New Britain herald., 1916-12-16
Why Did Mrs. AIlis Ask 'Nho Is the
 Artist This Time, Fred?"

AItisb IulS lime. FTou.
 1 think Mrs. Allis, the mysterious boarder at the Cosgrove farmhouse and Fred. one of the twin sons of the house, were equally confused and an- moved at discovering each other. But while the boy reddened so painfully that Dfcky and I, crouched in the un- dergrowth near by, could see the rush If color to his checks and in other little ways showed his confusion plain ly, the experienced woman of the world masked hers cleverly k Under one arm the boy carried slarge, shapeless bundle done up in brown paper As he caught sight of Mrs. Allis he made a quick, clumsy, .nVoluntary effort to shift his burden Behind his back. Then, evidently realizing the absurdity of his attempt, ho stood stcclS still with the bundle held awkwardly in front of him and hts face the color of a ripe beet. Well which are you this morning, Fred or Ned?" Mrs. Allis asked mis- cf!evously, knitting away at the sock on which she had been ostenstbly at work since the man whom she had some to the gigantic oak to meet had left her.
 With the rem em brance fresh upon me of the words I had just heard this woman speak. words which had be- treyed the plot against the valuable collection of paintings in the Cosgrove narlo". in which sl:e and her accom- nlico were concerned. I marvellod at her calmness.
 I'm Fred" the boy answered truth fully.
 ~ And Fred" the brilliant black eyes played over the lad ma1iciously, whats the mysterious bundle you're So afraid I'm going to see? Hand it over for Inspection, sonny. I'm a cus- toms inspector. No bundle goes by this tree unless I know it's contents
 Her tone and manner were as art less as those of a little girl playing a game, and I knew that she meant to give that impression to the boy before her. But I could read real curi osity beneath the surface of her teasing, and realized that she meant to ascer- tain the contents of the package, either because of her love of malicious teasing or for some more cogent reason.
 At her words the boy started un- easily, clasped his clumsy bundle closer. and started back from her.
 
 as a cat she sprang toward him and snatched at the bundle, laughing mer- rily the while as if it were the mer- riest jest in the world
 The boy, plainly torn between the desire to keep knowldge of the bundles contents from her and wish not to offend her. held on to his burden stoutly. But in the struggle the paper loosc-od, and it's contents tum bled to the ground.
 Mrs. AIIis Taken AbacI<.
 From where we crouched Dicky and I could plainly see the contents of the heavy brown paper wrapping. An artists carrying case, of good ma teria1, but much worn with age and hard usage, fell to the ground and opened, it's lock evidently not having been securely fastened. From 1t spilled a small roll of canvas, brushes, tubes of paint, all the paraphernaia of an artists work. There was similar outfit in Dickys room at home, although his illustrating had long relegated it into the background.
 For once I saw Mrs. Allis taken aback. She gazed at the carrying case as if it were venomous serpent. Her face turned white. Then she. famed out flercely at the boy:
 "Where did you get that?
 The conviction came to me that she had seen the case before was, in fact, familiar with it. But even as she spoke her usual boise came back to her. her face cleared, and clapping the wondering boy lightly on the shoulder she said laughingly:
 Did I frighten you, Fred? Well, then, I'm square with you for the many times you've fooled me as to