Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-19
CHAPTER TX.

l went to bed early that night.
What with worrying and being alter
nately chilled by tramping through the
snow and roasted as if l was sitting
on a volcano with an eruption due, l
was about all in.
guess it was about four o'clock in
the morning when hand slid over my
face, and I sat up and yelled. The
hand covered my mouth at that, and
something long and white and very
thin beside the bed said: Ssh! For
heavens sake, Minnie!"
1t was Miss Cobb! l lighted a
candle and set it on a chair beside the
bed and took good look at her. She
was shaking all over, which wasn't
strange, for 1 sleep with my window
open and she had a key in her hand.
Here" she gasped, holding out the
key, here, Minnie, wake the house
and get him, but, oh, Minnie, for heav-
ems sake, save my reputation!'
Get who?" demanded, for saw it
was her room key.
I have locked man in my room!"
she declared in a terrible voice, and col
lapsed into the middle of the bed
Well, leaned over and tried to tell
her she'd make a mistake. The more
l looked at her, with her hair standing
straight out over her head, and her
cambria nightgoWn and a high collar
and long sleeves, and the hump on her
nose where her brother Willie had hit
her in childhood with a baseball bat,
the surer I was that somebody had
made mistake-likely the man.
l sat down on the side of the bed
and put on my slippers.
What did he look ike?" I asked.
Gould you see him?"
She uncovered one eye.
''Not-not distinctly" she said. q
think he was large, and-and rather
handsome. That beast of dog must
have got in my room and was asleep
under the bed, for it awakened me by
snarIing."
There was nothing in that to make
me nervous, but it did AS l put on
my kimono l was thinking pretty hard.
l could not waken Mr.. Pierce by
knocking, so l went in and shook him.
Mr.. Pierce! Mr.. Pierce!"
1t was two or three minutes at least
before l had him sitting on the side
of the bed, with a blanket spread over
his knees, and was telling him about
Miss Cobb.
After he seemed pretty we'll wax
| ened l went out. I waited in the sit
ting-room and I heard him growing as
he put on his clothes. He was quiet
when we got to the bedroom floors,
however, and when we stopped outside
Miss Cobb's door he was as sober. as
any one could wish him
gave him the key and he fitted it
quietly in the lock. Arabella, just out
side, must have heard, for she snarled
But the snarl turned into a yeIp, as if
she'd been suddenly kicked.
Mr.. Pierce, with his hand on the
knob, turned and looked at me in the
candle-Iight. Then he opened the
door.
Arabella gave another yelp and
rushed out; she went between my feet
like a shot and almost overthrow me,
and when I'd got my balance again 1
looked into the room. Mr.. Pierce was
at the window, staring out, and the
room was empty.
THE idiot" Mr.. Pierce said. '1f
it hadn't been for that snow-bank!
Here, give me that candle!"
He stood there waving it in circles,
hut there was neither sight nor sound
from below. After a minute Mr.. Pierce
put the window down and we stared
at the room. All the bureau drawers
were out on the floor, and the lid of
poor Miss Cobb's trunk was open and
the tray upset.
We brought her back to her room,