The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-03-20

hCIiHS III the LOp Oh my mead. l
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 a 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." 1t was the bishops
voice. Il am convinced that nothing
but dynamite will open this tin of
lobster"
Just moment, bishop" Mr.. Tho
burns voice and the clink Of bottles,
Il have a can opener somewhere.
You'll find the sauce la Newburg-"
Here, somebody, a glass. quick! A
bottles broken!"
did anybody remember to bring
salt and pepper?"
Dear Mr.. Thoburn!" 1t sounded like
Miss Cobb. Think of thinking of all
this!"
The credit is not mine. dear lady"
Mr.. Thoburn said. Where the deuce
is that corkscrew? No, dear lady,
man makes his own destiny, but his
birth date remains beyond his con-
troll"
Ladies and gentlemen" somebody
said, TO Mr.. Thoburn's birthday be-
yond his CONTROL"
There was the clink OF glasses, but
| had remembered what 1t had been
that l 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. l 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 nuisance"
"Hushi" 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"
l 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 l tried the pantry window. but
it was frozen shut. Nothing but q
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 Summer:
was leaning against the pantry dool
and judged that most of the men II
the room were 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 min
ute as the supper was put out on thu
card tables.
ITO the bottle!" somebody said
I'm infancy, the milk bottle; in ou
prime, the wine bottle; In our dotage
the pill bottle"
Mr.. Won invalid came over and stoot
beside Miss Summers. and could hea
every whisper.
81 have good news for you," she salt
in an undertone.
oh! And what?"
Ssh! You may recall" she said. 9Th,
series Of notes, letters, epistles, witt
which you have been honoring mi
lately?"
How could l forget? They wer,
written in my hearts blood"
"Indeed!" Her voice lifted its eye
brows, so to speak. We'll. somebod,
got in my room last night and stol
dare say a pint OF your hearts blood
They're gone"
He was pretty well upset, as h
might be, and she stood by and lis
tened to the things he said, which,
they were as bad in English as the.
sounded in German. wouldn't like t
write down. And when he coolies
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 Jer
nings had-she was too nice girl t
treat shamefully
And after he had left her Their
alone. l heard a sort of scratching o.
the door behind Miss Summers bach
and then something being showed vi
der the door. l stopped down an
picked it up. It was a key.
struck a match. and | saw by tn
tag that 1t was the one to the oil
doctors rooms. knew right of wha
it meant Mr.. Pierce had gone to bee
or pretended to throw them off 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
his champagne and tin cans had t
get in their work before Mr.. Pierc
had another chance at them.
l had no time to wonder how Mis-
Summers knew was in the pantr,
II tried the window again. but
wouldn't work. Somebody in tn
spring-house was shouting. Hot bu
ter blue beans. please come to SUI
pert" and l could hear them crow,
ing around the tables. works