The Washington times., 1919-02-05


from him. In his pleasant face there
was none Of that craft that she had
detected in the picture she had found
of Snyder, and yet that beard was the
same. But his smiling eyes COM
PEELED trust, and he spoke OF FranR
Kimbau with a tone that must have
sprung from a deep affection.
Almost she had made up her mini
to tell him why she was there when
the door swung halfway open. A
man in the livery Of a chauffeur, a
man of Oriental type but strangely
tall, stepped inside. 81 beg pardon.
I have come for Lieutenant Kim
balls mail. I have just taken him
home from the Union Station. He
wishes to see his mail"
Here is a happy chance" laughed
the man with the beard. Franks
chauffeur will take you directly to
the Kimball house, and am sure both
/ Frank and his aunt will be glad to
see you. May I show you to the
motor?"
I He was so considerate in not
pursuing his questions that Madeline
resolved her last doubt and breathed
a prayer of thankfulness that she had
found him behind that drawn shade.
The chauffeur picked up a package
of letters, and the three walked to the
elevator.
"I am sure Franks aunt will be
very happy to see you"
The motor was parked across the
| street, and the man stood at the curb
with her waiting for the driver to
bring it over. Tell Frank to call me
at his offce-wil you please" he said
as he handed her into the tonneau.
: The motor caught the stream OF traffic
and was away before she, looking back
at him, remembered that he had not
told her his name.
The car soon was out OF the con-
gested traffic down town, turned out
Sixteenth street, rounded Scott circle
and Dupont and sped up Connecticut
avenue. Just after Madeline had
looked up at the statue of Mcclellan
silhouetted against the white marble
of a mansion. the driver turned, cross
ed the street and stopped in front
OF a grey-stone house, half covered
with ivy and its dooryard dressed
with prim, pointed evergreens
The chauffeur touched the bell A
servant, a Japanese she thought,
opened the door. "A young miss to
see madame" said the chauffeur.
She was shown up the stairway into
a room looking out over the street.
The hangings at the window were
heavy, and as she pushed them aside
she noticed that outside the windows
there was a grille work Of wrought
iron that more behtted an old Euro
pean capital than Washington. Sud
denly there was a step behind her
She turned expecting to see Lieu
tenant Kimbalrs aunt, but instead
there was the chauffeur closing the
door through which she had entered
She rushed to the door. But too late
It was locked and there was no re-
sponse to her calls or her beating
upon it's panels.
Again she turned to the window
thinking to open the easement and
hail a passing pedestrian. But the
windows were securely fastened
Finding she could not open them, she |
turned TO select a chair or something 1
with which to break the glass. AsI
she considered the pieces Of furni-
ture, few in number and very, very
heavy, suddenly her face CONCEALED
with horror and she screamed as with
an agony Of fright.
She jumped to the seat OF a huge
chair, gathered her skirts about heri
knees and trembIed.
II was a mouse.
Madeline Lucille Connor was a
fearless daughter OF the Rockies
whose rifle had brought to dust the
great grizzly OF Colorado, but she
was yet a woman.
Her terrified gaze fixed itself upon
the tiny rodent which sat upon its
launches in the center of the room,
sat upon a background Of pale blue
III the pattern Oh rug just where |
a pencil of light came from the
window where she had drawn back
the hangings. 1t was a mouse, and
yet a very. very odd mouse. Gradu-
ally her common sense overcame
her instructive fright. and she saw
what was so strange.
The mouse was brown!
As she noted its rich but odd color
it sCampered away to disappear in
a hole at the corner OF a doorway
She followed, curiosity now having
triumphed over the real fright as
well as over her absurd fear cf the
mouse, and just within that tiny
hole into which the mouse had fled
she found-a key.
1t was a very small fat key, of
highly polished brass, with but one
indentation on the side, a key unlike