Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1917-02-28

by the noise, was crying beneath the
covers Of her bed.
Maybe we'd better phone for Mr..
Allan" suggested Fairy. ..Tha girls are
so nervous they will be hysterieal by
the time we finish searching the
house,
"Well, let's do the upstairs them
said Prudence. "Get your slippers and
Iiimonos, and We'll go into daddy,s
| room"
But inside the door of daddy's room.
with the younger girls clinging to her.
and Fairy looking odd and disturbed.
Prudence stopped abruptly and stared
about the room curious}y.
Fairy, didn't father leave his watch
hanging on that nail by the table1
Seems to me I saw it there this morn
ing. [ remember thinking I would
tease him for being forgetful."
/ And the watch was not there.
II rEink it was Sunday he left ,tn
answered Fairy in a low voice. II re-
4.els,ber seeing it on the nail. and think.
ing he would need it-but believe it
WAS Sunday"
Prudence looked under the bed, and
In the closet, but their fathers room
was empty. Should they go farther?
For moment, the girls stood looking
ut one another qucstioningly. Then
they heard q loud thud downstairs, as
OF someone pounding on door. There
was no longer any doubt. Someone
was in the house! Connie and the
twins screamed again and chung to
Prudence frantically. And Fairy said,
Il think we'd better lock the door and
stay right here until morning, Prue."
But Prudence faced them stubborn
~. "If YOU think I'm going to let any
one steal that fifty dollars, you are
mistaken. Fifty dollars does not come
often enough for that, can tell YOU"
"1t's probably stolen already OBJ
jected Fairy.
swell, if it is, we'll find out who did
it, and have them arrested. I'm going
down to telephone to the police You
girls must lock the door after me- and
stay right here.''
The little ones screamed again, and
FAIRY said: Don't be silly, Prue, if
you go I'm going with you, of course.
Well leave the kiddies here and they
can lock the door. They'll be perfectly
safe in here"
But the children loudly objected to
this If Prue and Fairy went, they
would go! So down the stairs they
trooped, a timorous trembling crowd.
Prudence went at once to the tele-
phone, and called up the residence Of
the Allans, their neighbors across the
street. After seemingly never-ending
wait, the kind-hearted neighbor left
his bed to answer the insistent tele-
phone. Falteringly Prudence explained
their predicament, and asked him to
come and search the house. He prom
ised to be there in five minutes, with
his son to help.
"Now," said Prudence more cheer.
fully, well just go out to the kitchen
and wait. It's quiet there, and away
from the rest Of the house, and wen
be perfectly safe.'' To the kitchen,
then, they hurried, and found real
comfort in it& smallness and secure.
ness. Prudence raked up the dying
| emeers of the fire, and Fairy drew the
blinds to their lowest limits. The
twins and Connie trailed them fear.
fully at every step.
| E,vnrv hroofI7 Of x1.;rS o~o;oc+ h.
windows drew startled cries from the
younger girls, and both Fairy and Pru.
dence were white with anxiety when
they heard the loud voices of the AL.
lans outside the Kitchen door. Pru.
dence began crying nervously the mo-
ment the two angels of mercy ap-
peared before her, and Fairy told their
tale of woe.
"Well, there now" Mr.. Allan said
with rough sympathy, you just got
scared, that's all. Everything's sus.
picious when folks get scared. told
my wife the other day bet you girls
would get good fright sometime, left
here alone. Come on, Jim, and Wen
go over the house in jiffy."
lie was standing near the dining.
room door. He lifted his head sud.
denly, and seemed to sniff little.
There was undoubtedly faint odor
of tobacco in the house.
| "Been any men in here tonight?" he
asked. Cor this afternoon? Think,
now!"
mo one" answered Prudence. Il
was alone all afternoon and there has
been no one in this evening"
He passed slowly through the din
ing room into the hall, closely followed
by his son and the five girls, already
much treasured. AS he passed the
dungeon door he paused for moment,
listening intently, his head bent.
"Oh Mr.. Allan" cried Prudence,
4