Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-02-22
My sleepy eyes opened to ma Win

MY sleepy eyes opened TO mo win.
ME pounding my shoulder as Il hump
ed beneath the blanket.
Hey? What /" grunted, trying to
collect my perceptions.
"A reporter!!" II Winnie had said q
Bengal tiger. she couldn't have looked
more terrified.
Great Scott! win-I remember!
Clear out, I'll be down in a minute.
/ dressed in record time and went
downstairs in three leaps:
In the library, I found Aunt Lucy,
wearing an expression that she might
shown if(the garbage man had
asked her to q dance.
But Winnie was eagerly drinking In
the story poured forth by the said re-
porter, who was quite evidently en-.
joying his audience.
ooh, Chef, this is Mr.. Bemis Of The
Meteor. He's telling usaall about the
you know-what happened"
Winnie was too timid to say the
word murder. and I was sorry she had
to hear the awful tale from any n
but myself. However, there was no
help for.it now, and I Joined the group
and did all I could to bring Aunt
Lucy's eyebrows and rose down to
their accustomed levels.
But it was an awful story, make the
told.
st is appalling" conceded Aunt
Lucy, at length, but the most re-
grettable, circumstance. to my mind, is
your connection with it all. Chester"
Nov, Auetie, have a little heart
for poor Mrs. Schuyler, and those old
ooh. I have, Chef. I'm not inhuman.
But those things are in the papers ev-
cry day, and while feels a general
sympathy. it can't be personal if one
doesn't know the people. But. for you
to be mixed up in such matters"
IT wasn't mixed up in it, Aunt Lucy.
except as I chose to mix myself. AND
I've no doubt 1 should have gotten
into it anyway. Mr.. Bradbury will
have /. LOT to do with it, I'm sure. I'm
no better than he to mix in"
"In a business way. yes. But YOU
were there socially-where a murder
was committed" 4
Aunt Lucy could have shown no
more horror of it all, if I a been
the convicted criminal.
"And. I'm glad I was!" I cried, los
ing patience a little. IF I a be Of
any help to the Schuyler people or to
Miss Van Allen,>1 shall be willing to
40 " b" f Miss van Allen is the-the
! 0klu <AAAS A0SJ "4AA0PVAS
ed the word.
Don't say that" I cried sharply.
"You don't know it at all, and there's
no a to condemn the GIRL
:. I paused. Bemis was taking in my
every word with a canny understand
ing Of what I said, and also Of what I
didn't say.
where do your suspicious tend. Mr..
Calhoun? ?" he said smoothly.
Frankly, Mr.. Benis, I don't know.
I am an acquaintance of Miss Van AL
len and I cannot reconcile the idea Of
crime with her happy, gentle nature.
Nor "a I see any reason to suspect
the waiter who first told Of the mat
ter. But might not some person. some
enemy of Mr.. Schuyler. have been
secreted in the house"
"a plausible theory" agreed Bemis,
"even an obvious one, but almost no
chance of it. I've seen the caterers
people, and they were in charge Of
the basement. rooms n the dining
room all the evening. Unless 1t were
one of the guests at the party, I think
no intruder could have gotten in"
"Well." I returned, uneaSily, for I
to invent theories or to defend them.
l will answer your necessary ques-
tions, but pardon me, if I remind you
that I am a busy ma and I haven't
yet had my breakfast"
Bemis took the hint. and after a
string of definite and pertinent ques-
lions, he left. :
Winnie tried to detain him, but my
curt courtesy made it difficult for him
to linger.
"oh, chessy.' cried my sister, as
soon as Bemis had gone. '.it's awful, I
know, but isn't it exciting?"
Hush, Winnie" reproved Aunt
Lucy. IA girl Of your age should know
nothing of these things. and I want
a be of no help, and I do not want
your nerves disturbed by the harrow
ing details"
That's all right. Aunt Lucy" I put
in, but this is going to be a celebrat-
ed Ease. and Winnie can't be kept in
ignorance of its Developments. Now
be a good,sort, Auntie-accept the in
evitable. Try to realize that I must do
what seems to me my duty, and If
that brings us o or less into the
limelight Of publicity, it is a pity, but
it can't be helped"
II agree to all that, Chester. dear.
But You ATE SO mixed in it socially.
Why did you ever get into that set?"
1T isn't a bad set, Aunt Lu. It isn't
a fast set. by any means
"You wouldn't see Winnie or me
there"
mo, but a decent man goes to plac-
es where he wouldn't take his women
people. Now, let up, Auntie. Trust your
good-for-nothing newly, and just do
all you can to help-by doing moth
ing"
7In help you, chessy-cat. I'll do
let me know about it, and not treat
me like baby" said Winnie, who
was wheedlesomely assisting my
breakfast arrangements. She sugared
and creamed my cereal, and, as I dis
patched it, she buttered toast and
poured coffee and deftly sliced off the
top Of a soft-boiled egg.
I managed to eat some of these
vtands between answers to their rapid
fire volley Of questions and at last I
made ready to go down town.
And remember" I said, as ] de-
parted, III a lot Of gossipy old hens
come around here tcday-or your
chicken friends-win1ie. don't tell
them a thing. Let EN- Set it from the
papers. or apply to information. or
out a line Of talk! See?"
kissed them both. and started. of.
OF course, I went over to Vivky
Vans first. I had been on the pro-
verbal pins and needles to get there
ever since l woke to consciousness by
reason of the sisterly pounding that
brought me from the land OF. dreams.
The house had an inhabited look,
and when I went in, Twas, greeted by
the odor of boiling coffee.
"Come.right down here called Mrs.
Reeves from the basement.
I went down, passed the closed din
ing-room door with a shudder. Two or
three policemen were about, in charge
OF things generally. but none whom I
knew. They had been relieved for the
present.
You're still here!" / said. a little
insanely.