Charlevoix county herald., 1910-01-15
Copyright, by Short Stories Co.. Ltd

approvlngly at the yellow ngnt.
Margaret appeared at the dining
room door, her apron over her arm,
obligingly ready for conversation.
IL suppose" said Kate, that moth
er would be worried if she Knew that
we were alone" She smiled with
her parent. 81 don't feel in the least
afraid. do you, Margaret"
'Not met" said Margaret, stoutly.
VThe young girl leaned against the
hammock rope and gazed off across
the landscape. Il think l will go for
a walk" she said. do look at the
purple on those hills, Margaret"
Miss Flynn's countenance became
dubious.
Its gettin' a deal colder" she OBJ
served, ignoring the purple on the
hills.
'Ill get my jacket 1t is too fine
an afternoon to waste indoors"
\The sun had all but gone when she
Aurned. Rose color lay in her
pleks; her eyes were shining.
O"Still on the porch, Margaret" she
called, gaily, as she spied that dam
sells robust form. what is the mat
ter?" She had come close enough to
see the expression on Miss Flynn's
map-of-Ireland countenance.
Its a thramp!" said Margaret,
sepulchrally.
The rose color fed Miss Fara-
leigh's cheeks.
"Where?" she breathed.
Hes in the kitchen eatin' dough
nuts and maxim up lies" said Mar
garet, with the grim quiet of one
whose message needs no added force
of words.
For a moment Kate was lost in
deep, strategic thought. Then she
bent forward and whispered:
1--WE must lock him in.
"You must get him up the back
stairs" continued the commanding
general, hurriedly. "Tell him the lady
of the house wishes to see him. Then
you must go through into the blue
room and lock the door on that side.
Meanwhile will go after and lock the
door of the back stairs behind him"
AIargaret's face was study as
mss Faraleigh evolved this mastery
lheme. and she realized that hers
Was to be the leading role, but all her
objections were overruled, and with
a blank face and tagging steps she
moved kitchenward.
The dining-room lay between the
kitchen and the piazza, and Kate,
pausing there, had just a glimpse of
big, red-faced man as he got up and
with a slight limp followed Margaret.
She crept across the kitchen and lis
tened at the door. She heard Mar
garet say, wait here till l speak to
the missus." Then she heard the door
slam and the bolt shoot.
The tramp appeared to realize the
situation. He turned instantly and
was halfway down the stairs before
Kate could get the door shut. What
wicked face!" she thought, with a
shudder, as she turned the key and
fled back to the side porch. Margaret
came around from the front part of
the house, smile of self-gratulation
spreading broadly.
81 think I'll offer him a chair" Kate
said
: She rose and went bravely back to
e kitchen, picturing, pityingly, a
Torn and tattered vagrant standing
YEARLY at the top of her back stairs.
A look of perplexity perched upon her
brow as she paused with prelimi-
nary little cough.
What shall l call him." she quer.
led, glancing back at Margaret, who
had followed as far as the door.
Call me Bertie," suggested a voice
80 close that they both started.
"He is listening" whispered Kate
Us one who imparts strange fact
f4'Do you want chair?" aloud.
Eyes" eagerly, but in half-choked
whisper.
81 do" vas the answer, but there
was flippancy about the tone that
did not inspire confidence. She hest
tated, thought it over, looked at Mar
garet's Incorporating face, and
waited. She heard him go up the
steps, but he could so easily come
down, and il takes so long to put g
chair through a door. Pity struggled
with discretion. Even as she put hel
nd on the knob her courage failed
y N "Tramp," she called softly, I'm
lJraid," after which humiliating con
ssion she retired to the porch t.
watch for teams.
promptness.
81 believe" she said. chat he is {
regular professional housebreaker. III
does not look nor act like an ordinary
tramp. His face would be almos
handsome, except for the traces o
crime"
"And dirt" added Margaret
81 wish some one would go by"
81 misthrust yer scairt yerself Miss
Kate. Yer face is as white as any
thing, and yer eyes is big as a dough
nut"
mn, MT in tho 1aaot aparod MIR