New Britain herald., 1919-10-02

conccrnin2 the principal l would have gone directly to Mir. Kents otflrc in New York but I had read in the nevspapcr that he had taken d trip out of the city, would not he back for another week and | felt that l never could wait that long to find out IL George Bridgeham was mcmoer "A his staff, aud if so whether nc N"9 the objectionable person VII" '''' called on me.
 There is no telephone in Alice lto'- comhcs home, but one can f"a'l' "'' through an aCCOmm odi'lhR n'lE '''"l The chcery, somewhat piping No'cc "' this woman came to me Tn answer 'o my call.
 An Anxious Wait.
 Miss HolcombC" ALLY hhcomoe Sure. I'll call her over! h"I' ro''io 'o thin,r of if I don't think shes homo this morning. Ally am t. l|eaS'N"HH' saw her going out of the house last nirbt with q suitcase, but mobbc she was just tal<in' some dresses to the cleaners. She does that often, though I toll her it's awful eXtraVagant, that sbc could just as well do 'Cm at nome. Rut I'll go over anyway and come back and tell NOu.'
 ."Tbank you so much," I responded fervent1y, realizing with greater force than ever what Alice HOlCOmhc had meant when she said that she dared not stay at my home the night alter Millv Stockbridge's death because or the gossip of the neighbOrS. EVlden'lN in the village of BayvieW there was no possibility of the left hand cohceallhs < anything from the right.
 held the phone rigidly to my ear, hoping against hope that the woman was mistaken, and that l would near Alice's voice presently. But 1t was the voman's falsetto which greeted me a few minutes later
 Message For Alice HolCOmbc.
 "I'm awfully sorry,' she piped, put Ally's gone down to Patchogue to her cousins on her fathers side; her fathers brothers oldest girl is mar ,ied and lives down there. She has two children that Ally's just crazy over, vou know there's nobody spells chil- dren the way an old maid aunt does; 1eastways that's what l tell my huS- sband-his sister lives with us, there's no livin' with the kids when she S around-"
 Gan you tell me when Miss Hol- conbe will be back?" I had the ques- tion ready upon d hair trigger, shot 1t into the phone at the first pouSe Tor breath upon the part of the woman at the other end of the wire.
 why! her mother said she tboupht she would come in on that train tomorrow afternoon, gets in here about o'clock. There's later trans, but Ally's awful particular about stayin' up too late when shes got school on hand the next day Shes funny that way, Ally is, but she's an awful fine girl. I always say to my husband-shut the door, and if you don't stop teasing that cat I'll skin you alive"
 The terrifying threat startled me for a moment, so explosive was 1t. al most looked around for the neglected door and that cat I was supposed to be teasing, then seized the opportun- ity to cut short the womanS Voluple apology for them dratted Kids ol mine" which she was beginning.
 Will it be possi ble for you to give a message to Miss Holcombe as soon as she comes in tomorrow? "Oh, sure!' with cordial hearth eSs Glad to do anything to obllge Ally o1 any friend of hers"
 Thank you. Will you please ask her to call Mrs. Graham of Marvin as soon as she gets home? Tell her it is very important. She knows the tele- phone number"
 "Oh yes, Mis- Graham. I'll watch out for her the minute she comes in and tell her right away. This is the school ma am, Mis- Graham, ain't it? I've heard tell lot about yOu.' , "Yes, I am one of the BayvieN teachers' I returned demurelY l "Thank you again for your kindness Good-by,' and I had escaped from the | telephone, adding to my other wor- | ries the vague speculation as to the nature of the things Alice Holcom be's garr,llOuS neigh hbOr had "heard tell