The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-10-29
A NIGHT OF WATCHING AND
WAITING


you sit still, Missis Graham l 60.
Katie sprang from her chair to ans
wer the telephone, the ringing OF
which had so worried me as we sat
wondering what would happen next
Dicky, plainly intoxicated, had just
left after coming back at midnight TO
take me to Lillian Gales. We had
had a scene as distressing to me as
the one earlier in the evening, and
as he departed he had announced his
intention of acquiring good jag
before | saw him again. Katie, awak-
ened by the noise, had arisen to take
care of me, despite my protests, and
the alacrity with which she sprang to
the telephone signified her willing
ess to stand between me and any
trouble
Katies method of answering the tel
ephone is to stand as far away from
it as possible and shout into it. She
answered this call in her usual way,
and her Hello" almost shook the
room Her next words startled me.
ssOh, Missis Underwood, dot you?
Don't you remember me? l Katie"
Evidently Mrs Underwood was in
no mood to renew any acquaintance
with Katie she might have had, for
Katie's next answer was short and TO
the point.
-sOh. yes, she right here. I call her
queeck."
| went to the telephone with curl
ously mixed feelings. terror for fear
some accident had happened to Dicky.
and deep annoyance at Lillian Gale.
l felt as if I could not bear to listen
to her voice again.
Mrs Graham, l fear you will never
forgive me for bothering you at this
unearthly hour" her voice held more
than the conventional apology but
I was so afraid you would think l
had something to do with that crazy
scheme of those two idiots to wake
you up and bring you back here at
this hour, that I could not help tele-
phoning you. Have they been there
YETI"
do you mean our two erring hus'
bands?" Purposely / made my voice
as gay as possible. They were here
a few moments ago, that is, Mr. era
ham came upstairs and said Mr.. In
derwood was in the taxicab below, but
they went away again. I think they
are on their way back to your house,
at least Dicky announced his inten-
ton of acquiring a real jag by the
time he came home, SO I suppose you
will see him soon.
If anyone had told me a week ago
that / would ever be guilty OF giving
another woman a spiteful little jab
such as the one hidden in my last re-
mark. I would have said the idea was
preosterous am afraid my mental
and moral fibre is getting a bit warp
Hn
some of the impulses that come to
me, But Mrs. Underwood appeared
smoothly unconscious of any hidden
meaning in my words. She countered
easily:
"Oh. / am so sorry they came there
and awakened you. They had been
threatening to do it for an hour be-
fore they went, but I kept an eye on
them. Then some new people came
in. and in greeting them I lost sight
of Dicky and Harry for a minute:
When I turned to where ] had left
them. they had gone. I wouldn't have
had this happen for worlds. We're
thew much under the weather when
they reached your house, and were
you frightened"
/ feel / am getting to be an &C
complished evader of the truth.
fiatter myself my voice did not hold
single tremor as l answered:
why, you see, l didn't see Mr.. I'm
derwood at all, so I don't know what
state he was it, and it would be rath-
er silly to be frightened by ones hus-
band, wouldn't it? Besides, l didn't
notice anything about Dicky except
that he was in unusually light spirits
and determined that I should return
with them. And I think he was a
trife annoyed because refused. Then
he went away"
How long ago did they leave?'
Lillian's voice held note of sharp
ness.
ooh. perhaps 20 minutes or less"
replied.
"They could have been back in five.
/ do hope nothing has happened to
them, they are such reckless scatter
brains when they are together"
l felt something clutch at my heart.
This woman might simply be paying
me back in my own coin. this might
be only little singing dart which
she meant should stick in my brain,
but I did not think SO. have her an