The Washington herald., 1910-06-25
CHAPTER XIV.
AImost. but zoo Qnite.

Dal had been acting strangely all DAY.
Once, early in the evening. when I had
doubled no trump ne led me a club with
out apology, and later on. during his
dummy. saw him writing our names on
the back of an envelope, and putting
numbers after them. At my earliest OPP
portunity I went 20 Max.
There is something the matter with
Dial. Max" ! volunteered. He has been
acting strangely all day. and just now
he was making out a list-nanes and
numbers"
You're 70 blame for that, Kit" Max
said seriously, you put washing soda
instead of baking soda in those biscuits
to-day. and he thinks he is steam laun-
dry. Those are laundry lists he's making
out He asked me q little while ago If
wanted a domestic finish"
Yes. had put washing soda In the bis
cults. The book said soda. and how is
one TO know which is meant?
81 do not think you are calculated for
a domestic finish" I said coldly as 7
turned away. TN any case discIaim
any such responsibility. But-there is
SOIuetnln5 on Oai nina,
Max came after me. Don't be cross,
Kit. You haven't said a nice word to
me to-day. and you go around bristling
with your chin up and two red spots on
your Cheeks-like whatever heF-name-
was with the snakes instead of hair.
don know why I'm so crazy about you /;
I always meant to lcve a girl with a
nice disposition"
left him then. Dial had gone into the
reception-room and closed the DOORS And
because he had been acting so strangely,
and partly 10 escape from Max, whose
eyes looked threatening. I followed him.
I Just as 1 opened the door quietly and
looked in, Dallas switched off the lights,
and I could hear him cropping his way
across the room Then somebody-not
Dal-spoke from the corner, cautiously.
rs that you Mr.. Brown, sirT' II was
Flanagan
Yes. Is everything here?"
"All but the powder, sir. Don't step too
close, They're spread all over the place"
Have you taken the curtains DOWN."
Yes, sir"
'Matches?"
Here, sir"
Light one. will you, Flanagan? want
to see the time"
The fare showed Dallas and Flanagan
bent over the timepiece. And it showed
something else. The rug had been turned
back from the windows which opened on
the street, and the curtains had been
removed. On the bare hardwood floor
just beneath the windows was an array
OF pans OF various sizes, dish pans. cake
tins. and q metal foot tub The pans
were raised from the floor on bricks, and
seemed 10 be full Of paper. All the chairs
and tables were pushed back against the
wall, and the bric-a-brac was stacked on
the mantel,
'Hais an hour yet" Dial said. closing
, his watch. Plenty OF time. and remem-
Der the signal. four short and two long"
-Four short and two long-all right
sir"
"And-Flannigan. here's something for
you, on account"
Thank you, sir
Dial turned to go out. tripped over the
rug. said something, and passed me with
out an idea Of my presence. A moment
later Flanagan went out and was
left. huddled against the wall and alone.
It was puzzling enough. -Four long
and two short" "All but the powder -
Not that 1 believed for a moment what
Max had said, and anyhow Flanagan
was the ssnest person I ever saw in my
I life. But il all seemed a part OF the mys-
terry that had been hanging over US for
several days I felt my way across the
room and knelt by the pans. Yes, they
were there. full OF paper and mounted on
bricks. It had not been a delusion.
And then I slaughtered on my knees
suddenly, for an automobile passing un-
der the windows rad sounded four short
| honks and TWO long ones. The signal
was followed instantly by crash. The
foct bath had fallen from its supports,
and lay quivering and vibrating with
horrid noises at my feet The next mo-
ment Mr.. HARRISON had thrown open the
door and leaped 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.
TITS only me-" I quavered, that is. Z
The-the dish pan upset"
Dish PAM Bella said from back IN
the crowd Kit, OF course"
Jim forced his way through then and
turned on the hgkts. I have no doubt I
looked very strange. kneeling there on
the bare floor, with row Of pans mount
ed on bricks behind me, and the furniture
all piled on itself in a back corner
Kit! What N the world" Jim be-
gan. and stopped. He started from me to
the pans, to the windows, to the bric-a-
brac on the mantel. and back 10 me-
l sat stonily silent. Why should I ex-
plain? Whenever I got into q foolish
position and tried TO explain, and tell
how it happened. and who was really to
blame they always brought It back to
me somehow. So sat there on the floor
and let them stare. And finally Lollie
Mercer got her breath ard said. How
perfectly lovely: it's a charader"