South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-24
WHO II THE PERSON THAT
MAS SPYING At MADCE'S
DOOR

Cousin Agatha Hers was the
name which flashed into my fright
ened brain when / heard the slight
scratching noise outside my door
didn't even consider the possibility
that the noise that had so startled
me might have been made by a
mouse. ] was as sure that my
mother-in-laws cousin had been
spying upon me through the key
hole as II I had actually seen her
i'm the act.
How much had she seen? tried
20 remember whether or not my
back had been toward her when
was testing the possibilities of the
old Chinese vase as a safe hiding
place for the important secret paper
my father had sent 10 Lillian.
must know at once.
Mentally matchmaking the care
lessness which had led me from
force of habit TO withdraw the key
from the keyhole. when / had locked
my door, ] snatched the key from
the dresser, unlocked the door soft
iy, ran across the hall 10 the door
Of my mQther-in-law' room. and
opened &c abruptly without any pre-
liminary knock. a formality / had
never before omitted in entering the
room OF my husbands autocratic old
mother
The scene which met my eyes
made me withdraw quickly,
ASHAMED of my own suspicious.
tother Graham was asleep in her
bed her aristocratic old face in it's
frame OF snowy hair cleaning like
cameo from her dainty pillows.
And on a couch drawn near the fire
Cousin Agatha with her old face
drawn and worn from her arduous
nursing of her kinswoman, was also
asleep. The sound of her breathing
came 10 me as / stood tensely quiet
just inside the door watching her.
IL was louder and more hurried than
Mother Grahams quiet respirations,
but still the regular even breathing
of a person sound asleep.
I tiptoed out of the room and
back 10 my own. thoroughly nom
plussed, wondering if, after all
there might not have been a mouse
at my door But with my hand
upon the knob Of my own door
stopped convulsively and stared at
som ething lying on the polished
floor at my feet.
1t was a cheap. tawdrily jewelled
barrette. one which / had seen re-
peatedly-the while shuddering at
L
so near the door that I wondered I
hadn't stepped upon it in my i'm
petuous rush to my mOther-in-l laws
room.
Il so Glad"
I picked it up despOndently l had
had reason to reprove Katie's curl
osity before. but the fact that she
had considered there was anything
for her TO be curious about just now
alarmed me Katie was loyal to
me. hut she was the soul Of indis-
erection. IT was highly necessary that
I know just how much she knew or
suspected OF my secret service ac-
tivities
7 locked my door again, this time
from the outside and putting both
key and katie's barrette in my
pocket went downstairs. wanted
to- meet Dicky at the door to well
come him home. and I had just time
for peep into the kitchen before
he should arrive.
Katie. her sleeves rolled to the ell
bows. was busily engaged in mould
ing out a pan of biscuits. From my
knowledge of her culinary habits
she must have been engaged H. the
work she was doing for at least five
minutes. 1 held out the barrette TO
her.
You must have dropped this, Ka-
Ue." I said. looking steadily at her.
81 found it just now outside my
door"
Katie looked up at me. innocently
wideseyed
ooh Missis Graham" she carolled
happily "E so glad. lose heem
two. three days ago. not know we're
drop heem Tank YOU so mooch.
like heem lots You plees put
heem down on table ! DO want TO