New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-23
REVELATIONS OF A WIFE
BY ADELE GARRISON
n, Otto's persistence In the matter.

Z, Otto's persistence In the matter.
| For the love of Mike.' Ernest ex-
! ploded. 1t was only another instance
| Of the slang which made up the most
of his vocabulary, as it does many
! aliens of his type. l reflected Whlm-
sically that this daredevil young leu
tonic spy and my faithful Katie had
| that trait in common, for Katie fairly
| revels in American slang.
I did not dare to think of Katie,
however, or of anyone or anything
| connected with my home I needed
every bit of force and poise I pos
sessed, and / knew of nothing so GER
tain to unnerve me in my awful peril
as thoughts of the home I had left so
lightly in the morning.
Ernest was continuing his remarks
and it behooved me to listen carefully.
A Disconcerting Interruption.
'"rhe trouble with you. Grandpa"
he said with studied insolence, lis
that you're so fat from the neck up
and out that you're fryin from the
heat. And there amt room in your
noodle for more than one idea at a
time. You've got that poor nut up
stairs on the brain, and you're seem
things. Now, just let me tell you
somethin'-"
But what Otto was to hear from
the ferret faced youth I was never to
know. From the auto lane leading UP
to the inn there came the sound of
an auto horn blown loudly and inl-
periousy.
"Mein Colt in Himmel." Otto's
tones had q quaver in them as he ut
tered the ejaculation, but Ernest
wasted no time in oaths Or prayers.
"Otto!' His tone was like the crack
of a whip. Get down those stairs
before whatever blasted fool there is
in that machine comes inside, and
beat 1t around the back way to the
wireless. Fix that soup, so if you hear
me call you like this: Otto, where in
the devil are you? you can throw it
in p. d. q. If you can get away first,
all right; if not, you'll be dying for
the fatherland, you know
His last words held the suspicion
of "a sheer, not plain enough to catch
Otto's dull brain, but perceptible to
anyone who had ever made a study of
voices.
1T may be nobody worth bothering
about, and if SO, there's no harm done.
I'll go and spiel 'em a bit now. Come
on, stir your stumps faster than that
Familiar Figure
Otto had been descending the stairs
as Ernest was talking but his pace
evidently matched his sluggish intel
lect. And he could not give up the
idea which had obsessed him ever
since he had seen ME.
And what Of this woman?' he
grumbled. How do you know this
n 1>o
search of her? I tell you, she should
have been in the bottom of the little
lake by now with a weight tied to her
ankles"
Look herei' Ernest's tone had ugly
menace in it now. will you quit
wasting my time with your poppycock
about that woman? Now I'll give YOU
fair warning. One more word about
her, or any monkey work, and you'll
go to hell so quick you won't know
what sent you there. You know me-
Al. Savvy?"
There was a moments silence
which, to me, listening, seemed an
hour. 7 knew as we'll as if I had
power to read the processes of Otto's
mentality that the giant was debating
whether or not he should spring upon
Ernest and become master Of the stu
by sheer brute strength.
Suppose he should dare! I shivered
at the thought. But the superior
brain won. [ heard only one word
long, long drawn out from Ernest.
"So-o-o!''
I knew that the ferret faced youth
had succeeded in cowing the other
man by the steady, piercing gaze of
his eyes, for he had uttered no other
word than the triumphant monosyl-
la BILE.
With nerves a-tingle, muscles quiv-
ering with impatience. I waited until
they had left the staircase. Then, no
longer afraid that my movements
would be heard, l hurried to the win
dow, which fortunately looked down
into the inn lawn.
An auto whose lines were familiar
stood in the driveway and beside it
stood the officer who had come to my