The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-07-26
Terry's
Burglar
O0
By JANE OSBORN
(copyrisht. iSii' BY Inc Mcciur. Nswsps.
Der Byndicatel

room apartment In the Harrington
Arms apartment house she described
herself as a business woman" BIZ
which she meant 10 indicate that she
used her apartment for little more
than a comfortable roosting place, a
place 10 eat breakfast and 20 keep her
clothes. She did not take the trouble
TO Indicate 10 the real estate agent
that she was not a business woman In
he sense that she earned her own
daily bread. Her business was that OF
drinking In ~ much OF city life In n
short yenr rs she could-golng 10 as
many concerts and thenters, attending
as many exhibitions aud rs many
Shows Of various sorts. lunchlng at
as many Interesting places aud In
general seeing as many OF the sights
OF the city as she conveniently could
without knowing many persons In the
city or wishing 10 know more. She
seldom went about I'm the evening. She
felt somehow that her security In Nv.
Ing alone nt her x - 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 n measure on her not being
seen out after dark. The evenings
In her little apartment she spent either
In mendlng and "pottcrlng'' over the
clothes that she wore In the day time
or In reading accounts OF things that
were 10 be seen or books Of dcscrip.
tion OF the great city. Terry's life In
D the EmulI NnHNN.NW NgasH. a.N... -.
was brought DIP had been decidedly
circumscrlbcd. She had gradually
slipped Into the position Of being
housewife for her older brother In tho
old homestead. and the only reason
she was excused from those duticg
now was because OF her brothers
years volunteer work IN Washington.
Terry kept no maid but. like the
other business women Ia the apart
mont, she was taken care or by Mrs.
Gray, who had the key 10 the npnrt-
mcnts In her care and with lightning.
like rupldity tldlcd them aud washed
the breakfast dishes aud made them
ready for the return Of their tenants.
Terry had met Mrs. Gray the day she
negotiated with her for her services.
n she needed no further guarantee
OF her perfect honesty than her small.
pale face. She knew, too, that she
could dust the dnintlcs OF her brlc.n.
brnc and wash the nlmlcst Of laces
that she left for that purpose Ia her
apartment when she went out IN the
morning because Il was quite clear to
anyone who saw Mrs. Gray that she
was n woman who, had circumstances
been different from what they actually
were, might have been wearing the
dnlnty laccs and trcudiug the most
delicate OF Oriental rugs herself.
Surely Terry trusted her - that Is
until the day that she came home un.
eXpectedly az noon In order 20 get some
matinee tickets that she had forgotten
10 take with her In the morning. on
that day she chauccd 10 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 a man Terry was not
terrified at the Idea OF having a bur.
glar In her house, but she dld not
relish the idea OF entering that apart.
ment when she might encounter him.
Her first thought was to report the In.
cldent 60 the nearest policeman, and
Il was with this idea In mind that she
turned about and started around the
block In search OF such a d%lgnltary.
She thought better of her Idea aud de-
clded to go alone 10 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 II was lmmacu-
late and there vas n fresh scent VI
soap and water about and the floor
looked as II the oil had Just been wiped
up from II.
Terry made a thorough search OF her
possessions, she counted her silver
spoons aud knives and forks and she
counted the butter spreaders, but ap-
parently nothing was taken. nor did
she miss anything as time went on.
She looked under her bed aud lounge
and In each Of the closets, but no Que
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
cd out TO be fair. She let herself In
with her latch key aud there really
was no way for him 20 escape save out
the front door. Being at bay the young
man looked as II nothing at all ex-
t%raordlnary had happened and his OK.
cuse was bellevable enough.
Il came In to examine the radiators"
he said. '~'That-that's my speciality"
and then going 10 get his hat and a
couple OF books that lay with It from
a chair In the living room he made a
hasty exit. In the apartment that dag
there was the same very fresh smell
Of soap and water and II seemed 10
Terry that the young mans hands had
lUAN~a1 -. 1919 -.