The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-23
Copyright, 1913, the Bobbs-Mer-
rill Company.
Continued From Saturday,

Continued From Saturday,
l am not a brave woman. / lay
there, hoping Mr.. Reynolds would
hear and open his door. But he
was sleeping coundly. Peter
snarled and ran out in to the hall,
and the next moment l heard Mr..
Ladley speaking. Down, Peter"
he said. Down. Go and lie
down."
l took my candle and went out
into the hall. Mr.. Ladley was
STOPPING over the boat, trying to
tie 1t to the staircase. The rope
was short, having been cut, and
was having trouble. Perhaps it
was the candle-light, but he look
ed ghost-white and haggard.
81 borrowed your boat, Mrs. Pit
man." he said, civilly enough.
Mrs. Ladley was not well, and I
i went to the drug store"
you've been more than two
hours going to the drug store" l
said.
He muttered something about
not finding any open at first, and
went into his room. He closed
and locked the door behind him,
and although Peter whined and
scratched, he did not let him in
He looked so agitated that !
thought l had been harsh, and
that perhaps she was really Ill. /
knocked at the door, and asked If
l could do anything. But he only
called mo" CURLY through the
door, and asked me to take that
internal dog away.
l went back to bed and tried to
sleep, for the water had dropped
an inch or so on the stairs, and l
knew the danger was over. Peter
came, shivering, at dawn, and got
on to the soft with me. l put an
end of the quilt over him, and he
stopped shivering after time and
went to sleep.
The dog was company. l lay
there, wide awake, thinking about
Mr.. Pitman's death, and how /
had come, by degrees, to be keep
ing a cheap clearinghouse in the
flood district, and to having to
take impudence from everybody
who chose to rent a room from
me, and to being called a She
devil. From that l got to think
ing again about the Ladleys, and
how she had said he was fiend,
and to doubling about his having
gone out for medicine for her.
dozen off again at daylight, and
being worn out, slept heavily.
At seven O'Clock Mr.. Reynolds
came to the door, dressed for the
store. He was a tall man of about
fifty, neat and orderly in his hab-
its, and he always remembered
that l had seen better days, and
treated me as a lady.
Never mind about breakfast
for me this morning, Mrs. Pit
man." he said. "I'll get a cup of
coffee at the other end of the
bridge. I'll take the boat and send
it back with Terry"
He turned and went along the
hall and down to the boat. | heard
him push off from the stairs with
an oar and row out into the street.
Peter followed him to the stairs.
AT quarter after seven Mr..
Ladley came out and called to me:
Just bring in cup of coffee and
some toast" he said. Enough for
| one"
He went back and slammed his
door, and l made his coffee. l
stepped a cup of tea for Mrs. Lad
ley at the same time. He opened
the door just wide enough for the
tray, and took it without so much
as a thank you" He had a Gig
arctic in his mouth as usual, and
could see fire in the CRATE and
smell something like scorching
cloth.
IL hope Mrs. Ladley is better, f"
said, getting my foot in the
crack of the door, so he could not
quite close it. 1t smefled to me
as If he had accidentally set fire
to something with his cigarette,
and tried to see into the room.
What about Mrs. Ladley?" he
snapped.
you said she was Ill last
night"
"Oh, yes! Well, she wasn't
very sick. She's better"
Shall / bring her some tea?"
Take your foot awayl" he or
dered. mo. She doesn't want
tea. She's not here"
mot here!"
Good heavensi" he snarled.
us her going away anything to
make such q fuss about? The