The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920, 1918-02-22

he deedn't be botherfn' ner, as Sne
had plenty of apples that day.
| Jimmy used his persuasive smile
| smile worthy Of any of Erin's most
charming sons.
Daring Jimmy pinched Irish Nora's
red cheeks and the girl responded at
once to his Iovemaking and invited
him into her kitchen.
| Smiling and talking they entered
the kitchen. The new vegetable man
took out a package of gum from his
pocket.
Are you too high toned to like the
taste of pepsin?" said he.
Not at all !" laughed Nora, liking
the Implication that she was stony"
Jimmy stuffed several sticks of the
gum into his generous mouth.
'And now, do / make a sale of ap-
pies, my dear7" said he.
you do, indade," said she. and
went to fetch a container for the fruit
Directly Nora left the room, jim
my tiptoed over to the kitchen door
and took out the keys. Then the rea-
son for his gum-chewing became evil
dent. He meant to use that material
as mold In which to carry away an
impression of that door keyi
Granny and 1 dined alone that
evening.
At s o'clock Mr.. Barton was an
nounced. He had the placid air of
a gentleman about to set out for a
series of evening calls.
81 have discovered that Gold usual
| ly comes shortly after midnight. I'll
be through before that. l think you
might telephone Mrs. Grey and reas-
sure her. You can promise her that
I'll put those letters in her bands
little before one a. M, and tell her /
hope her husband doesn't come home
and find me calling on her"
1 called up Madeline Grey on the
phone and bade her dismiss worry,
since Mr.. Barton hoped to get the
letters that very night.
Then / turned to Jimmy: "And you
needn't worry about the return of a
desperately jealous husband, for 1 am
going with you. You will be chaper-
oned when you return Mrs. Grey's
letters"
Jimmy and I set off on our expedi-
ton with due form and ceremony. He
wore full dress under his inverness
and / had a dinner-gown under my
mantling cloak. To add to the ele-
gance of our departure We started
away in Jimny's little roadster.
When we arrived at the kitchen
Jimmy managed to unlock the door
wifi 10y 10 ha
which he had taken that morning.
Cautiously we made our way across
the kitchen, through the dark house.
and so, finally, into the bedroom where
Gold had boosted to Jimmy he kept
his most precious documents. We
drew the shades and switched on the
lights. l do not know whether any
self-respecting burglar would have ap-
proved of our plans, buhI do know
that Jimmy's rifling Of desk and
bureau seemed singularly unproduc-
tive.
While Jimmy worked 1 was think
Ing. / observed the room very care
fully.
One of the heavy pictures which
hung upon the walls had slipped from
position. This seemed to me to por-
tend something. 1 crossed to the wall
and lifted down the picture. And
there, hidden behind 1t, was a neat
little wall safe.
Jimmy fell desperately upon that lit
tie wall safe. He listened to the fall
ing of the bearings with his ear to the
door of the safe as he swung the comb
back and forward in an effort to get
the combination.
Good heavens we should have bor-
rowed professional burglar to come
along on this exploit" declared Jimmy
at last as he looked up In red-faced,
breathless desperation.
The situation did look rather hope
less-and in moment it became even
more so. We heard the sound Of
car stopping at the door. Could ST.
neon Gold be coming home almost
an hour ahead of schedule time?
"If that's Colds car we will have to
go through with tive can't get into
the safe without him-perhaps we can
with him." / suggested.
Jimmy's eyes met mine. They regis
tered but incomplete understanding.
'If it is Gold, Miss Fairfax, hide in
the closet. Leave the rest to me. VIII
| your" asked Jimmy.
Quietly l tiptoed over and entered
my hiding place. Jimmy was slipping
behind the heavy curtains of the sec
ond unopened window. We waited
in GREATNESS stiffness.
StiIlness-and more stiffness In the