Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-24

down the advertisement columns of a
daily paper when these words came to my
eye:
"Wu tho stranger who sent the telo.
phone message to T. c. about 2:15 on
Friday last. communicate at once with
l.. G. at her address. and so render a
very great service?'
"L G ?' I considered moment. Clear
~ those were the Initials Of Lucille God
win. About PAS on the previous Friday
Ind sent "A telephone message to Lucille
Goodwin. Could the advertisement refer
to me? ! was reading the paper in my
own sitting room after breakfast; there
was n telephone at my elbow l again
| looked mp Miss Godwlns number. found
il. md was presently informed that the
connection was made. There came. un-
less was mistaken, the same voice over
the wire.
Eyes? who arc your"
Can 7 speak to Miss Lucille Goodwin"
81 don't know about Miss Lucille, but
daresay you can speak to Miss May
What name, please"
III Mics Lucille can't come, send Miss
May | wondered why Miss Lucille
could not come All at once there came
a voice which was very like the one
had heard on Friday. but not quite the
same.
Yes? Who are your am May God
win"
abort an advertisement which appears
in to-day's Morning Post?'
"Oh. dear; are you tho person who tele-
phonci on Friday? Please tell me who
You are. Come and see me. or let me
come and sec you; I'm in such frightful
, trouble" Something in her voice sug-
&C ted distress.
Are you Miss Lucille Godwin's sister,"
"Of course ] am; you know ! am.
Please tell me to whom 7 am speaking"
! Then. with Il sudden burst which some
how made me wonder if It were child
who was speaking. "Oh. please. win you
come and help me? Lucille told me all
7hout what you said to her. It was she
who put the advertisement In. and now
she's disappeared"
"Dlsapeared? What do you mean by
Disappeared"
She went out two days ago, and moth
ing has been seen or heard Of her since
suspense is driving me half out Of my
MIND Oh, 1lease-please do GOMEZ"
IN be with you in about twenty min
ut,s; will that suit your
There came TO me what almost amount
Cd to scream of Joy.
ION, thank you! thank you, thank YOU!
Please do come az fast MS you can"
About twenty minutes afterward was
knocking Mt the door of a big house at
/ HYDE Park Gate 1t was opened by a
| foo'man.
"Can I see Miss May Godwin?"
| \ slender figure came rushing across
! the hall. an eager face looked at me in
/ tho open doorway. Are you"
1--WE inst been talking to you over the
| tclo0hone"
"O' courso--y os-nlease come IN"
| SHE led mo 10 4 PRETTY sitting-roorn on
the second floor evidently the sanctum Of
something both feminine and young.
"Ploase win YOU sit down? May ask
for your name"
The speaker assumed DIGNITY which
became her rather well The telephone
had not rised me-sho was extremely
young. I set her down Ms Just about
seventeen; her skirts barely reached the
! ground She was quite SMALL dare say
not much over five feet very slight and
dainty
my name Is Judith Lee"
"T am May Goodwin. Didn't you send n
TELEPHONE message to Lucille last Fri
dap?"
before answer answer your questions. Win
that your sister has disaNpearcd?"
"She went out two days ago. and I've
sccn or heard NOTING &C her since"
ct your sister older than you?"
"Of course she IS: she is nearly four
wears older; she has i-st turned twenty
one"
confidence What I said TO your sister
over the telephone I learned by the
mereet accident DID she go to see
Isolda?"
"Ot courae she I'D. He told her ex-
actly what Won said he would. He made
her 50 Wild that she told him that she
knew no was going to say 1t, and there
was quite 70 scene She said that she felt
That he would like to kill her"
"What has happened since? Under
stand. tell me nothing II you'd rather
not"
She Knit her brows in perpiexity.
'T've simply got to tell some one.
Things can't go as they are; to tell any
of our friends would be 10 g1ve Lucille
away" She eyed me very hard. as If
she wore trying to discover what kind OF
person I was Can ! trust your"
you can"
Then I will liked your voice, and
now Ike your looks. Miss Lee. III tel
Won CVoryth'ng"
Then she drew n long breath, as If she
sirhod with relief.
George Ratton-you know George Rat
TONI"
short. SQUARE red cheeks blue eyes?'
"Tnats George. Then you do know
hIm?"
81 saw him once"
when Lucille came back from 1soldf
> she wrote him such letter. When HI
camo over the next morning. she wouldn'
see him lie wrote a note in the hall
when ne sent II M by Tomkns she sen
/ II back unopened. Then he sent her
telegram; she had to open that, because
! Of course until she opened II she didn'
know who IT was from Such n telegram
In that telegram there were over 10
words-ard there was a reply paid Sh
= made me- I'll II up with Just seven words
Wire received. Lucille has nothing Il
q say Soon after there came anothe
telegram. She made me open that AM
r when I told her who 1t was from SIN
wouldn't 'et me read It. Then he calle'
o to SEQ mo. and she wouldn't let me Sc
him"
o May ask II you two girls are IN IN
n house alone?"
e THE fact is we've been n pair of per
G feet IDIOTS Mother and father ARE abroad
! We didn't want TO go, so they put Mrs
0 Cotterin in charge. or course Mrs. Cot
terin is quite nice but we found he
: rather trying. so we got ur scheme I
e get rid Of her, so that we might have
3. fortnicht's rnrfect time before the ma
= ter and pater came home; but almos
from rhe moment that Mrs Cotterill lief
Q the house everything began to go wrong
II Lucille quarreled with Jack
venturcd to intrude query. May
u ask who Jack is'"
Jack? Oh. we'll. Jacks Jack; he's IN
2 one that Lucille Is really In love witt
and every one approves or. They are er
5; gagged and to be married this year: br
s now. OF course It's impossible to sa,
1t Sometimes Lucille is rather trying:
d can't ne expected that Jack is TO put u
e everything So when he told her. as IA
a |