The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1913-05-22
in SEAKCH OF REPOSE
BY SARAH e. HlPP.

"a ~'AA d. -'Ae<'eo' ohS "dS uoluiuS IL
not generous in dealing with guests,
and already her house was full.
Jimmy" she said to young Happle
at the close Of festal evening as
he and his cousin were preparing to
go out in the midnight rain, its a
shame for you boys to walk a mile in
the wet and wake up your family to
get in. I heard you say you had for
gotten your key. If you and Arthur
can manage in three-quarter bed you
can stay here. All the other guest
rooms are filed"
Consequently they stayed. The
room was as charming as every other
room in the big house and Arthur fell
into slumber after vociferously admir-
Ing it. Young Happle stayed awake.
in the first place, Arthur's construc-
ton was Of the sort that demands
considerable space fore, aft and broad
side. and he was not at all reluctant
about taking it. He occupied tie
three-quarter bed comfortably and
spilled over the edges. Happle could
not help admiring himself for the
clever way in which he poised on the
extreme edge of the mattress after
the fashion of trapeze performer
about to do a leap for life. Proddings
had no effect upon Arthur. Neither
did verbal remonstrances. His slum-
Der was as deep as the sea.
Young Happle at last arose, He had
determined to 20 home and let Arthur
have the undisputed possession Of the
three-quarter3 bed. Young Happle felt
that he might just as well be walking
the streets as suffering there. And
at the end of the walk was the goal
of his own bed. He could get in at a
window or something.
Quietly Happle garbed himself and,
taking his shoes in his hand, tiptoed
down the big corridors of the Mats
mansion and descended the stairs.
Noting approvingly that the hinges
were perfectly oiled he shot the bolts,
and, opening the big front door, step
ped out. AS he stood there for mo-
ment blinking in the darkness there
came a glare in his face and large
and muscular hand grasped him.
Come out of it," said a voice.
"Who the dickens are you?" young
Happle demanded, with indignation.
"Haw, haw!" said the voice, de-
risively. 1T is joke, then? Who am
I? Ask the sergeant who I am when
you get to the station, my lad"
"See here" said young Happle, I'm
no burglar!"
"Then who"-the voice was in
tensely polite-"may you be, with yer
shoes in yer hands, a-sneaking out OF
q house at two in the morning, max
ing no more noise than a bunny rab-
bit?"
Young Happle opened his mouth
and closed it again. 1t suddenly
seemed preposterous to tell the truth.
Supposing he should confide to the
policeman that his cousin was large,
and, not having room in bed for slum-
Der, he had decided to arise and &c
home in the rain? He could in fancy
hear the jeers Of this disagreeable OF.
f1cer. Still
"Y' see," broke in the voice, "y' see,
yeh can't frame up an excuse at all!
It's lucky Mr.. Mats tipped me on to
watch his place special this summer,
with all the burglaries there is goin'
on! Have yeh any of the family jools
about yeh, now, I'd like to know?"
Get OUT" young Happle said,
aercely, as the hand slid into his
pocket. Then he told his story. Ring
the bell and rouse the house If you
don't believe me-" he said, inclosing
his recital.
"'Tis likely I'd be wakin' 'em all up
with a fool story like the one you've
been telling mel" said the police.
man.
well, If you won't do that" said
young Happle, YEARLY, "come on with
me to my own home and let them
identify mel"
81 don't believe you," declared the
officer, firmly. "But it's on my beat
an I'll humor you"
Through the rain they plodded the
intermlnable distance to young Hap
ple's home and up to the front door
the policeman marched him.
"I-I haven't any key!" young Hap
pie blurted out, after searching his
pockets. T-I forgot it,"
The policeman gave a good imita'
ton of man whose suspicious have
been justified. "I knew it," he
chuckled. "Were you pinin' for a
walk that you took me clear up here
in the rain, I'd like to know? None
of that, now!" Young Happle had
reached desperately for the door bell,
Get crowd Of people here and then
break away when the excitement Is
going on! I know your kind! You
come along!"
Back they splashed through the
rain, the policeman triumphant, young
Happle too angry to speak. He was
soaked to the skin and he loathed
the world. The dawn was breaking
when he at last got into communica'
tion with the Mats house. Arthur