Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-02-09
CHAPTER V. (Continued.)

No one would think that. Bella" /
soothed her. Everybody knows you
loathe him-Jim, too" She looked at
me over the edge of her cup.
''Tu run along now" she said, since
Takahiro isn't here. And if Jim has
any sense at all, he will clear out
every maid in the house. never saw
such a kitchen in all my life. Well,
lead the way, Kit. suppose they are
deep in bridge, or roulette, or some.
thing"
She was fixing her veil, and 1 saw
I would have to tell her. Personally,
/ would much rather have told her
the house was on fire.
Wait a minute, Bella" I said You
see, something queer has happened.
You know this is the anniversary
we'll you know what it is-and Jim
was awfully glum. So we thought
we would come"
What are you driving at?" she de-
manded. You are sea-green, Kit.
What's the matter? You needn't
think 1 mind because Jim has a JOLT
flcation to celebrate his divorce"
Tit was Takahiro-in the am.
bulance," l blurted Smallpox. We
Bella we are shut in, quarantined."
She didn't faint She just sat
down and stared at me, and l stared
back at her. Then a miserable alarm
clock on the table suddenly went of
like an explosion and Bella began to
laugh. l knew what that was-hys-
terra. She always had attacks like
that when things went wrong. I was
quite despairing by that time;
hoped they would all hear her and
come downstairs and take her up and
put her to bed like a Christian, SC
she could giggle her soul out. But
after bit she quoted down and be
gan to cry softly. and I knew the
worst was over. gave her a shake
and she was so angry that she got
over it altogether
kit, you are horrid," she choked
Don't you see what position I am
in? | am not going upstairs to face
Anne and the rest of them. You can
just put me in the coal cellar"
Isn't there a window you could get
through" l asked desperately. Lock
ing the door doesn't shut up a whole
house"
BelIa's courage revived at that, and
she said yes, there were windows
plenty of them, only she didn't see
how she could get out And l said
she would have to get out, because
was playing Bella in the performance
and l didn't care to have an under.
study Then the situation dawned
on her, and she sat down and laughed
herself weak in the knees. Of course
she wanted to stay, then, and see the
fun out But / was firm; she would
have to go, and l told her So Things
were complicated enough without her.
Well, we looked funny, no doubt.
Bella in a Russian pony automobile
coat over the black satin she had
worn at the Cleyeland's dinner, and !
in cream lace, the skirt gathered I'D
from the kitchen floor, with Bella's
ermine pelerine around my bare shout
ders. and dishes and overturned chairs
everywhere.
Bella knew more about the lower re-
gions Of her ex-home than I would
have thought She opened a door in
a corner and led the way through a
narrow hall past the refrigerating
room, to a huge, cemented cellar,
with a furnace in the center, and a
half-dozen electric lights making il
really brilliant
Get chair" Bella said over her
shoulder, excitedly. Z can get out
easily here, through the coal hole
Imagine my"
But it was my turn to grip Bella.
From behind the furnace were coming
the most terrible sounds, rasping
noises that fairly frayed the silk of
my nerves. We stood petrifed for an
instant. Then Bella laughed. They
are not all gone" she said carefully.
Some one is asleep there"
We tiptoed to where we could see
around the furnace, and, sure enough,
some one was asleep there. Only, it
was not one Of the servants; it was
q portly policeman, with a newspa-
per and an empty plate on the floor
On one side, and champagne bottle
on the other He had slid down in his
chair, with his chin on his brass but
tons, and his helmet had rolled a
dozen feet away. Bella had to clap
her mouth
Fairly caught" she whispered.
"Sartor Resartus, the arrester ar
rested. Oh, Jim and his f1awless serv-
icei"
But after we got over our surprise,
we saw the situation was serious. The
policeman was threatening to awaken.