Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-01-01

was awakened by a terrible ham
mering in the top of my head.
reached out for the glass Of water
that always put beside my bed at
night and | touched a door-knob In
stead. Then realized that the knock.
ing wasn't all in my head. There
was sort of steady movement of feet
on the other side OF the door. with
people talking and laughing. And
above 1t all rose the steady knock
knock OF somebody beating on tin.
Cant do It," II was the bishops
voice. II am convinced that nothing
but dynamite will open this tin OF
lobster"
Just a moment, bishop" Mr.. Tho
burns voice and the clink OF bottles,
Il have can opener somewhere.
You'll find the sauce a la Newburg-"
Here, somebody, a glass. quick! A
bottles brokenl"
Did anybody remember to bring
salt and pepper"
Dear Mr.. Thoburn!" 1t sounded like
Miss Cobb. Think Of thinking Of all
thisl"
The credit is not mine, dear lady"
Mr.. Thoburn said. Where the deuce
is that corkscrew7 No, dear lady,
man makes his own destiny, but his
birth date remains beyond his con-
troll"
Ladies and gentlemen" somebody
said, ito Mr.. Thoburn's birthday be-
yond his CONTROL"
There was the clink of glasses, but
l had remembered what 1t had been
that was to remember. And now II
was too late. l was trapped in the
J 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 a voice.
"Drat that Minnie!" somebody said
THE girls a nuisance"
Hush" Miss Summers said. Shes
probably in there now-taking dowr
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 Mis-
Patty and forgot the pantry.
Under cover OF the next burst o
noises | tried the pantry window, bu
II was frozen shut Nothing but I
hammer would have loosened it. be
gan to dig at 1t with wire hairpin
but hadn't much hope.
The fun in the springhouse was get
ting fast and furious. Miss Summer
was leaning against the pantry doc
and | judged that most Of the men Il
the room we're around her, as usual
put my ear to the panel OF the door
and ! could pretty nearly see what wa
going on. They were toasting Mr.. Tho
, burn, and getting hungrier every mir
I ute as the supper was put out on tn
: card tables.
: ITO the bottle!" somebody saiC
5 | On infancy, the milk bottle; in GU
8 prime. the wine bottle; in our dotag'
: the pill bottle"
/ Mr.. Won invalid came over and stoo
/ beside Miss Summers, and could hea
!. every whisper.
e 81 have good news for you," she sal
in an undertone.
= oh! And what?"
"sh! You may recall" she said, eth
series OF notes, letters, epistles, wit
r which you have been honoring m
lately?"
It How could / forget? They wei
written in my hearts blood"
Il nfkAA nv
brows, 30 to speak. We'll, somebo6
got in my room last night and sto
Il dare say a pint OF your hearts bloc
They're gone"
III He was pretty well upset, as
I might be. and she stood by and II
n tened to the things he said, which,
y they were as bad in English as thu
4 sounded in German, 1 wouldn't like
III write down. And when he cool,
. down and condensed, as you may ga
II into English, he said Miss Jennin
must have seen the letters, for 81
would hardly speak to him. And MI
j Summers said she hoped Miss Je
nings had-she was too nice girl
treat shamefully.
| And after he had left her the
alone, heard sort OF scratching
| tho door behind Miss Summers baC
and then something being showed l
| der the door. | stopped down a
j picked It up. 1t was key!
, - struck match. and | saw by t
tag that it was the one to the {
-y- Doctors rooms. knew right of WI
Sc it meant Mr.. Pierce had gone to b.
ca or pretended to throw them on
track and Thoburn had locked h
ly, in! Thoburn hadn't taken a
-ty chances. He knew the influence \
ell Pierce had over them all, and he a
"" his champagne and tin cans had
! ! get in their work before Mr.. Piei
wn had another chance at them.
nd had no time TO wonder how M
to- Summers knew ! was In the pant
MT tried the window again. but
wouldn't work. Somebody In
- l. - a.