The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-21
Mary Roberts
Rinehart

which thumb IL was' hut l WAS
putting the tea-tray on the wash
stand. and moving Mr.. Ladloy's
papers TO find room for II. Peter.
the spaniel, begged for q lump Of
sugar. and l gave II to him.
Where Is Mr.. Ladleyf" I
asked.
Gone out to see the river"
II hope he'll be careful. There's
q drowning or two every year In
these floods"
Then l hope he WON'T she
said calmly. do you know
what l was doing when you came
In? was looking after HIS boat
and hoping II had a hole In IT,"
you won't feel that way to-
morrow, Mrs. Ladley." protests
cd, shocked. You're Just nervous
and put out. Most men have their
ugly times. Many time wished
Mr.. Pitman was gone--untii he
went. Then I'd have given a good
bit to have him back again"
She was standing I'm front OF
the dresser. fixing her hair over
her ears. She turned and looked
at me over her shoulder.
Probably Mr.. Pitman was q
man." she said. my husband IL
a fiend, a devil"
Well, a good many women have
said that to me at different times.
But Just let me say such thing
to them, or repeat their own
words to them the next day, and
they would fly at me In fury. So
I said nothing. and put the cream
into her tea. never saw her agaii
CHAPTER II.
There Is not much sleeping
done In the flood district during
a spring flood. The gas was shut
off, and l gave Mr.. Reynolds and
the Ladleys each a lamp. I sat
In the back room that had made
into a temporary kitchen, with
candle. and with bedquilt
around my shoulders. The water
rose fast In the lower hall. but by
midnight. at the seventh step. II
stopped rising and stood still. I
always have a skiff during the
flood season, and as the water
rose, ! tied II to one spindle OF
the staircase after another.
/ made myself q cup OF tea.
and at one o'clock stretched out
on a sofa for a few hours sleep.
think | had been sleeping only
an hour or SO, when some one
touched me on the shoulder and I
started up. II was Mr., Reynolds,
partly dressed.
Some one has been in the
house, Mrs. Pitman." he said.
They went away just now In the
boat"
Perhaps It was Peter" I sug-
gested. THAT dog IL always wan
dering around at night"
Not unless Peter can row Q
boat" said Mr. Reynolds dryIy,
got up, being already fully
dressed, and taking the candle,
we went to the staircase. notic-
ed that 1t was minute or so after
two O'Clock as we left the room,
The boat was gone. not united,
but cut loose. The end of the rope
was still fastened to the stair-rati.
sat down ON the stairs and
looked at Mr.. Reynolds.
tits gone!" said. III the
house catches fire, we'll have to
drown"
ITS rather curious. when you
consider It." We both spoke soft
ly, not to disturb the Ladleys.
1--WE been awake, and I heard NO
boat come In. And yet, II no one
came in q boat. and came from
the street, they would have had
to swim In"
felt queer and creepy. The
street door was open, of course,
and the lights going beyond. IL
gave me a strange feeling to cit
there in the darkness on the stairs
with the arch of the front door
like the entrance to cavern, and
see now and then q chunk of ice
slide into view, turn around in
the eddy, and pass on. 1t was Bit
ter cold, too, and the wind was
rising.
"I'll go through the house."
said Mr.. Reynolds. There's like
ly nothing worse the matter than
some drunken mill-hand on q va
cation while the mills are under
water. But I'd better look"
| He left me, and sat there
alone in the darkness. had q
presentmept of something wrong,
but | tried to think 1t was only
discomfort and the cold. The
water, driven in by the wind,
swirled at my feet. And some
thing dark floated in and lodged
on the step below. reached
down and touched IL. II was q
dead kitten. I had never known
a dead cat to bring me anything
but bad luck, and here was one
washed In at my very feet
Mr.. Reynolds came back soon,
and reported the house quiet and
In order.
But I found Peter shut up in
one of the third-floor rooms" he
said. did you put him there?'
had not, and said so: but as
the dog went everywhere, and the
door might have blown shut, we
did not attach much Importance
to that at the time.
Well. the skiff was gone, and
there was no use worrying about
1t until morning. | went back to
the sofa to keen warm. hut Ieft