Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-07-25
Terry's
Burglar
o1
Copyright 1915 by the Mcclure Newspa-
per SYndieata.l
BY JANE OSBORN

When Terry Brewster took a four
room apartment in the Harrington
Arms apartment house she described
herself as a business woman" by
which she meant to indicate that she
used her apartment for little more
than a comfortable roosting place, a
place to eat breakfast and to keep her
clothes. She did not take the trouble
to indicate to the real estate agent
that she was not a business woman In
the sense that she earned her own
daily bread. Her business was that OF
drinking in as much Of city life in one
short year as she could-going to as
many concerts and theaters, attending
as many exhibitions and as many
Shows" of various sorts, lunching ut
as many interesting places" and In
general seeing as many of the sights
of the city as she conveniently could
without knowing many persons in the
city or wishing to know more. She
seldom went about in the evening. She
felt somehow that her security in liv-
Ing alone at her age - for Terry,
though adequate to the task of TAX
ing care Of herself in almost any cir
cumstances, was only twenty-four-de
pended In measure on her not being
seen out after dark. The evenings
In her little apartment she spent either
in mending and "potterlng" over the
clothes that she wore in the day time
or In reading accounts of things that
81. 10. L. q
ton Of the great city. Terry's life in
the small southern town where she
was brought up had been decidedly
circumscribed. She had gradually
slipped into the position OF being
housewife for her older brother In the
old homestead, and the only reason
she was excused from those duties
now was because of her brothers
years volunteer work in Washington.
Terry kept no maid but, like the
other business women in the apart
ment, she was taken care Of by Mrs.
Gray, who had the key to the apart
mentS in her care and with lightning
like rapidity tidied them and washed
the breakfast dishes and made them
ready for the return Of their tenants.
Terry had met Mrs. Gray the day she
negotiated with her for her services,
and she needed no further guarantee
of her perfect honesty than her small,
pale face. She knew, too, that she
could dust the daiuties of her bric-a-
brac and wash the filmiest of laces
that she left for that purpose in her
apartment when she went out in the
morning because It was quite clear TO
anyone who saw Mrs. Gray that she
was a woman who, had circumstances
been different from what they actually
were, might have been wearing the
dainty laces and treading the most
delicate Of Oriental rugs herself.
Surely Terry trusted her that is
until the day that she came home I'M
eXpectedly ut noon in order to get some
matinee tickets that she had forgotten
to take with her in the morning. On
that day she CHANGED to be looking up
toward the windows of her own rooms.
when she saw there In her own bed
room, not the figure of Mrs. Gray, but
the figure of n man. Terry was not
terrified at the idea OF having a bur
glar in her house, but she did not
relish the idea of entering that apart
ment when she might encounter him,
Her first thought was to report the in
cident to the nearest policeman, and
1t was with this idea in mind that she
turned about and started around the
block in search of such a dignitary.
She thought better of her idea and de-
cided to go alone TO her apartment
but by the time she reached home the
burglar was gone. The apartment had
apparently been visited by Mrs. Gray
earlier in the day, for it was immacu-
late and there was fresh scent of
soap and water about and the floor
looked as If the oil had just been wiped
up from it.
Terry made thorough search of her
possessions, she counted her silver
spoons and knives and forks and she
counted the butter spreaders, but APP
parently nothing was taken, nor did
she miss anything as time went on.
She looked under her bed and lounge
and In each of the closets, but no one |
did she find. A strange burglar. in !
deed, that would take nothing with !
him.
Then came the day when she ac-
tually ran into the strange young man |
when she was coming unexpectedly to |
change her hat because what gave |
promise OF being a rainy day had turn |
ed out TO be fair. She let herself In !
with her latch key and there really |
was no way for him TO escape save out |
the front door. Being at bay the young |
man looked as If nothing at all ex-
traordinary had happened and his ex-
cuse was belieyable enough.
Il came in to examine the radiators,
he said. "rhat-that'S my speciality"
and then going TO get his hat and a
couple Of books that lay with 1t from
q chair I'm the living room he made
hasty exit. In the apartment that day
there was the same very fresh smell
of soap and water and II seemed TO
Terry that the young mans hands had
looked water soaked when she encoun-
tered him. And she examined the
silver and counted the spoons and
knives and butter spreaders. Nothing