The Meeker herald., 1919-02-01
HER PRISONER
BY AGNES a. sRooAN.
Copyright. 1ois. b. western Nsv,p.psr Unioo.

advertisement, renting for the summer
furnished country home, Caro- had re-
belled ut the prospect. But her re-
belllon had ended as usual In an I'M
selfish desire to make the best Of the
situation. The house was somewhat
out of repair. the agent acknowledged.
The owner. who was now In California,
would return soon, to prepare 1t for
occupancy.
Aunt Hyacinth, whom obstacles but
made eager. determined to move in at
once. ave will live out OF doors for
the most part" she said. "You and
Nora will go out the day before and
see that the house is aired. I abhor
stuffy atmosphere"
So 1t was dccreed. The agent meet
ing Caro- and the faithful Nora at the
station. was communicative. "Used to
he the finest place in town." he said.
pointing to the rambling old house in
its garden. "Gridleys' have lived
there from away back. This Inst, Jud-
son Gridley. lets the old place. furni.
ture and all. while he travels about the
country. Keeps a bungalow for his
own convenience near by, with two old
family servants as cnretakers. Some
say it's Juds way of making a home
for them. Jud's a bach. You know;
never seems much to notice the wom-
en-. Well. II you need anything done
about the house. call up No. 153-that's
Gridley's bungalow telephone number.
Old Jabesh and his wife'll go over and
help you"
Caro's eyes opened wide at the
grandeur of the mahogany, while her
pretty brows drew together at the
dustiness Of the heavy draperies.
"Lots Of work for you, Moral" she
said.
1t WAS pleasant to lie in the great
four.poster bed, the sweet scents Of the
garden coming through her open win.
dow. and moonlight filtering over all.
What queer little balcony TINT was
outside her window. the pillars Of the
lower vernnda supporting 1t. She
windings before lying down to sleep.
When Aunt Hyacinth came. they would
sit out there on such moonlit even
ings-. And at this point of her medi
tatIon. an eerie creeping sound came
to the girls ncutely conscious ears. 1t
was ms though some intruder were try.
ing to climb the pillars Of the balcony.
Her heart pounding wildly. she
managed to draw kimono from the
bedpOst and find with feeling feet her
slippers. just MS a mans capped head
cony railing.
She edged along the floor in the
darkness. as the man boldly stepped
over the rnil. At sight of her open
window he paused as though surprised,
then evidently decided to enter the
house TINT way. but the locked window
screen caused him to change his pur-
pose, md he turned. apparently sure
that the house was deserted. moving
to an unscreened window farther on.
Caro-. listening with taut nerves. dls.
tinctly heard him enter thus the hall.
For moment she fancied the man
waiting in silence to make certain Of
his ground; then he had passed hei
door.
Upon the outside of that same bed
room door she had noticed key in
its lock. She would fly across the pas
sage, turn the key and make the man
prisoner. The high window to that
room faced no balcony; escape would
be impossible. She was noiselessly
opening her own room door as she
telephone for help. The light from
the open door flooded the hall, she
had Just time to glimpse mans star
ing face beneath rough caps brfm,
ms the door slammed and locked him
in. The rest was ensy. "Call No. 153,"
the agent had said. It was the only
number Caro- knew. She was surprised
at the promptness of the response.
"Burglnr?" questioned mans
voice. "Oh! guess not; but I'll be
right over"
ut WINS Gridley's old caretnker," she
surmisetk
In her new-found courage she had
quite forgotten the sleeping Nora. and
it was Caro- herself who opened the
door to admit the clustering servant.
Don't We worry about me not bein'
able to manage any crook" he told
her, and waved threatenIngly n muir
demonstrating bludgeon. "In here.
eh?" he Numbered and unlocked her
captive's prison.
Trembling. Caro- drew back against
the panels of the hall. Then the care
takers quick laugh was followed by
manly voice of pleasing quality.
$50 you have come to rescue me,
Jabesh." said the voice. "Wlll you
tell me, please. what sort Of dream
I've been having? And where is the
golden butterfly who mysteriously
locked me in?"
Bewilderingly and in her yellow XII
mono of golden embroidery. Caro- crept
out from her retreat. "Who," she
whispered, "are you?"
CulI