of the enemy's forces. The three
visitors and the three missing young
ladies were In a room together, and
the girls knew that the visitors were
men who had walked into q lions or
rather lioness' den. Miss Butler was
terror stricken on behalf of her cous-
In, and the other two girls sympa-
thized with her and them. The girls
were startled at the sound Of the sig
nal order for all to appear in the pres
ident's Office. Miss Butler, seeing that
the battle was on, took command.
Two points Of retreat were to be con
sidered, the cellar and the cupola. She
chose the latter
you girls" she said TO Misses Fair
child and Waterman, Ego and report.
Leave these boys TO me-"
1T would not be honorable" said
Miss Fairchild, ito let you shoulder
the matter. | shall go with you"
"Me. too" said Miss Waterman, her
excitement getting the better Of her
grammar.
The six of them ran up to the Gu
pola and closed the trapdoor behind
them. Then they all sat down on the
door, screened from any one below by
the encircling railing and seat.
Battles are often won or lost in con-
sequence of some trifling incident, and
it was so in this case. One of the
searchers whose part it was to visit
the cupola attempted to open the trap
door. Since she could not move ii, she
assumed that it was locked. She was
about to go for the key when it oc-
Cured to her that If it were locked no
one could hide there, so she reported
nothing found"
When the search committee returned
to the president and reported that not
only the three visitors, but the three
prettiest girls in the home, had van
ished hundred voices mingled, each
voice suggesting some means whereby
the vanishment might have occurred.
In this way much time was consumed
and couple of hours had elapsed be-
fore any further action was taken.
Knight or Blucher as Wellington
said at Waterloo" moaned Griggs.
what do you mean by thatf" asked
Hughes.
81 mean that if we don't get a show
to leave the place pretty soon under
cover of darkness it's all up with us"
Fortunately while he spoke the shad-
ows were deepening. AS soon as it
was dark he told the others that he
was going to slide down a steep de-
scent of the roof to n lightning rod and
thence TO the ground. If he was not
put out of the fight, then the next man
was to leave by the same route. The
girls told kim the rod had been in place
for thirty years or more and surely
would not hold. But Griggs determined
to try ii. Hughes watched him as be
descended till he was lost in the dark
ness. Presently there was the sound
of a shake on the rod, a signal agreed
upon to indicate that he was on terra
firma.
Hughes followed Griggs, and Mason
followed Hughes. The girls were
alone.
Now, ii needs to be stated that all
this occurred at the time when Hal
ley's comet was Haunting its tail at
the earth in the western sky. No soon
er had the last man descended than
Miss Butler, looking up at the heavens
for inspiration in forming plan to get
out of the dilemma, saw the comet
"Girls, 1 have it," she exclaimed.
"How? What? which," cried the
other two at once.
"Open the trap and call down for
them to come up and see the comet"
1.-THE very thingr' exclaimed the 9th
er two.
Miss Fairchild pulled up the trap,
and all called out:
"Hello, hello! Mary, Blanche, Sadie,
everybody! Come up and see the COM
ct"
The ladies, who were scattered about
below, all ran to the foot of the cupola
stairs.
Call Mrs. President" cried Miss
Wrinkles, vice president and custodian.
The president was called. Mean
while the calls from above were con-
Hnued.
-Oh, do everybody come up and see
the comet! It's beautiful. The tails
are as long as broom handle"