The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-04-11
CHAPTER lV.-continued,

s.
All the time | was listening my
mind was occupied with trying to ac-
count for the thrill which had jolted
me when had taken Lucile'S hands in
mine at the top of the staircase.
decided to put my fortunes to the test.
would sit up until Bopp went to bed
and then ask her to marry me.
Kent, the telephone man, retired first.
Il think I'll sit up awhile" | said,
stealing look at Lucille and hoping
that she would comprehend my inten.
tiOn.
"lf you're going to sit up I'll stick" "
said BOpp, with Machiavellian cordial
fly. III split gallon of water with
you"
There we sat, and we drank glass
after glass of water until II o'clock.
Then Lucille decided to retire and spoil
ed the whole game.
Il guess I'll turn in now, too" sug-
gested tentatively, hoping at least that
I would get chance to speak to her
on the stairs.
But no. BOpp developed a sudden
fondness for my society and accompa-
MED me to my room and sat on my bed
for awhile talking about affairs the
Rtrical, assuming that l was interested
In them, which was not.
When he finally departed the house
was dark and the wind of the storm
made unearthly noises around the
caves l was more tired than I re.
membered to have been for years, but
not sleepy. l don't know whether 1t
was actual hunger or merely the idea
that had not eaten anything for for
ty-eight hours which haunted me- At
any rate. every time that / closed my
eyes Id have vision of those dog
biscuits. l might just as well have
pictured chocolate cake or dough
nut to myself; but, mott was a dog
biscuit
After an hour or so of that kind of
torture at last decided to satisfy my
fool imagination by showing it dog
biscuit in the life and proving that it
was not desirable at all. That was the
Ouly reason that went downstairs.
II was rather tlcklish business roam.
Ing around q strange house wearing no
other padding than a suit Of pajamas.
banged ~; shins numerically
against several hundred pieces of fur
nitura, but l tened my remarks there
at to a pitch below the bowling of the
storm. All occasional flash of light
ming helped me mOmentarily from time
to time, but left me tioundering in the
intervals.
+ Finally In tie kitchen. I groped my
why to the h,lf, and the box of dog
biscuit was in my Hands. Furtively
took one ont, fOndIad it and shifted it.
Being aIorp there with that unprO-
tRcted dog biscuit was too much for
my moral courage. l decided to throw
honor to the winds. There was so
much wind and so little honor that no
one would notice it.
I set my :ecth in the dog biscuit!
Suddenly there was a sound on the
stairway. l listened intently-the creak-
ing Of stair!
Who could 1t be? Possibly it was
Kent, the ex-Wire Taper. His carly
trimming might have proved too much
for him and he had decided to loot
the place ard make his escape. / made
Nj my mind ID behave valiantly and
erasped dog biscuit firmly in one
hand. determined 20 sell my life as
dearly as was consistent with the high
cost OF living. The box containing the
rest OF the bistuit | put back on the
shelf and crouchcd behind the stove
ready 10 s?rinE a. the intruder I'M
awares as soon as lie entered.
l had one Of those flashes Of insane
bravery Witch is nlhc-tenths fear when
| saw the light o. n pocket lantern
struggling along tie wall at the foot
Of the stairs. | jumped four feet
straight up in the air when something
wet touched the sole of my bare foot
which was extended behind me as
knelt bchinl the stove. My cxclama-
ton was drowned IN crash Of thun-
der. burglar or 40 burglar. | was
about to rtIa to aim for protection
from that clHmmy thing which had
touched me when second flash Of
lightning showed Ilc-Oh, horrors! II
was Tootles friskins around my feet.