Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1917-08-30

led them To the kiecAea
What Is rs" Sopp asked
Its secr~t,~ replied mysterious,
". Investigating RAY Settie Of CLAIMS,
| which, strange TO relate, had mot boiled
| eatsre3y away, 'lil serve il t. yca
and then yea can guess what il is"
| found a number IT bowls in the
pantry. and with a pcc,elain ailYer |
laisesi a gc,dly portion of clam broth
| into each.
did you cock this all by yourselfs'
| asked Kent.
| Il did" averred modeStly.
From raw materials You found ON
The island?" supplemented Bopp.
Everything in it grew right here" l
| explained.
Its Tootles - screamed Lucille. turn
NJ pale aud putting her bowl down on
he table
Il, can't be-" said Bopp. shifting
This has decidedly fishy SMELL
Il know it." walled Lucille. with tears
coursing down her checks. That's
what makes me think it's Tootles. We
have been feeding her lots Of fish late
~"
I started to explain. Lucille, how
can you accuse me Of such thing?'
You never liked Tootles. know it.
You cared more for your appetite than
for my little darling. Now see
through ali the mystery about what the
food was and what you were doing all
the afternoon while slept. suppose
you drugged me so that wouldn't hear
the poor little things screams Oh.
mother! Oh, TOotles
Lucille" began. -
Don't speak to me. / don't even
want to see you again, you fat muir
derer."
That was too much. might have
stood for being called a murderer, but
not fat one.
Every WELL" replied. 1T certainly
will not be necessary for you to see me.
I will 60, and assure you that will
never enter your house again"
I went to the door with as much dig.
nifty as could assume.
noouuy, Sdu 40 Olcueu Tie
door.
There was no particular place to 60
and apparently no chance of leaving
the island before morning. anyway. l
bethought me of the lattice summer
house and decided that 1t might not be
bad idea to take what shelter 1t az
fOrded
After some difficulty l found the
summer house and sat under its cheer
less shelter listening to the rain drip
Off from Its roof on to the dead leaves
below while l reviewed my situation.
I had to admit that could not be in
a much worse plight. Lucille was
proud and would probably not apol-
ogize to me any more than l would
retract my spoken vow not to enter
her house again. Clearly my love az
fair was In bad way and required
heroic treatment to put 1t back into
u healthy normal condition.
Meditating upon that and wondering
what could have happened to Mrs
Green on the little island just south
Of us. ! gradually doZed Off and slip
ped down to the floor.
Ally figure Is not such, however. that
! rest perfectly on tlat surface. For
that reason my slumbers were uneasy
and troubled with dreams In which
went through various tOrtures of the
inquisition. such AS having my bones
broken ON the rack and other medieval
variations of the third degree.
My last nightmare was that Of being
blinded by redhot iron. Who was
it had that done to him? remember.
1t was Michael Strogoff. the courier Of
the ear. Shades Of Jules Verne! Any.
way, II happened to me In my dreams
aud the burning sensation was so viz.
Id that awoke In terror.
TootlcS was calmly licking my face
| suppose her tongue had rasped across
my eyes. | remembered having been
told that this method Of awakening a
sleeper was one Of her cutest tricks.
If ever have dog of my own I'm
going to spend n lot Of time teaching
him not to do this trick.
| was about to insist that the pup
rest somewhere besides on my head
and return To my slumbers once more
when my attention was attracted by
slight noise outside. Some one was
cautiously approaching the summer
house Who the dickens could be out
wandering about at that time Of night ?
! judged that 1t was about midnight.
The person came nearer Finally he
felt HIS way around to the door.
The latch was lifted. and some one
entered. silenced an impulse on the
part OK Tootles to welcome the in
truter The weight Of the man who
was th"re not ten feet from me made
the floor boards sag as he walked
about. lie was coming toward me.
For II moment he paused uncertainty
| and then lit n match. In its light
discovered that he was a tall. nattily
| clad young man whom ! had never
seen before
| imagine my surprise was minutes
mal compared 80 his. | was expectin&
him, but he could not by any possible
chance have been prepared for a wide
awake minimizing stranger staring nj