The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-21

go ahead, Lucy" says Colonel
Toms voice.
"IIe was insulting" she said. HE
had been drinking. He wanted me to
-to-he appealed to me to run of with
him. ...
IT was ENTHUSIASTICALLY. Her
voice changed as she said it enough
so you could feel how furious Miss
Lucy could get. She was like her
brother Tom in some ways.
IL ordered him out Of the house. His
answer to that was an offer to marry
me. You can imagine that / was sur
prised as we'll as angry was per.
picked.
"'But am married. cried. The
idea that any of my own people. or
any one whom had known at home
would think l wasn't married was too
much for me to take in all at once.
"'You think you are said Prentiss
McMakin with smile. But You are
not
II wish you to understand that
Prent1ss McMakin did it all very. very
well. That Is my excuse. He acted
we'll. There was something about
him-I scarcely know how to put it.
It sounds odd. but the truth is that
Prentiss McMakin was always more
convincing sort Of person when he
had been drinking little than when
he was sober.
HE told me that you and he. Tom,
had been to GAINESVILLE and had made
! investigations and that the wedding
was a fraud. And he told it with a
wealth of convincing detail. In the
midst of it he broke off to ask to see
my wedding certificate. AS he talked
he laughed at it and tore it up. saying
that the thing was not worth the pa
per it was on. and he threw the pieces
Of paper into the crate.
''He ended with an impassioned ap-
peal to me to go with him.
II showed him the door, pretend
ed to the last that l thought he was
lying to me. But did not think so.
believed him. He had done it all
cery cleverly. You can understand
how might, in view Of what had hap.
pened."
wanted to see Miss Lucy-how she
looked when she said different things,
so l could make up my mind whether
she was forgiving the doctor or not,
| not that l had much doubt but what
they would get their personal troubles
fixed up in the end. The iron grating
in the floor was held down by four
good sized screws, one at each corner
, They wasn't no filling at all betwixt
/ it and the iron grating that was In the
ceiling Of the room below. The space
was hollow. l got an idea and TOOK
out my jackknife.
what are you going to do?" whis
pers Martha.
IS -sh-sh," says; "shut up and you'll
seev'
| One of the screws was loose, and
picked her out easy enough. The sec
ond one l broke the point off of my
knife blade on. Like you nearly al
ways do on screw. When it snap
ped Colonel Tom he says:
whats that?" He was powerful
quick of hearing, Colonel Tom was.
laid low till they went on talking agin
Then Martha slides out on tiptoe ant
comes back in three seconds with one
Of these here little screwdrivers they
use around sewing machines and the
little oil can that goes with it. oils
them screws and has them out in 6
holy minute and lifts the grating from
the floor careful and lays it careful or
the rug.
By doing all of which could get Ey
head and shoulders down into thai
there hole, and by twisting my neck 6
good deal see little ways to each side
into the room instead of jest under
meath the grating. The doctor
couldn't see yet ands only little o.
Colonel Tom, but Miss Lucy quite
plain.
When listens agin they are buryint
that there Prent McMakin. But with
out any flowers.