South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-12
Blu Olive Roberts Barton

Altogether she congratulated her
self on her good sense in deciding
to be perfectly comfortable instead
Of making a fool OF herself over
one OF Uncle Sans new officers.
But she didn't look much at the
moon for she was reading "Over
the Top" and gradually became so
interested in Empey's Juggling with
death. that her eyes flew fascinated
over the pages. At the end Of a
thrilling chapter, she closed her
eyes.
Il do reverence those men," she
declared Il did admire our own
soldiers, no matter where they be-
long. but I am not going to have
Bet ram one down my throat with
out me looking"
The roar and din OF battle was
in her ears. and the smoke. acrid
and penetrating seemed 70 hurt her
eyes II was very real. She sat up
shifting. 1t was smoke and some
thing was burning, something not
in the book.
was coming through the open win
dow. and looking out she saw the
two rear windows of the house next
door in which lights shone. giving
out a dull thick cloud that could
only mean one thing.
She flew down the back stairs.
and out across the strip Of lawn that
separated the two houses, then up
onto the back porch Of the other.
pushing open the door which had
been left unlocked.
1t was the kitchen as she sup
posed, and she was relieved to find
that the source of the whole trouble
was a pot on the stove from which
came the remains of something that
had been left to cook. in the form
of thick suffocating smoke.
She grabbed a teatowel from
rack. pulled the kettle off the
burner, decided that her work of
salvation was over. and started TO
the swing door from the pantry was
pushed open and an Airedale
bounded into the kitchen bristling
and growing and showing his teeth.
Alicia backed slowly TO the door,
frightened almost beyond moving.
She knew that no properly trained
watch dog would stand for an
orange and purple apparitiOn like
herself in an inferno like that. It
was more than the nerves of any
self-respecting animal could be ex-
pected TO endure.
Just as the dog sprang toward
her. she pulled the door open and
shut and fell back almost fainting
with fright into Stygian blackness
of the back stairs. Below, she could
hear the dog scratching and barking
at the door as she CROPPED feebly for
lock. but there was none; so she
held frantically to the knob. Above
She listened intently. Horrorsl
Right over her head a man was
talking over the telephone and she
found herself eavesdrOpping albeit
unwillingly. She dared not >let go
the knob, much less open the door,
and she dared not let this man see
her in a costume that had fright
ened the very dog into fits.
So she sat still.
This man was saying you see,
Bill, it's hard to tell you just ex-
actly why l didn't go. They say
the girls pretty, and it's only next
door at that, but I get tired of skirts.
Someway they haven't any place in
this war. My minds on other things
anyway, and I am going to cut it
out. I've got machine gun to study
tonight and it would make your head
spin. The house is nice and quiet
with Lily and Tom gone-nobody
here but Migs and myself. But just
the kitchen I think I'll go down and
investigate. l smell smoke. too! To-
morrow? All right, Bill Good
night"
And in a second the masculine
footsteps proceeded down the back
stairs.
Alicia was caught in a trap, and
still smarting under the words she
had just heard. she decided 10 throw
propriety to the winds
IF you please call off your dog,
I'll get out of your way" she said
from the blackness.
Holy smokes, is that you, Nora ?"
mo, il isn't Nora. She's gone out