The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-06-21

| 4
her voice"
Just minute" There was pause
then: Hello! That party called up
from Huntingdon's What could Mrs.
Greer be doing there on stormy day
like this?'
could not explain to a gossipy tele-
phone operator what had really hap
pened to Mrs. Green. l did not know
much about 1t myself, and the few
facts OF her disappearance that l was
cognizant Of would hardly sound well
IL repeated.
Mrs. Green" hazarded, event out
walking, and / suppose she stopped In
at Mr.. Huntingdon
"Do you know" asked central, that
Huntingdons Is on small island three
miles south OF where you are and three
miles from the mainland? The walk
ing is not very good"
felt as If had stepped off into
space from a high platform. "Proba-
bly--that is, the chances are"--I foun-
dered-"the chances are that she de-
cided to row, and the wind may have
carried her out of her way"
finally persuaded central to call up
Huntingdons. l think it was curiosi-
ty that made her relent. l could be
sure that she would be listening to
whatever might be said by Mrs. Green
and myself.
"Hellor'
Hello, Mrs. Greenl This is Mr..
Blainey.'
Hello, Mr.. Blaineyr' There was a
ring of ladylike indignation in her
voice. "Can you explain to me, Mr..
Blainey, how l 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 carr"
"Wait a minute, Mrs. Green, central
is listening"
II don't care. She always does. She
probably wants to know just as much
, as l do. What happened? Was there
an earthquake? l remember the islant
was sort Of wobbly and hard t
walk on"
No, there wasn't any earthquake,
l answered. 1--WE were fasting, you re
member?"
: Eyes. I remember that. but I'm no
8 any more. The first thing l did whel
. l landed was to break into this hous
and cook myself can Of baked beans
} It's funny if there wasn't any earth
quake. l remember the floor Of tn,
house all running in funny littl,
waves"
I'm afraid our time must be nearly
up" l suggested in the hope of turn
ing the conversat ton. Central viii
! cut us off,"
mo, l won't" interposed third
voice, the sweetly professional one Of
the operator. ''Talk all you want to
| There amt anybody waiting for the
line"
| Il suppose I must have got into the
boat when the earthquake commenced,
persisted Mrs. Green, "but how did
get on the decollete red dress? Ant
J where did get the nightcap? / hav,
not worn that dress for ten years."
l told her that we would have t.
} wait until she got home to explain /;
! number of things. Lucille will b,
very glad to know that you are safe,
, l added casually as if she had jus
gone over to a neighbours, hoping t,
} deceive central. "She was afraid yol
e might get wet"
t did Lucille know I was gong?" in
quired the startled Mrs. Green, VIII
apparently did not catch on to III,
acting.
. mo, not until after you had started,
said, skirting the edge of the trutl
b neatly. "She will be very glad to hea
|, that you are all right. III tell her a
soon as she wakes uo. She is restin
g now"
Sleeping? New? What for?"
why" l explained, ''she was up al
g night"
5 what? And all alone on that islam
t with you two young fellows and n
It chaperonw
d "Oh, no." l FASTENED to reassure he
and central, mot alone with u.s. Their
u are lot of people here-six or sever
= should say"
Holding a convention Of earthquake
sufferers, l suppose" Mrs. Green SUI
AiArSA 'NttStlNuilS. w udl SOll VI pee
I! pie are they?"
"Oh. very nice people" l answere
promptly Zone Of them is a lady"
How do you know she is a lady.
inquired Mrs. Green-'just because sh
z happened to he wearing skirts whe
she arriyed?'
n "Oh. no. l said hastily. How coul
d | tell this elderly, dignifed lady tina
our feminine guest had not worn skirt
e on her arrival.
lie "Humph :" Mrs. Green was not pa
II ticularly impressed. 'srhe sooner ge
Is back The letter. You'll have to sen
some one over after me because Their
Is weren't any oars in the boat l cam
in. l wouldn't go out in rowboa
l. again anyway. Send big boat or
$. won't leave here"
stI'I1 Sand for vD,, met n eDox, N e,