The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-01-30

There was the clink OF glasses, but
had remembered what II had been
that | was TO remember. And now II
was too late. was trapped in the
pantry Of my springhouse and Mr..
Pierce was probably asleep.
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.
"Pantry's locked" said voice
'Drat that Minnle!" somebody said.
"The girls a nuisance"
"Hush!" Miss Summers said. shes
probably in there now-taking down
what we say and what we eat. Con
victing us out of our own mouths"
| held my breath and the knob rat
tied. Then they found a 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 a
I hammer would have loosened it. | be
4 gan to dig at it with a wire hairpin
/ but hadn't much hope.
The fun in the springhouse was get
ting fast and furious. Miss Summers
was leaning against the pantry door
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 hear
every whisper
81 have good news for you" she said
in an undertone.
oh! And WHAT"
Ssh! You may recall" she said, the
series of notes, letters, epistles, with
which you have been honoring me
lately?"
How could l forget? They were
written in my hearts blood!"
Indeed" Her voice lifted its eye
brows, so to speak. We'll, somebody
got in my room last night and stole
dare say pint of your hearts blood.
They're gone"
He was pretty well upset, as he
might be, and she stood by and lis
tened to the things he said, which. if
they were as bad in English as they
sounded in German, | wouldn't like to
write down. And when he cooled
down and condensed, as you may say.
into English, he said Miss Jennings
must have seen the letters, for she
would hardly speak to him. And Miss
Summers said she hoped Miss Jen-
nings had-she was too nice a girl to
treat shamefully.
And after he had left her there
alone heard sort of scratching on
the door behind Miss Summers back,
and then something being showed un-
der the door | stopped down and
picked 1t up. 1t was a key
| struck a match, and | saw by the
tag that it was the one to the old
doctors rooms. | knew right off what
it meant. Mr.. Pierce had gone to bed.
or pretended to throw them off the
track and Thoburn had locked him
in! Thoburn hadn't taken any
chances. He knew the influence Mr.
Pierce had over them all, and he and
his champagne and tin cans had to
fn
had another chance at them.
| had no time to wonder how Miss
Summers knew ! was in the pantry |
| tried the window again, but it |
wouldn't work. Somebody in the
spring was shouting, "'Hot but
ter blue beans, please come to sup
peri" and | could hear them crowd. |
ing around the tables. worked |
with the hairpin, and just
then two shadowy figures outside !
slipped around the corner of the build
ing 1t was Mr.. Pierce and Doctor
Barnes!
darted back and put my ear to
the door, but they did not come in
at once. Mr.. Thoburn made a speech.
saying how happy he was that they
We're all well and able to go back to
civilization again, where the broiled
lobster fourished like green bay
tree and the prune and the cabbage
were unknown.
There was loud applause, and then
Senator Biggs cleared his throat.
Ladies and gentlemen, distin-
guished fellow guests" he began, Il
suggest a toast to the autocrat of
Hope Springs. It is the only blot on
he evening, that, owing to the ext
sencies of the occasion, he can not
De with us. Securely fastened in his
'oom, he is now sleeping the sleep
hat follows stomach attuned to
,runes, a mind attuned to rule" f.;
Eat, drink and be merry!" some
'ody said, for tomorrow you diet!" !
There was a swish and rustic, as If !
woman got up in hurry.
DO you mean," said Miss Patty's I
lear voice, that you have dared to
Ock Mr. Pier-Mr. Carter in his
oom?"
My dear young lady" several of
hem began, but she didn't give them t
ime.
ut is outrageous, infamous!" she
formed. l didn't need to see her to t
now how she looked. How dare you
uppose the building should catch i
rel" 1
"Fire!" somebody said in a bewil-
cred voice. "My dear young lady"
Don't my dear young lady me-"
he said angrily. Father, Bishop,
,ill Won stand for this? Why he G