The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-01-02
CHAPTER TX.

| w hHb Win WOIIyluB anu DbluB ulltI-
nately chilled by tramping through the
snow and roasted as If was sitting
on a volcano with an eruption due,
was about all in.
| ] guess it was about four o'clock in
the morning when hand slid over my
face, and l 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! lighted q
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 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 1t
was her room key
Il have locked a 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 mistake The more
| looked at her, with her hair standing
straight out over her head, and her
cambric 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 l was that somebody had
made a mistake-likely the man.
sat down on the side of the bed
and put on my slippers.
What did he look like?" l 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 1t awakened me by
snarling"
There was nothing in that to make
me nervous, but it did. AS / put on
my kimono was thinking pretty hard.
l could not waken Mr.. Pierce by
knocking, so l went in and shook him.
MI. IleICG! MT. TlSTC6'
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 well wax
ened l went out. l waited in the sit
ting-room and bsard 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 Cobbs doo' he was as sober as |
any one could with 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 yelp, as If |
she'd been suddenly kicked.
Mr.. Pierce, with his hand on the
knob, turned and looked at me in the
candle-light. 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 l
looked into the room. Mr.. Pierce was
at the window, staring out, and the
room was empty.
"The idiot" Mr.. Pierce said. "If
It hadn't been for that bank!
Here, give me that candle!"
He stood there waving it in circles,
but there was neither sight nor sound
from below. After a minute MIR. Pierce
put the window down and we stared
At the room. All the bureau drawers
we're out on the floor, and the lid of
poor Miss Cobb's trunk was open and
he tray upset.
We brought her back to her room,
Ind she didn't know whether to be
Happy that she was vindicated or mad
It the state her things were in. She
irew my head down to her and her
'yes were fairly popping out of her
lead.
II feel as though I'm going crazy,
she whispered, but the only .
hings that are gone are my letters
rom Mr.. Jones, and-my black wooden !
ights!"
| slept late the next morning, and
When I'd had breakfast and waded tc T
he spring-house it was nearly nine.
IS | floundered out l thought l saw
omebody stink around the corner of r
he sp1ing-house, but when / got there
obody was in sight. l was on my h
nees III front of the fireplace, raking
ut the fire, when / heard the door n
lose behind me, and when / turned, y
here stood Mr.. Dick, mufied to the r
eek, with his hat almost over his v
ace.
What the deuce kept you so late
lis morning?" he demanded, in a b
llky voice, and .limping over to a V
lble he drew package out of his L
ocket and slammed it on the table,
Il was up half the night, as usual" l
said, rising. You oughtn't to be
ere, Mr.. Dick!" d
He was pulling something out OF b
Is oVercoat pocket, an inch at time. o.
For Gods sake, Minnie" he ex-
aimed, return tbis--this garment to n
it belongs to!" 81
He handed it to me, and it was Miss hi
0bb's black tights / stood and O,
ared TT
"And then" he went on, reaching gi
r che package on the table, when 10
'u've done that, return to Binkie' gi
ese letters from her Jonesie. M
Don't stand and stare" he con- "
lued irritably, when didn't make 4
owe, "at least get that-that infernal al
ack garment out Of sight" W,
$50 it was you'll" / gaaped, putting