The Prescott daily news., 1910-05-03
Breaking In

No, l cant wear elbow sleeves for weeks, and you know how I hate long ones,' sighed young Mrs. Martin. as she rubbed her bandaged forearm care. fuiiy' Harry says I ought to thank my protecting gods that am not wear. ing splints for every bone. and I SUD- pose l ought. But the burglar was a pig man--so they told us afterward- and why couldn't manage a transom With all my basketball training as we'll as he?"
 But do tell me what it is all about" said her friend, as she dropped bunch Of sweet peas into a delicate vase and filled it with water. Your husband phoned me this morning, ask ing that run over to see you, as your uncle had gone and you were laid LID With a game arm. That's all know. What about the burglar? You haven't had another?"
 NO, dear, not another" answered MISS Martin. What loves of flowers How sweet of you to bring them! Il is the same old burglar that we had two months ago and uncle John who are to blame for all this. Only uncle John did not mean it.
 Harry, you see, called me up late Thursday after Hilda had left for the afternoon to tell about uncle Johns telegram. He was coming that night and Harry said he would bring him out if l said so-and of course I did for dinner.
 sudden things always stir me up dreadfully and l flew around for two hours, getting things ready, till my head swims even yet.
 T set the table and managed every thing down to the salad before any thing went wrong. The lettuce the grocer had sent was wilted and old and impossible There was nothing to do but go out for more, for it was too late to trust to an order by telephone. So l went in a rush. I had to go to two places before I found any lettuce that would do, and finally I got back to find that 1 had left my key inside l all but screamed then, for I knew how hopeless 1t was to look for a jani- tor on Thursday afternoon. But I be- gan the hunt-going into strange base ments that proved as dark and empty as tombs
 "l was all but desperate when I thought of the burglar-our burglar He had entered through the transom over the kitchen door, you know, be- cause our stepladder was on the back porch and handy. The transom was open, knew. so finally hurried home and up the back stairs to our floor Hilda had been washing t.2 windows and had left the ladder ot there, though I had told her .epea; ed never to to it again. So I blesscd har for her disCbedience and climb 4 the lad der. The transom was only Aalf-open, but pushed it up flat and looked in.
 Tt was dusk by this time, and could all but see Harry and uncle John on their way home. And no salad! Far down the hall I could see our little dog, Togo. He began to bark wildly. That made me laugh, and saw humor in the situation for the first time. Here was I, experiencing just what the burglar must have felt when he heard Togo bark-for I am sure Togo parked at the burglar.
 q slipped into the opening easily and drew my feet off the ladder. Just then the front doorbell rang. 1 knew it must be Harry with uncle John, and the house was dark and there was no one to welcome them So shut my eye and jumped.
 q cant for the life of me tell you what happened but the transom slipped from the door knob when stepped on it and all of us crashed down together--for Togo met me at the bottom, having bravely advanced to tho attack With the awful noise of breaking glass and barking dog, the front door flew open and in came Harry. He thought it was the bur glar again.
 He rushed in, saying, tauntingly: so you thought you'd come back and finish the job? Well, you're caught with the goods this time!' And he flashed on a light
 Well whenever I think of my state of mind at that moment l realize what crazy people feel like just before they forget their egos. In the general chat ter that followed 1 learned that uncle John wouldn't get here till the next day; that Harry had tried to reach me by phone and had come home early when he couldn't reach me. kent telling him about the lettuce that