The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-03-28

that | was TO remember. Anu III" IL
was too late. | was trapped in the
pantry of my sprihghouse and Mr..
Pierce was probably asleep. l
clutched my aching head and tried to
think. | was reused by hearing some
body say that Miss Jennings had no
glass, and by steps nearing the pantry.
| had just time to slip the bolt,
"Pantrys locked" said voice.
"Drat that Minnie!" somebody said.
1.-The girls a nuisance"
"Hush!" Miss Summers said. Shes
probably In there now-taking down
what we say and what We eat. Con-
yicting us out of our own mouths
held my breath and the knob rat
tied. Then they found glass for Miss
Patty and forgot the pantry.
Under cover OF the next burst OF
noises | tried the pantry window, but
1t was frozen shut. Nothing but
hammer would have loossped 1t. | be-
gan to dig at it with a wine haiIpin.
but hadn't much hope.
The fun in the springhouse was get
ting fast and furious Miss Summers
was leaning against the pantry soor
and Judged that most Of the men In
the room were around her, as usual.
put my ear to the panel Of the door.
and | could pretty nearly see what was
going on. They were toasting Mr.. Tho
burn, and getting hungrier every min
ute as the supper was put out on the
card tables.
ITO the bottle!" somebody said
"In infancy, the milk bottle; in our
prime, the wine bottle; in our dotage
the pill bottle"
Mr.. Won invalid came over and stood
beside Miss Summers. and could heal
every whisper.
81 have good news for you" she Said
In an undertone.
"Oh! And WHAT"
: Ssh! You may recall" she said. "the
7 series Of notes. letters. epistles. with
which you have been honoring me
lately?"
, How could forget? They were
, written in my hearts blood"
( Indeed" Her voice lifted its eye
3 brows, so to speak. We'll, somebody
3 got in my room last night and stole
B | dare say a pint of your hearts blood
3 They're gone"
: He was pretty we'll upset, as h
. might be. and she stood by and lis
1 tened to the things he said, which, l
}. they were as bad in English as the!
9 sounded in German, / wouldn't like Il
write down. And when he coole,
= down and condensed, as you may say
into English, he said Miss Jenning
must have seen the letters, for sh
: would hardly speak to him. And Mis-
Summers said she hoped Miss Jen
I nings had-she was too nice a girl t
= treat shamefully.
And after he had left her Their
alone, I heard a sort Of scratching o.
the door behind Miss Summers bach
. and then something being showed VI
y der the door. ] stopped down an
u picked 1t UP. It was a key!
struck a match. and l saw by tn
l tag that 1t was the one to the oil
doctors rooms. / knew right OF wha
q It meant. Mr.. Pierce had gone to bee
, or pretended to throw them OF tn
track and Thoburn had locked hir
in! Thoburn hadn't taken an
chances. He knew the influence Nj
. Pierce had over them all, and he an
3 his champagne and tin cans had
q get in their work before Mr.. Pierc
y had another chance at them.
| had no time to wonder how Mil
In ha pfr-
I tried the window again. but
., wouldn't work. Somebody in tn
: spring house was shouting, Hot Blu
u ter blue beans. please come to su
i pert" and I could hear them crow
u ing around the tables. l worke
Z frantically with the hairpin. and ju'
then two shadowy figures outsit
slipped around the corner Of the bull
ing 1t was Mr.. Pierce and Doctt
Barnes!
| darted back and put my ear
the door, but they did not come
at once. Mr.. Thoburn made a speec
n saying how happy he was that the
. were all we'll and able to 60 back
civilization again, where the broilt
lobster flourished like a green bs
tree and the prune and the cabbal
were unknown.
There was loud applause, and the
Senator Biggs cleared his throat.
Ladies and gentlemen, dist
guished fellow guests" he began,
suggest a toast to the autocrat
Hope Springs. 1t is the only blot
the evening, that. owing to the e.
| gencies of the occasion, he can n
be with us. Securely fastened in b
j room, he is now sleeping the sle'
that follows a stomach attuned
t. prunes. a mind attuned to rule"
* Eat, drink and be merry!" som
re body said, for tomorrow you diet
ct There was a swish and rustic, as
tn woman got up in hurry.
nd DO you mean," said Miss Patty
= clear voice. that you have dared
lock Mr.. Pier-Mr. Carter in
DIS room?"
ng MY dear young lady" several
of them began, but she didn't give the
time.
no. 1T Is outrageous. Infamous" g
es, stormed. | didn't need to see her
re. know how che looked. How dare 20
=" Suppose the building should cat
A fre!"
/ Fire." somebody said In a bev