The Prescott daily news., 1912-06-21
IheQuest

Anything that is homeless arouses ones sympathy and a homeless COW should naturally share in this outpour- ing of kindly emotion. But the night that the McLanes COW lost her happy home nobody in the summer commun- ity sat up and wept in tender commits eration.
 Just why the COW should have chos- en to wander from the comfortable, 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 The COW, intoxicated by her freedom, wandered far down the lake shore. After wandering for a while, however, the darkness and the scurrying of small unknown animals in the underbrush made her nervous and she began to look around fer her warm and cozy barn. In something like panic she lum- bered along through the trees until she saw a light Anal" said the COW, home at last"
 The light shone from the cottage oc- cupied by Miss Atkinson, a maiden of 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 a bloodcurdling shriek and her cards flew all over the room. "A man!" she hissed. There was a man peering in through the porch screen door! He disappeared when I jumped!"
 Her guests tipped over the card ta- ble in arising hastily. If there were providers at this quiet and safe resort they were of the indignant opinion that something ought to be done about 1t!
 One of the bravest of the four ven tured out to the porch and in a qua vering voice demanded to know who was there, while the others support ed 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 bed with the hot water bag and the smell ing salts and locked every window in the cottage Then, shivering with fright, the three held hands and bolt ed for the hotel.
 It was a little later that the Bundy cottage was upset Mrs. Bundy had put the children to bed and was crocheting while her guest. Mrs Hull ton, was reading aloud particularly gruesome detective story Suddenly Mrs. Bundy made startled clutch at Mrs. Hulton's wrist and said: 'Lis-s-s- ten!"
 Mrs. Hutton heard it, too. "Th-th- there must be two of 'em!" stam- nfered Mrs. Hutton. 'I can hear four f-f-feet just as plain!"
 There certainly were several differ ent footsteps outside the cottage slow, careful footsteps.
 T just knew something awful would happen when Charley went back to Chicago yesterday" she gasped
 Mrs. Hutton said wildly:
 "G-g-get the g-gggun!"
 Mrs. Hulton's great-grandfather had fought in a war, so she knew imme- diately the best method of defense.
 Holding the family revolver at arms length and with her head turned the other way, Mrs. Bundy sat down again and listened. There was nothing to be heard They passed the rest of the night on guard.
 Farther down the lake shore, on the rustic seat facing the moon, Laura Spilger and her young man sat talk ing Their absorption In each other was so great that they heard nothing until something strange was thrust over Laura's left shoulder. Young Burmaster made wild but futile grab as she leaped in the air. Landing on the extreme edge of the slippery terrace. she tumbled down in- to the Tapping waters with gurgling splash.
 Then as young Burmaster. too. sensed the presence of something weird and inexplicable he felt his scalp twitch in freezing horror. and leaped after Laura. Hand in hand they arose. dripping, and stood alright ed in two feet of water at the shores edge.
 From the Spilger cottage came Ques- tioning rumblings. Laura's father was demanding to know the reason for all that uproar. Getting no answer, be-