The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-12-11

side. She returned TO the front
door and raped. Then she seated
herself In a porchroeker and
frowncd.
Il absolutely will not shout" she
told herself 4 am sufficiently alb
surd as It IL. will not be laughed
at"
II there VAS one thing Roeallnd
Chalmers would not for an instant
endure Il vas mirth Of her own un.
intentional provoking.
In the first place. she was too
dignlfied. In the second place. she
was too handsome In the third
place. she WIS too old-twcnty-fiye.
In tho fourth place. she was too
rich. In tho nth place
Il will get into that house some
how. find myself a couch down
stairs. and get my sleep" she de-
cidcd.
She walked briskly TO the near.
est window. she could not move
tho sash
A third window assembled abrupt.
~ and With a clatter. And then
A great bell clanged'
n burglar.alarm' she cried.
For five seconds she hcsitated.
From SomeN here above she heard
medley OF sleepy voices. She
turned and ran.
Around the corner OF the porch
she fed From its resting place at
the front door she scooped up her
satchel Down the steps TO the
lawn she leaped rccklessly and
then across the space OF level
sward.
Al tho edge OF the trees she
paused and looked back. Lights
were moving in the windows OF
N1therbee House.
Just why Miss Chalmers ran
away from the haven OF refuge she
had been 40 long in reaching, she
could not clearly have explained.
Presently she felt the gravel I'm.
der her feet and followed the trail
until It brought her back to the
wharf. where her trunks crouched
like black monsters In the faint
light OF the lantern. Here she
paused to recover breath while she
listened.
The moving lanterns among the
trees seemed to be coming nearer.
Men we're calling to each other.
She could hear footsteps on the
gravel path. Miss Chalmers slipped
around the corner OF the oathouse
and flattened herself close against
Il.
4 moment later there was a
shutting OF feet on the wharf, then
an exclamation ~ surprise in a
man's.v voice. Her curiosity urged
her TO risk a peep
What Miss Chalmers saw shocked
her. Three men in pajamas. each
carrying a lantern. we're standing
upon the wharf. Their feet were
shod In bedroom slippers. Two OF
them carried walking sticks gripped
tightly at the wrong end. evidently
intended TO perform service as
clubs. The third had a revolver.
WIG w tue HAFlA NIt lfNNkhlsfh
II was Mr.. Witherbee. One of the
men was tall and blond. with a
dropping mustache His paiamas
we're far too short In the legs and
his bare ankles were inelegant
The other man had his back to-
ward her. She thought he might
be Tom Witherbee.
The three men were gravely re.
garding the ak trunks.
These are Miss Chalmers
trunks" declared MIR Witherbee, in
voice OF wonder How the deuce
did her trunks get here?'
Must have sent them on ahead.
observed the tall one.
But who brought EN-? When
The boat didn't stop here tonight. -
Mr.. Wltherbee pcndered the
trunks again.
i've got n theory" he said pres.
emily. There's prowler about
those islands--you know that, Of
course.
We'll. Miss Chalmers sends her
trunks on in advance. Some boat
brings 'em down. probably after
we're all In bed.
This chap cruises around and
spots the trunks. Then he comes
ashore. lie finds the house dark.
lie makes up his mind that every.
body has gone away and that the
trunks are waiting to be taken
aboard the morning boat. SO he
makes q try AT the house. Burglar.
alarm goes off-he gets scared