Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1914-01-23
CHAPTER TX.

went to bed early that night.
What with worrying and being alter
nately chilled by tramping through the
snow and roasted as if l was sitting
on a volcano with an eruption due,
was about all in.
l guess it was about four o'clock in
the morning when hand slid over my
face, and / sat up and yelled. The
hand covered my mouth at that, and
something long and white and very
thin beside the bed said: "Sh! For
heavens sake, Minnie!"
1t was Miss Cobb! / lighted a
candle and set it on chair beside the
bed and took good look at her. She
was shaking all over, which wasn't
strange, for 1 sleep with my window
open, and she had a key in her hand.
Here" she gasped, holding out the
| key, here, Minnie, wake the house
and get him, but, oh, Minnie, for heav-
ems sake, save my reputation!"
Get who?" l demanded, for 1 saw it
was her room key.
II have locked man in my room!'
| she declared in terrible voice, and col
| lapsed into the middle of the bed.
Well, 1 leaned over and tried to tell
her she'd make a mistake. The more
looked at her, with her hair standing
straight out over her head, and hel
cambric nightgown and high collar
and long sleeves, and the hump on hel
nose where her brother Willie had hit
her in childhood with baseball bat
the surer l was that somebody hat
made mistake-likely the man.
/ sat down on the side of the bee
and put on my slippers.
What did he look like?" / asked
Gould you see him?"
She uncovered one eye.
"Not-not distinctly" she said. "I-
think he was large, and-and rathe
handsome. That beast of a dog mus
have got in my room and was asleel
under the bed, for it awakened me b.
snarling."
There was nothing in that to maxi
me nervous, but it did AS l put ol
my kimono was thinking pretty hard
/ could not waken Mr.. Pierce b.
knocking, so l went in and shook him
"Mr. Pierce! Mr.. Pierce!"
1t was two or three minutes at leas
before / had him sitting on the sid
of the bed, with blanket spread owe
his knees, and was telling him abou
Miss Cobb.
After he seemed pretty we'll wal
ened went out. ! waited in the 81
ting-room and heard him growing a
he put on his clothes. He was quie
when we got to the bedroom floors
however, and when we stopped outsid
Miss Cobb's door he was as sober a
any one could wish him.
l gave him the key and he fitted
quietly in the lock. Arabella, just ou
side, must have heard, for she snarlet
But the snarl turned into yelp, as
she'd been suddenly kicked.
Mr.. Pierce, with his hand on th
knob, turned and looked at me in tn
candle-light. Then he opened tn
door.
Arabella gave another yelp an
]. rushed out; she went between my fee
e like shot and almost overthrew m
and when I'd got my balance again
r looked into the room. Mr.. Pierce wa
0 at the window, staring out, and ii
room was empty.
i "The idiot" Mr.. Pierce said. :"
e it hadn't been for that snow-banl
t Here, give me that candle!"
He stood there waving it In circle
u but there was neither sight nor sour
n from below. After a minute Mr.. Piert
g put the window down and we stare
8 at the room. All the bureau drawe
d were out on the floor. and the lid
o poor Miss Cobb's trunk was open al
the tray upset.
81 We brought her back to her rooI