Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-01-29

said, ito Mr.. Thoburn's birthday be-
yond his control!"
There was the clink Of glasses, but
| had remembered what 1t had been
that was to remember. And now 1t
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.
"Pantrys locked!" said voice.
"Drat that Minnie!" somebody said.
THE girls a nuisance"
"Hush!" Miss Summers said She's
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 glass for Miss
Patty and forgot the pantry.
Under cover of the next burst of
noises tried the pantry window, but
ii was frozen shut. Nothing but
hammer would have loosened it. be
gan to dig at it with 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.
I'm 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 | 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, IL
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 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 il up. II was a key!
l struck a match, and | saw by the
tag that it was the one to the old
doctors rooms. | knew right off what
il 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
get in their work before Mr.. Pierce
had another chance at them.
had no time to wonder how Miss
Summers knew I was in the pantry.
| tried the window again. but 1t
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
frantically 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 speech.
saying how happy he was that they
were all well and able to go back to
civilization again, where the broiled
lobster fiourished like a 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.
gu!shed fellow guests" he began, Il
suggest a toast TO the autocrat Of
Hope Springs. II is the only blot on
the evening, that owing to the ext
| gencies OF the occasion, he can not
be with US. Securely fastened in his
room, he is now sleeping the sleep
that follows a stomach attuned to
! prunes, a mind attuned to rule"
Eat, drink and be merry" some
body said. for tomorrow you diet!"
There was swish and rustic. as II
woman got up in hurry.
do you mean" said Miss Patty's
clear voice, that you have dared to
lock Mr.. Pier-Mr. Carter in his
room?"
my dear young lady" several of
them began, but she didn't give them
time.
1T is outrageous. infamous!" she
stormed. didn't need to see her to
know how she looked. How dare you!
Suppose the building should catch
fret
''Fire!" somebody said In a bewil-
dered voice my dear young lady"
Don't my dear young lady me-"
she said angrily Father. Bishop,
viii you stand for this? Why. he
may jump out the window and hurt
himself Give me the key!"
Miss Julia's fingers we're beating a
tattoo behind her, as II she was afraid
might miss it,
.If ha iumns out he prohably will