The Red Cloud chief., 1911-12-14

ing Of kindly emotion. But the night
that the McLanes COW lost her happy |
home nobody In the summer communi-
~ sat up and wept In tender commits. |
eration.
Just why the COW should have
chosen to wander from the comfort
able. hay stuffed barn toward dusk
when the McLanes' man had his back
turned for fatal instant is one Of the
mysteries Of bovine Psychology which
nobody can figure out.
In something like panic she lum.
bered along through the trees until
she saw light. "Aha!" said the COW.
home at last"
The light shone from the cottage oc-
cupied by Miss Atkinson, maiden OF
q considerable number Of years, who
was entertaining at the moment three
other staid and elderly women at
bridge.
Just as one Of the three had said
disgustedly that she made It spades
Miss Atkinson. who was facing the
porch. gave bloodcurdling shrek
and her cards few all over the room.
| "A mani" she hissed. There was
p man peering In through the porch
screen door! He disappeared when l
jumped"
One of the bravest OF the four ven.
tured out to the porch and In Quav.
ering voice demanded to know who
was there. while the others supported
her with the carving knife and the
broom
Nothing answered from the silence.
which made It all the worse.
The guests put Miss Atkinson to
b|i with the hot water bag and tho
smelling salts and locked every win.
dow in the cottage. Then, shivering
with fright, tho three held hands and
bolted for the hotel.
It was q little later that the Bundy
cottage was upset. Mrs. Bundy had
put the children to bed and was GRO
cheting while her guest, Mrs. Hutton.
was reading aloud a particularly grew.
some detective story. Suddenly Mrs.
Bundy made q startled clutch ut Mrs.
Huton's wrist and said: "Lis-s-teni"
Mrs. Hutton heard It. too. "Th.th'
! there must be tt-two Of 'em!" STAN
mered Mrs. Hutton. II can hear four
, f-f.feet just a. plain!"
, There certainly were several differ
, ent footsteps outside the cottage
slow. careful footsteps. There wal
also deep breathing. Then something
blurred against the low diamond
paned window over the corner win
dow seat. Thereupon Mrs. Bundy
gave a cheep like strangled chicken
and nearly went over backward In hei
, rocker.
|, Holding the family revolver at arms
. length and with her head turned the
I. pther way. Mrs. Bundy sat down agair
> and they listened. There was moth
tng to be heard. They passed the res
of the night on guard.
Farther down the lake shore. OF
The rustic seat facing the moon. Laura
o epilger and her young man sat talk
: ing. Their absorption In each othe
was 20 great that they heard nothinl
Q until something strange was thrus
Q over Laura's left shoulder. Younl
A Burmaster made wild but futile gral
at Laura Do she leaped In the air.
Landing on the extreme edge Of tn
, slippery terrace. she tumbled dow
. into tho tapping waters with . gu,
9 Cling splash. i"f. "
d Then a. young Burmaster. toe
Is sensed the presence of Tsomethin
Q weird and inexplicable he felt hi
u scalp twitch in freezing horror. an
leaped after Laura. Hand In hand the
70 arose. dripping. and stood affrighte
In the two feet Of water at the shore
edge.
: From the Spilger's cottage cam
u questioning rumblings. Laura's Il
N ther was demanding to know the re,
D. SON for all that uproar. Getting n
4. answer. because the two In the lah
le were still paralyzed vocally. he cam
b. forth to investigate.
ID "What do you want?" he roared ,
a. something creeping by. .'I'll teach ye
;; to prowl around my house. consar
youi" Presently there was the spit
70 full pop Of the little Spilger boys ai
% gun.
Of Nothing happened. The spilgeI
I'd aad young Burmaster sat up very la'
Z, discussing the mystery. Il was di
?" couraging to the Spilgers TO md tn,
their peaceful summer homo was g
ting Just like every other place. a.
one had to lock and bar doors a.
. windows and take In the washing {
night
The Doggetts were reused fro
sIumber by some one fumbling at Il
}. kitchen window. At the Plunkstt
-. a. some one was distinctly heard at Il
n. chicken house. Mrs. Pilkins said q
At heard footsteps on the Pilkins' frol
porch that night and the Pixies repoI
ed that their mignonette bed had be<
trampled.
81