New Britain herald., 1917-01-27

demanded Dicky truculently. How
do you suppose I know what she's
taken it into her head to do. There's
no use standing her, come on up to
our room and We'll get busy on the
telephone"
Safely in the room he tossed the
bags into chair and strobe toward
a telephone.
mo use unpacking until we find
out what mothers up to, I suppose"
he threw back over his shoulder as
he took down the receiver. Don't
stand there staring though, sit down
and be comfortable
Lillian Knows Nothing.
I knew the number he would call
even before heard him give it to the
telephone girl. It was Lillian's. If it
had been predicament of my own I
would have called Lillian just as Dicky
had, although 7 had known her a. so
much shorter time than had he. Peo-
pie turned instinctively to Lillian I'm
derwood for help in an emergency.
Her coolness her resourcefulness, her
ready wit, above all her spontaneous
willingness to help, made her a tower
of strength.
I listened breathlessly to Dickys
part of a hurried co1loquy between
himself and Lillian, who evidently had
answered the phone herself. I could
tell by his questions and answers that
Lillian did not know anything Of his
mothers WHEREABOUTS
"I'l1 have Madge call you up as soon
as I get the house, he said finally,
and hanging up the receiver turned to
me with an annoyed frown on his face
Lii says she hasn't a ghost off an
idea what has happened" he ex-
planned hurriedly 'She thinks she
may have gone out home to Marvin
Says she called mother twice while
we were gone; once the day after we
! left, when mother received her very
cordially, and again the day before
yesterday, when the mater froze her
stiff. She said mother seemed to be
in terrible wax about something.
"Suppose you call the house, Madge,
you can make Katie understand bet
ter than I can. ! suppose, of course,
she and Jim are back by this time"
"Oh, yes I returned, as I went to
the telephone, "you know they were
to be back from their honeymoon in
side Of the week."
Located at Last.
Dicky muttered something uncom-
plimentary concerning the ability of
any "blasted pot wa1loper' to keep
a promise, but I pretended not to hear
him. resented his language concern
ing Katie, who had proved my very
good friend, but had no wish to add
to Dicky's annoyance.
To my relief it was Katie's voice
that came to my ear over the tele-
phone. had feared that If my
! mother-in-law were indeed at the
, Marvin house she might answer the
: phone, and I had no desire to bear
the brunt of her displeasure, If she
were, as Lillian described her, 'in a
, wax over somethfng.'
But Katies tones were not her
| usual ones, full of caroling light
, heartedness. Instead of the familiar
| "Oh, Missis Graham is dot you? I so
| glad" with which she was wont to
| greet a call of mine over the tele-
| phone, her answer was low and
cautious. Eyes, dis is Graham's she
said, and then with a little gasp as
she recognized my voice I heard her
| mutter toned command to Jim.
MAKE Oct door shut, Jim, no noise
Jim must have obeyed her mandate
literally, for I heard no sound as of a
closing door. But Katie spoke quick
| ly, softly into the receiver.
misses Graham, say notings, don't
tell you called oop, but COON home
joost as qvick as you can. Dot old
vomans is here, and she so mad she
joost raise one hell all time. Goot-by,
I no want her to catch me at 'phone!"