The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-06-29

nor DO j Mary dear. In fact,
was broad awake all last night. I
never. closed my eyes. Perhaps ]
drank too much coffee after dinner,
or, perhaps, It was the moon"
There noW!" The rocking BE-
came triumphant. THAT proves Il.
Sara, It must q been"
What else, Mary? What are the
other little things.
why, ma'am, it seems foolish 70
mention them. but / just think
kinder ought"
Indeed you ought, Mary"
Il had to go down to the kitchen
late last Friday night. Mrs. Brane
couldn't sleep, and I thought I'd
give her glass Of warm milk same
as ] ust to give my poor lamb.
Well, miss, found the kitchen door
locked, the one at the foot Of the
back stairs, not the one that goes
outdoors, which nacherly would be
fastened at night. The key wasn't
on my side Of the door, so 1t stands
to reason twas locked on the kiteh-
en- side, and Sara and Henry must
a been in that kitchen, though Il
was dark, not a glimmer under the
door or through the key-hole, and
not a sound-or, else, they'd gone
out the back way. Why should
Sara lock her kitchen door and 90
round the other way. Don't it seem
a bit odd to you, ma'am. And when
/ axed her the next mornin'. she
kinder snarled like and told me to
mind my own business, that the
kitchen door was her affair, and,
that II / valued my soul I'd best
keep to my bed nights in this
house"
We were silent for a moment
while 1 digested this sinister In
junction, and the rocker regis
tered" the indignation Of a respect
able EngIishwoman.
Anything else, Mary" / asked at
last.
Mary stopped rocking. She fold
ed her hands on her work and her
round eyes took on a doubling, puz-
zled look.
Yes, ma'am. One other thing.
And maybe it means naught, and,
maybe it means a lot. DiViltry it
must be Of some kind, l says, or.
else, mere foolishness." She
paused. and l saw her face pueker
tearfully. "You know how l did
love that pitiful little Robbie.
miss?"
Eyes, Mary dear"
well, times when / feel like my
heart would bust out with grieYin'I
l go on and away by myself some
where's and kinder mourn"
yes. you dear, faithful SOUL"
And Pm like to choose some spot
that minds me of my lamb"
Yes"
well, twas only this mornin'
that / woke up and missed him out
Of common, so sweet he was when
he walked up. and CHEEKY as a
robin. So, twas early, early morn
in, the sun just up. and / crep out
quiet and went out to the garden
and sat down in the arbor where I
ust to sit and watch the little darl-
in at his play-well, miss. i have to
tell you that l sat there cryin' like
a baby, and twas a while before I
seen that there lay a paper under
the bench, like as If 1t might have
fallen there from a body's pocket.
picked it up, and twas covered =
with heathenish writin'. Here. I
KEEP it in my apron to show you,
MISS
She took the paper from her
pocket, and l sprung up and seized
it eagerly. l had no doubt what
ever that it had been lost by my
double as she sat with Paul last
night. 1t was a letter in the Rus
sian script. l read it rapidly.
Ever dear and honored madam.
await the summons Of your neces-
sity. A message received here
there followed a name and address
Of some town in the county, un-
known to me-"Will bring me to
Pine Cone in a few hours by motor
cycle. hold myself at your COM
mand, and will lend you the ser
vice Of my knowledge in translat-
ing the SlayOnic curiosity you have
described to me so knowingly. /
need not remind you OF your prom
Uses. One knows that they are