The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-02-24
CHAPTER v. (cOntlnued.)

mo one would think that, Bella"
Boothed her. Everybody knows you
loathe him-Jim, too" She looked at
me over the edge Of her cup.
TN 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
hing"
She was fixing her veil, and saw
would have to tell her. Personally,
would much rather have told her
.he house was on fire.
wait minute, Bella" said. you
see, something queer has happened.
You know this is the anniversary
well, 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 l mind because Jim has jolli-
6cation to celebrate his divorce.
TIT was Takahiro-in the am
oulance," 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 miserable alarm
,1oalr ~ 4bo AobIa g,,ddapIry ryop4 oPP
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;
noped they would all hear her and
come downstairs and take her up and
put her to bed like Christian, so
she could giggle her soul out But
after a bit she quieted down and be-
gan to cry softly, and knew the
worst was over. 1 gave her a shake,
and she was so angry that she got
over 1t altogether.
kit, you are horrid," she choked.
"Don't you see what a position am
In? I am not going upstairs to face
Anne and the rest Of them. You can
lust put me in the coal cellar"
isn't there a window you could get
through" I asked desperately. Lock
Ing the door doesn't shut up 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 I said
she would have to get out, because l
was playing Bella in the performance,
and l didn't care to have an under
study Then the situation dawned
IN 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 l was firm; she would
have to go, and told her So Things
we're 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 Cleveland's dinner, and l
In cream lace, the skirt gathered up
from the kitchen floor, with Bella's
ermine pelerine around my bare shoul-
iers, and dishes and overturned chairs
everywhere.
Bella knew more about the lower re-
0gions Of her ex-home than l would
have thought. She opened a door in
corner and led the way through a
narrow hall past the refrigerating
room, to huge, cemented cellar,
with a furnace in the center, and
half-dozen electric lights making it
really brilliant
Get a chair" Bella said over her
shoulder, excitedly. II can get out
easily here, through the coal hole,
Imagine my"
But 1t 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; 1t was
3 portly policeman, with a newspa-
per and an empty plate on the floor
on one side, and a 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.
rsartor Resartus, the arrester ar
rested. oh, Jim and his fiawless sery-
lcel"
But after we got over our surprise
we saw the situation was serious, The
pliaeman was threatening to awaken,