The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-07-13

Mr.. Lawrence MCGuirK, better
known as 'Tubby'," Tom said cheer
fully. "A celebrity in his particular
line, which is second-story man anC
all-round rascal. A victim OF the
quarantine, like ourselves"
We've missed him for a week,
n Of the guards said with a grin
We've been real anxious about you
Tubby. Amt a week goes by, wher
you're in health, that we don't hear
something of you"
Mr.. McGuirk muttered something
under his breath, and the men chuck
led.
Aunt Selma rose suddenly and
cleared her throat.
Am / to understand" she asked Sc,
verely, that from now on we will
have TO add two newspaper reporters,
three policemen and a burglar to the
occupants Of this quarantined house?
Because, If that is the case, l abso-
lutely refuse to feed them"
But me Of the reporters stepped
forward and bowed tremendously.
Madam" he said, Il thank you for
your kind invitation, butt will be
impossible for us TO accept. | had in
but this little game OF burglar-in-a-
+ prevented me. The fact is,
your Jap has been discovered to have
nothing more serious than chicken
pox, and-if you will forgive a poul-
try yard joke, there is no longer any
necessity for your being cOOped up"
Then he retired, quite pleased with
himself.
One would have thought we had ex.
hausted u capacity for emotion, but
Jim said a joyful emotion was so new
that we hardly knew how to receive
II.
Then we all sat down and had some
champagne, and while they were wait,
ing for the police wagon, they gave
some 10 poor McGuirk. He was still
quite shaken from his experience
when the dumb-waiter stuck. The
wine cheered him a little, and he told
his story, in a voice that was creaky
from disuse. while Tom held my hand
under the table.
lie had had a dreadful week. he
said; he spent his days in a closet in
n of the maids rooms-the one
where We had put Jim. 1t was Jim
waking u Of a nap and declaring
that the closet door had moved by
itself and that something had crawl
ed under his bed and out of the door.
that had reused the suspicious of the
men In the house-and he slept at
night on the coal in the cellar. He
was actually fearful when he rubbed
his hand over his scrubby chin. and
said he hadn't had a shave for a week.
He took somebody's razor, he said,
but he couldn't get hold Of a portable
mirror, and every time he lathered up
and stood in front of the glass in
the dining room s%ideboard, some n
came and he had had to run and hide.
He told, too, Of his attempts to es-
cape, of the board on the roof. of the
homemade rope and the hole in the
cellar, and he spoke feelingly OF the
pearl collar and the struggle he had
made to hide it. He said that for
three days II was concealed in the
pocket of Jim's old smoking coat in
the studio.
We were all rather sorry for him,
but If we had made him unComfort-
able, think Of what he had done to us.
And for him TO tell, as he did later
in court, that if that was high SO
ciety he would rather be = burglar.
and that we starved him, and that the
women had to dress each other be.
cause they had no lady's maids, and
that the whole lot OF us were in love
with one man, 1t was downright ma,
licious.
The wagon came for him just as he
finished his story, and we all went to
the door. IN the vestibule Aunt Selma
suddenly remembered something, and
she stepped forward and caught the
poor fellow by the arm.
Young man." she said grimly. "Ill
thank you to return what you took
from me last Tuesday night"
McGuirk started, then shuddered
and turned suddenly pale.
Good Lord" he calculated. ION
the stairs to the roof! YOU"
They led him away then, quite brok,
en-, with Aunt Selma staring after
him. She never did understand. !
could have explained, but it was too
awful.
On the steps McGuirk turned and
took a farewell glance at us. Then
he waved his hand to the policemen
and reporters who had gathered
around.
"Good-by, fellows" he called feebly.
IL amt sorry. / amt. Jailll be a par.
adise after this"
And then We went to pack u
trunks.
Note from Max which came the
next day with its enclosure:
My Dear Kit-The enclosed trunk
tag was used on my trunk, evidently
by mistake. Higgins discovered 1t
when he was unpacking and returned
it to me under the misrepresentation
that I had written 1t. wish | had
suppose there must be something
attractive about a fellow who has
the courage TO write a love letter or
the back Of a trunk tag. and who
,roaa1't gixa n tiurar'c dam ubn fpHc