The daily Alaskan., 1917-08-06

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 Hello. Mrs. Green! This is MT. Blainey." ''-', 2 ,
 Hello, MT. Blaineyg There was a ring of ladylike indignation in her voice. Can you explain to me, Mir. BIainey, how I happened to find my self in a rowboat out in the middle of the lake, wearing my red silk dress and nightcap tied under one esrT'' '-
 Wait a minute, Mrs. Green, central is listening" -.
 T don't care. She always does. She probably wants to know just as much as do. What happenedi Was there an earthquake? l remember the island was sort of wOSbly and hard to walk on."
 No, there wasn't any earthquake" I answered. ''We were fasting. you re- member" '- "T'h., 3"
 "Yes, remember that, but I'm not any more. The first thing I did when landed was to break Into this house and cook myself can of baked beaRs- It's funny if there wasn't any earth quake. I remember the floor of the house all running in funny little waves" -@
 I'm afraid our time must be nearly up" I suggested in the hope of turn ing the conversation. Central will cut us off"
 "No, I won't" Interposed a third voice, the sweetly professional one of the operator ''Tak all you want to. There ain't anybody waiting for the line" .a
 T suppose must have got into the boat when the earthquake commenced" persisted Mrs. Green, 'fbut how did ! get on the decOllete red dress? And where did get the nightcap?' l have not worn that dress for ten years"
 l told her that we would have to wait until she got home to explain a number of things Lucille will be very glad to know that you are safe" added casually as if she had just gone over to a neighbours, hoping to deceive central "She was afraid you might get wet"
 Did Lucille know I was goingT in- quired the startled Mrs. Green, who apparently did not catch on to my acting.
 No, not until after you had started" said, skirting the edge of the truth neatly. "She will be very glad to hear that you are all right. I'll tell her as soon as she wakes up, She is resting now" ''
 "SleepIng? Now? What fOr?"
 Why" I explained, "she was up all night"
 What? And all alone on that island with you two young fellows and ne chaperon"
 "Oh, no," I hastened to reassure her and central, mot alone with us! There are a lot of people here-six or seven' I should say" '"
 Holding a convention of earthquake sufferers, 1 suppose" Mrs. Green sur missed causdCally. What sort of peo- pie are they?"
 "Oh, very nice people" I answered promptly. "0ne of them is lady"
 "How do you know she is a lady" inquired Mrs. Green-"just because she happened to be wearing skirts when she arriyed"
 "Oh, mol" I said hastily. How could tell this elderly, digniaed lady that our feminine guest had not worn skirts on her arrival
 "Humphr' Mrs. Green was not par ticularly impressed. ''The sooner I get back the better. You'll have to send some one over after me because there weren't any oars in the boat l came in. wouldn't go out in rowboat again anyway. Send a big boat or I won't leave here"
 "Tn send for you just as soon aS 1 can." was glad to have the conVer- sation draw to a close. It had been bad enough already, but who could tell what else might come out if we kept on talking? "The storm ought to quiet down soon now. Goodby for the