Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-05-12
Breaking, In

weeks, and you know how | hate long
ones,' sighed young Mrs. Martin, as
she rubbed her bandaged forearm care
1ully Harry says l ought to thank
my protecting gods that am not wear
ing splints for every bone, and l sup
pose ought. But the burglar was
Dig man-so they told us afterward-
and why couldn't l manage a transom
with all my basketball training as well
as he?"
But do tell me what it is all about
SAID her friend, as she dropped a
punch of sweet peas into 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 up
with 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! 1t
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
II said so-and of course did
for dinner
Sudden things always stir me up
dreadfully and few around for two
hours. getting things ready, till my
head swims even yet.
Il 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 went in rush. l had to go to
two places before found any lettuce
that would do, and finally got back
to find that had left my key inside.
all but screamed then, for I knew
how hopeless it was to look for jani-
tor on Thursday afternoon. But be-
gan the hunt-going into strange base
ments that proved as dark and empty
as tombs.
Il was all but desperate when 1
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 the windows
and had left the ladder out there,
though | had told her repeatedly never
to do it again. So blessed her for
her disobedience and climbed the lad
der. The transom was only half-open,
but pushed it up fiat and looked in.
1T was dusk by this time, and 1
could all but see Harry and uncle
John on their way home. And no
salad! Far down the hall 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 l, experiencing
Just what the burglar must have felt
when he heard Togo bark-for am
sure Togo parked at the burglar.
Il slipped into the opening easily
and drew my feet off the ladder Just
then the front doorbell rang. knew
It must be Harry with uncle John, and
the house was dark and there was no
one to welcome them. So 1 shut my
| eye and jumped
Il can't for the life of me tell you
what happened. but the transom
crashed down with me, my foot
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 the 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 light.
well, whenever Jnlnk OF my state
Of mind at that moment realize what
crazy people feel like just before they
forget their egos. In the general chat
ter that followed l 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.
kept telling him about the lettuce that
had left on the stepladder
But what really hurts worse than
my arm is the fact that all of it was
useless.
In the first burst of coherent talk
Harry asked: Why didn't you go back
when you heard my ring and knew
had key? Though, after all. you
didn't need one. The noise of the fall
scared the wits out of me and | flune
open the door without even trying to
find my key. Did you slip the latch
or what was the matter?
Then l remembered that | did sir
the latch off when | went out because
[ knew the key was in the finger O,