New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-16

that needs her claws
slreA,s~soing to get it."
bly,, and then without a
EA you have q pleasant
hood her mood instantly.
s3t of weakness and humilia-
the affront of her cousin
s6ed and she wished no fur
Ierence to the subject
question gave me a sudden in
&tion. / wished to make her for
as soon as possible the incident
(which had just occurred. And 7
Knew how interested she was in every
phase of the secret service work which
was doing under Mrs. Underwood.
lillian had permitted ME to take my
m 9th erin law into my confidence, be
cause it was necessary to have some
one in the house who understood the
reason for my irregular hours and
frequent journeys to the city.
The note which the Japanese serv-
ant had slipped to me was physical
ly in my handbag mentally obsessing
my faculties, clamoring to be opened.
There could be no possible harm, I
thought, in sharing knowledge Of it
with my mother-in-la
opened the bag and drew it out as
answered her.
"A very pleasant walk and call, in
deed, save for one incident
Her quick mentality made the con-
nection instantly.
"Those devils next door have writ
ten to you' she said
How did you guess?" I returned,
surprised
81 didn't lose all my brains when
I turned gray, she retorte6t tartly.
{ "The way they've watched the house
with those field glasses for weeks is
something fierce, and the Jap was al
ways peering and spying around until
one day William set Pete on him. He
hasn't been quite so peart since"
she finished with malicious satisfac-
ton.
This last incident was news to me-
| for not even William had spoken of
! the mysterious man next door since
| my homecoming. In an instant,
| however, I realized that everybody
| had been in a kindly conspiracy to
| keep all unpleasant things from me
until I should have fully recovered
my strength.
"Open the Thing"
(which one of them handed it to
your my mother-in-law demanded
eagerly, cor did they send q messenger
| to your"
The Japanese servant followed me
| and Slipped it into my hand"
II hope you slapped his ugly face
for him." she retorted viciously.
II didn't have a chance" re-
turned, smiling involuntarily at her
vehemence, and then I told her OF
the manner in which the Asiatic had
| fulfilled his mission.
You never did have the spunk OF
a rabbit, Margaret" was her COM
ment, and I knew that it was brought
forth by the unlucky smile I had
given. But" impatiently, "why don't
you open the thing?"
whose Handwriting Is This Tha1
Eludes Even Madge's Memory?
Instantly obeying my mother-in.
laws irritated suggestion, I opened
the note which had been slipped me-
so stealthily by the Japanese servant
of the mysterious men next door. De
spite my own consciousness of Tho
absurdity of my fears, [ handled the
thing g1ngerIy, for there was ling.
ering remnant of trepidation in M
mind, born of the lurd stories I hat
heard of poisonous vapors being en-
closed in letters by enemy spies.
My mother-inlaws keen eyes no
ttced my manner at once.
Afraid the things charged will
gas?" she asked, and [ fancied he
tone was distinctly and contempt
uously ironical.
mo, indeed" I denied, flushing
however, and mentally scorning my
self for allowing my misgivings t.
show so plainly.
well you can't be too careful
where those devils next door are con
cerned,' she returned, and in m
surprise at her admitting the posi-
bility of which I had thought, [ lie
the letter slip from my hands.
1t struck the hardwood floor jus
at the edge of the rug, and we bot
> started as we heard a sounds
slight as to be almost unnoticeable-
| which was entirely different from tn
rustic of paper.
"There's something hard insd
that letter." my mother-in-iaw ex
claimed excitedly.
The Mysterious Parcel.
stopped and picked up the en-
! veiope, from which T had alread
4 half drawn the folded notcpaper