The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-10-26
A MONTH TOO EARLY
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BY DEAN CARRUTHERS.


from the manager OF the Pebble Beach |
hotel. 1t informed her that her appli- |
cation for position as hotel stenog- |
rapher had been accepted and that the |
salary would be sixty dollars month |
with board
Please report for duty May 49, it |
ended.
The Pebbleton station was perched |
on rise of ground and from it a road
slanted down to the sea. There was
a board walk along the beach and
several great caravansaries lifted their
bulk above the high-water mark.
Il want to go to the Pebble Beach
hotel explained Cicely to the station
master. Isn't there 4 stage or a cab
to take me there?"
He shook his head
You can walk it easy, miss. It's
that last hotel on your right. There,
hear that thunder. You better wait
here or run"
I'll run" said Cicely as she scurried
down the road
She hated thunderstorms and so she
fed before this one like thing pos
sessed of great fear 1t was with
shortened breath and throbbing heart
that she reached the last hotel and
ran up on the broad piazza.
A jagged flash of lightning streaked
the gray sky to the horizon.
Mercy" painted Cicely. her hand
! on the front door knob. But it refused
to yield to her touch, so she hurried
, around to the western wing of the
hotel and discovered another door
The door was slightly ajar and she
pushed it wide and then closed it.
| She found herself in a small office,
! desolate and untenanted. The closed
! desks and the safe were covered with
/ last years dust. There was q curious
! feeling of loneliness about the place
| that frightened her
Us anyone here?" asked Cicely
! But another crash of thunder shook
the building. "Oh, DEAR" she cried,
| in panic of fear; what shall I do?"
While she quivered there, she heard
another sound-a sound of footsteps
echoing through empty rooms.
She opened one Of the desk draw
ers and CROPPED in its dark interior.
and hard. 1t was a revolver. A feel
ing of security stiffened her courage.
And then the door opened and closed
again and another presence entered
the hall.
The man stared at her in open-eyed
amazement. He was young and trim
with dark, clean-cut face, fine eyes
and a humorous mouth.
It'll shoot" she threatened in q
small voice
Please don't he said lightly.
Then she added menacingly, Its
loaded"
Then don't point 1t at me-" he said
sternly. Don't be frightened. / be-
lieve you're the very person I'm look
ing for. Are you Miss Meredith?'
Yes" said Cicely, lowering the gun.
I'm Harry Charlson,' he explained.
my fathers been away from his Of
flee for a week and just returned this
morning. On looking over his mail,
he found your letter saying that you
would report for duty here on the 18th
of May You are a month ahead of
time and SO father sent me down post
haste to bring you back. The car,
penters and cleaners are in charge at
G present and some of them are rather
rough characters. We were worried
about you"
But" protested Cicely, "Mr. Carl
sons letter distinctly stated May Is
Mother and l wondered about it." She
] took the letter from her bag and gave
it to him.
It's one on dad all right" he
d grinned. HE meant June 10. Wher
I couldn't find you l supposed youd
? discovered your mistake and gone
home. l was going around by the sta
ton to inquire. I came down in my
S motor. Where were you hiding?"
Cicely explained her adventures dur
:, ing the last hour and then together
they left the hotel, young Charlsor
, locking the door carefully after them
At the foot of the steps q great mo
tor car was purring. "You will ALLOW
me to drive you back to town." h
asked.
Il really should take a train ez
planned Cicely I'VE have given u
our fiat and mother is staying at M
D grandmother's in Underwood"
n Underwood? Oh, that's on tn
, north side about opposite Pebbletor
= Well take the cross-island road an
make it in couple of hours"
i, During that two hours ride acros
the rain-drenched island he told he
/. that he expected to spend the summe
c, in Europe. After that he was to TAX
Oh his fathers place as manager of tn
Pebble Beach in summertime and c
10 their Florida hotel in winter.
He left her at her grandmother
es gate, and with pressure of the han
IS he was gone. He motored over o,
casionally to give Cicely news of tn
= progress of repairs at Pebbleton an
y one day he said he had decided to az