The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-02-21


 ticular about Al to be scared of"
 The horror of drunkenness-that WAS It.
 .'I wouldn't be afraid of him!' June suddenly popped out
 The woman looked at her with widened eyes
 The door moved. and Al Grogg appeared in the doorway in his shirt sleeves collarless. his hair touseled
 What you got for supper;' he grorled.
 Why. ALI didn't think you'd want any" And the woman's voice trembling.
 "Oh you didn't think sol Well, want some sup perl"
 Why, Al, aint got any money
 Well why aint you? Come herer' His dst went up.
 "A.' \ vail of terror was in the voice.
 June stepped swiftly from behind the stove and confronted the man, her small fists cnched, her cheeks flaming, her eyes blazing She glared at him all her contempt and all her loathing and something more-her superiority. The fist which had been up raised slowly down. His shoulders dropped He whipped
 Al Groggs wife watched that transition in him with amazement, the dropping of the eyes. the low ering of the fist. the dropping of the shoulders And a small young woman in q huny evening gown had done this thing
 Smash A gersnium pot just missed Al Grogg's head and broke on the bedroom door, Bangi An other spraddng geranium which had split down the center brushed As cheek its pot crashed past.
 'Looky herev Al Grogg's tone was chiefly one of surprise.
 Other nowcrpots followed from Mrs. Grogg's hands She had at last discovered that Al Grogg could be made afraid.
 June looked at her a moment and then trudged up the hill, somewhat frightened at her own sponsibity in this domestic upheava. The guests had arrived when she reached the house. Tommy Thomas! With Tommy was . white mustached pink faced man. The runaway bride was surprised and puzzled at the appearance of Tommy in this place, but the white mustached man occupied more of her thought They were finishing dinner when Mrs Willard called away. The white mus tached man was trying to induce June to smoke a cigarette June suddenly looked up and saw in the doorway between the porteres of heavy yelours the dark handsome face of Gilbert Blye!
 '"rut tut Orinr came the suave voice of the black Vandyked man. "I won't have this little runaway bride taught bad habtsr'
 June flushed and turned with embarrass ment to Mrs. Willard. who followed Bye into the doorway.
 Blye Always Blye! He lowered about after they had lounged into the billiard room and conserva tory, but the white mustached man monopolized June. Every time she tried to get away from him Tommy Thomas managed by some accident to throw them together again. June finally left the guests and went to her room. She had decided to go back to the O'Keefe house of refuge.
 Closer and closer had gathered the siege on the house of O'Keefe Bit by bit atom by atom, traces mad been picked up.
 Closer and closer grew the tolls until Marie no longer dared stick her out of the window lest should report her to Ned or to Junes fa- ther and mother But Ned's detectives finally got definite information.
 One day n long. lean slnker with cadaverous cheeks up to Ned from Duck alley and looked up at the O'Keefe residence with solemn interest
 That's the place." he said
 "yes, it's the place" Ned Warmers voice was hollow, but there jubilant ring in it.
 "Go and tell MT. Moore"
 The lean individual hurried away and presently came back the driver scat of limousine Inside the stern faced father and tho gentle faced mother of June and Junes bosom friend the ebul- lient Iris Betherng, and Robbie Bletherng.
 This is the place. said stern John Moore look ing up at the front of the Okcefe resi- dence. and, stalking out, he helped the others aght
 sammy Okeefe came to the door in answer to Ned's ring, and q much wrinked face pokcd itself out of the second story window.
 .Does June Warner live herc?' asked Ned,
 No, sir"
 The head in the second story window ierked in immediately, and there a nasty shuttle on the stairs leading to the third floor, a shufle by setting up the right foot first and pulling the left up to it. Also there mad scrambing on the third floor while sammy O'keefe in the front doorway looked the throng in the eye with admirable truthfulness and swore that there was no June Warner there's no June Moore, June any thing.
 , Whats the matter here Sammy" the Widow O'Keefc herself asked. pantng considerably
 "Come search the house! she proudly dared them Some of them for holding back, but Ned Warner was perfectly caous to whether or not he took any ones word or doubted it. He meant to find his wife.
 By the circumstance of bringing home a genuine go,rd to little Maggie Casey, June came home around by an extremely back way and so missed the searchers
 Search the cellar, if you pleasem mocked the Widow O'Keefe, leading the way. Maybe you'll look in the kindly bin! And here's the coal chutei Now come upstairs! Here's the hall that you saw before. and here's my sammy fine young boy still; and this is the paror. The organ there. sir, is not hollow as you tell by lifting up the lids Open all the doors and see"
 The place vacant. No one was there. Ned Warner. puzzled and determined. inspected the third floor No results. The Widow 0'Keefe had gath cred up all the clothes and belongings and put them in sheet and poked them into Mrs. McPhersons third story window.
 June Warner ripped lightly across the street. let herself in at the Widow OKeefe's front door and trotted briskly up the stairs She swung round the curvns punistcr
 Maybe you'd like to look up the chimneys," sur- gested the Widow OKeefe to the searchers on the third hoor
 Ned Warner walked toward the hall door.
 I gta te1 mn t0 Ina fbjr1 Yoor