Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-06-22
~~saA
CHAPTER XXI. (continued.)

Aunt Selma put her clothes in a tub
n the laundry and proceeded to dress
them like a vegetable She threw in
handful Of salt, some kerosene oil
and little ammonia. The result was
Villainous, but after she tasted it-or
snuffed it-she said it needed a bar
OF soap cut up to give it strengthen
tavor-and l went into the store-room
for It.
The laundry soap was in a box
took in a silver fork, for I hated to
touch the stuff, and jabbed a bar sue
cessfully in the semLdarkness. Then
carried it back to the laundry and
dropped 1t on the table. Aunt Selma
looked at the fork with disgust. then
we both looked at the soap. One side
OF Il was covered with round holes
that curved around on each other like
a coiled snake
ran back to the store-room. and
there, little bit sticky and smelling
terribly Of rosin, lay Anne's pearl
necklacei
| was so excited that I seized Aunt
Selma by the hands and danced her
all over the place. Then | left her,
trying to find her hairptns on the floor,
and ran up to tell the others. I met
Betty in the hall, and waved the
pearls at her But she did not notice
them.
Is Mr.. HARRISON down there?" she
asked breathlessly. 4 left him on the
roof and went down 10 my room for
my scarf, and when | went back he
had disappeared He-he doesn't
seem to be in the house" She tried
TO laugh, but her voice was shaky.
He couldn't have got down without
passing me- anyhow" she supplement
cd. l suppose I'm silly, but so MANY
queer things have happened, Kit"
wouldn't worry, Betty" I sootbed
her He is big enough to take care
OF himself. And with the best tnten-
lions in the world, you can't have him
all the time, you know
She was too much startled to he in
dignant. She followed me into tho
library, where the sight of the nearls
produced tremendous excitement
and then every one had to 60 down
70 the store-room. and see where the
necklace had been hidden. and Max
examined all the bars of SOAP for
thumb prints.
Mr.. HARRISON did not appear. Max
commented on the fact caustica1Iv
but Dial hushed him up.
| was almost ready for bed whom
Jim tapped at my door. had been
very cool TO him since the night in
the library when I was publicly staked
and maTtyred, and he was almost
crlnglng when I opened the door
What is it now?" I asked cruelty
Has Bella tired of it already. or has
somebody else a rash?"
Don't be a shrew, Kit" he said. 81
don't want you to do anything.
only-when did you see HARRISON
Iast?"
IF you mean last " I retorted. TN
afraid I haven't seen the last of him
yet Then I saw that he was really
worried. Betty was leading him to
the root" l added. Why? Is he
missing?"
He isn't anywhere in the house.
Dial and I have been over every inch
OF it Max had come up, in a dress
ing gown, and was watching me in
solently.
I think we have seen the last of
him. he said. TN sorry, Kit, to nip
the little romance in the bud. The
fellow was crazy about you-theres
no doubt Of it, But I've been watch
Ing him from the beginning, and
think I'm upheld. Whether he went
down the water-spout, or across a
board to the next house"
Il dislike him intensely" I said
angrily, but you would not. dare to
say that to his face. He could stran-
gle you with one hand"
Max laughed disagreeably.
Well, l only hope he is gone" he
threw at me over his shoulder, 81
wouldn't want to be responsible to
your father if he had stayed" I was
speechless with wrath.
They went away then. and I could
hear them going over the house. At
one o'clock Jim went up to bed, the