The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1911-06-22

i
were so toichy he hoped they would
all get it. II they locked him In he
you'd kick the door down
when the doctor came he said II
was too early to tell positively. and
| he ordered him liquid diet and said
he would be back that evening.
Which---the diet-takes me back to
the famine. After they had moved
Jim, Mr.. HARRISON went back to the
telephone, and found everything as
1t should be- So he followed the tele-
phone wire, and the rest followed
him. did not: He had systematical-
ly ignored me all morning. after hav-
ing dared to kiss me the night before
And any other man knew, after look
ing at me the way he had looked q
dozen times. would have been at least
reasonably glad to ind me free and
unmarried. But 1t was clear that he
was not: wondered II he was the
kind Of man who always makes love
to the other mans wife and runs like
mad when she is left widow, or gets
divorce.
And Just when had decided that
hated him, and that there was one
man knew who would never make
love to woman whom he thought
married and then be very dignified
and aloof when he found she wasn't,
heard what was wrong with the tele-
phone wire. M
1t had been cut! Cut through with
pair of silver manicure scissors
from the dressing table In Bella's
room. where Aunt Selma slept! The
wire had been clipped where It came
into the house. Just under a window,
and the scissors still lay on the sill
It was mysterious enough, but no
one was interested In the mystery
just then. We wanted food, andwant-
ed It at once. Mr.. HARRISON fixed the
wire, and the first thing we did, Of
course, was to order something to eat.
Aunt Selma went to bed just after
luncheon with indigestion. to the re-
lief OF every one In the house. She
had been most unpleasant all mora
ing.
When she found herself III, how
ever. she insisted on having Bella,
and that made trouble at once. We
found Bella with her cheek against
the door Into inns room, looking
maudlin while he shouted love mes
sages to her from the other side. At
flrst she refused to stir, but after
Anne and Max had tried and failed.
the rest OF us went to her In body
and implored her. We said Aunt
Selma was In awful shapewhich
she was, as to temperand that she
had thrown a mustard plaster ~
Anne. which was true.
So Bella went. grumbling, and jim
was a maniac. We had not thought It
would be SO bad for Bella, but Aunt
Selma fell asleep soon after she took
charge. holding Bella's hand, and
slept for three hours and never let
go.
About two that afternoon the sun
came out. and the rest OF us went up to
the roof.
/ stayed on the roof after the 9TH
ers had gone, and for some time I
thought / was alone. After q while.
got a whiff of smoke, and then ]
saw Mr.. HARRISON far over in the cor
ner. one foot on the parapet, moodily
smoking a pipe He was gazing out
over the river. and paying no atten-
tion to me. This was natural, con,
sidering that had hardly spoken ia
him all day
/ would not let him drive me away.
SO sat still, and it grew darker and
colder. He filled his pipe now and
then, but he never looked In my di.
rection. Finally, however. as 1t grew
very dusk. he knocked the ashes out
and came toward me.
Il am going to make a request, Miss
McNair." he said evenly. Please keep
off the roof after sunset. There
are-reasons" had risen and was
preparing to go downstairs.
Unless ] know the reasons, re
| fuse to do anything Of the kind" re
torted He bowed.
| Then the door WIN be kept lock
ed" ho reioined, and opened 1t fol
me. He did not follow me. but stood
watching until was down, and
heard him close the roof door firmly
behind me.
GRO BE CONTINUED,
Dcs -~
Nj