American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-09-18

Its a secret" | replied mysterious.
ly. Investigating my kettle Of clans,
which. strange TO relate, had not boiled
entirely away. I'm serve Il to you
and then you can guess what Il IS"
| found a number OF bowls in the
pantry. aud with a porcelain dipper I
ladlcd a goodly portion Of clam broth
into each.
ibid you cook this all by yourselfY'
asked Kent.
Il did," ! avcrred mOdestly.
From raw materials you found on
the island7" supplemented Bopp.
Everything IN II grew right here" l
explained.
ITS Tootles 2" screamed Lucille, turn
Ing pale and putting her bowl down IN
the table.
1t can't be-" said Bopp, smiling.
This has a decidedly fshy SMELL"
II know H." walled Lucille. with tears
courslng down her checks. That's
what makes me think It's Tootles. We
have been feeding her lots OF fish late
IT,"
started 10 explain. Lucille, how
can you accuse me OF such a thing2"
you never liked Tootles. l know IT,
You cared more for your appetite than
for my little darling. Now l see
through all the mystery about what the
food was and what you were doing all
the afternoon while slept. l suppose
you drugged me 50 that | wouldn't hear
the poor little things screams. Oh,
motherl Oh, Tootlesl %
Lucille | began. ~
Don't speak TO me l don't even
want 10 see you again, you fat muir
dercr.'
That was too much. l might have
stood for being called a murderer, but
not a fat u
Every well" | replied. 1T certainly
will not be necessary for you TO see me.
| will 20, and I assure you that l will
never enter your house again"
went 20 the door with AZ much dig.
nifty as 1 could assume.
"Goodby," l said as l opened the
door.
There was no particular place 10 go
and apparently no chance OF leaving
the island before morning, anyway. /
b%ethought me Of the lattice summer
house and decided that II might not be
a bad idea 10 take what shelter It af-
fordcd.
After some difficulty / found the
summer house and sat under It's cheer
less shelter listening TO the rain drip
OF from It's roof on TO the dead leaves
below while | reviewed my situation.
| had TO admit that | could not be I'm
a much worse plight. Lucille was
proud aud would probably not apol-
oglzc 10 me any more than | would
retract my spoken vow not TO enter
her house again. Clearly my love az
fair was IN "a bad way and required
heroic treatment TO put II back into
"A healthy normal condition.
Meditating upon that and wondering
what could have happened 10 Mrs.
Green ON the little island Just south
Of us. I gradually dozed on and slip
ped down 10 the floor.
My figure IS not such. however. that
! rest perfectly on a Hat surface. For
That reason my slumbers were uneasy
ana troubled with dreams IN which |
went through various fortunes of the
lnquisition. such MS having my bones
broken on the rack aud other medieval
variations of the third degree.
My last nightmare was that OF being
blinded 10y a redhot iron. Who was
II had thar done to himg I remember.
Il was Michael Strogon. the courier OF
the ear. shades OF jules Nerncl Any.
way. lt happened 90 me Ia my dreams.
aud the burning sensation was so Wv.
Ia that ! awoke in terror.
TOotles was calmly licking my face
! suppose her tongue had nspcd across
my eyes. / remembered having been
told that this method or awakening a
sleeper was one of her cutest tricks.
n ! cyer have "a dog OF my own I'm
going 20 spend a lot Of time teaching
him not 70 Ito this trick.
/ was about to insist that the pup
rest somewhere besides on my head
aud return to my slumbers once more
when my attention was attracted 10y
a slight noise outside. Some one was
cautiously approaching the hummer
house Who the dickens could be out
wandering about at that time OF uightg
| Judged that It was about midnight.
The person came nearer. Finally he
felt his way around Go the door.
The latch was lifted, and some one
entered / silenced an impulse ON the
part ~ Tootlcs TO welcome the I'm.
trudcr. The weight OF the man who
was there not ten feet from me made
the door boards sag as he walked
about. lie was coming toward me.
For "A moment he paused uncertainty
and then lit a match In It's light l
discovered that he was a tall. nattily
clad young man whom l had never
seen before.
I imagine my surprise was infnites-
imal compared TO his. | was expecting
him. but he could not by any possible
chance have been prepared for a wide