The north Mississippi herald., 1920-07-02
Two Days at
Rest Cure
By JOHN FIRST BROOK

ing for something to happen out of
the ordinary when the advent of q
guest who refused to be sociable set
them all in futter Of excitement.
Are we all quite sure that we saw
the crutches?" asked Mrs. Dunvegan
as she poured tea.
"Oh, yes, my dear; I, for one, am
quite positive-two crutches with
leather tops proclaimed the widow
Pepper, as she fingered the locket that
contained the portrait of her dead hus-
band.
What night was it we saw them
Gomez piped Miss Tinpenny. "Since
my nerves have been so sensitive l
cant remember dates, or handler-
chiefs, or anything important
1T was last Wednesday evening""
declared Mrs. Looney, a fat woman in
a scarlet sweater coat; "being so SEN
stive to the weather l remember 1t
was raining a perfect downpour. We
had just finished dinner, you all recol-
lect, when they came into the office,
the woman stamping and shaking the
rain all about, and saying to the clerk
as soon as she reached the desk, 'You
got my letter! I hope you can let me
have rooms on the ground floor. I will
not stay unless l can be quite away
from the other guests. / have reasons
for not wishing to be disturbed
Eyes, yes" murmured Miss Tin
penny, at all comes back to me now,
dear Mrs. Looney, for you describe
things very well. l am quite sure you
could write sonnet. The man with
the crutches followed herr"
"Such a lot of baggage as they
had!' softly murmured Mrs Fish, a
thin woman with straight hair and
Scant clothing.
= Yes" chimed in Mrs. Pepper, "what
fuss and clatter there was. Boxes
and bundles, and two trunks. The poor
man with the crutches was banded
about and carried along in the midst
of the confusion. No one took a single
thought of him, poor fellow. I sup
pose he was tumbled in with the rest
of her baggage, for when she at last
banged her door the man with the
crutches was gone"
"Poor fellow" faltered Mrs Fish;
"perhaps he did not pass us. but he
may have climbed out of the hall win
dow"
with crutches?" nterrogated all
the ladies at once.
mot possible, my dear" drawled
Mrs. Looney.
"Well, none Of us really saw him go
into the room," persisted Mrs. Fish.
"No, we did not" assented Mrs.
Dunvegan, 'but that he went in we
are all quite sure, for we heard his
crutches pounding on the floor"
"My impression Is that the person
is medium, and that she smuggled
him in while she kept our minds
merged in a subcOnscOuS mist" mus
ingly suggested Mrs. Pepper.
"Well, who are they? Perhaps the
man with the crutches is ill.," further
inquired Mrs. Tyroll.
1--WE looked in the hotel register.
Two names were given-Miss Burk-
holder and below a name so blotted
we could not make it out; we thought
we recognized an s. and an NJ"
"No matter" murmured Mrs. Dunve
gan, "the name was purposely dis
guised, and I, for one, decidedly OBJ
ject to such deceit going on under our
very noses"
II suppose we might form ourselves
into an investigating committee said
Mrs. Looney, "if it were not so much
trouble"
"Now," said Mrs. Dunvegan, "let us
go about the thing in All open, straight
forward manner. Let us go right to
the point l will myself interview the
proprietor Though I'm afraid he has
been bribeO. You, Miss Tinpenny, in
terview one chambermaid, Mrs. Pepper
the other one. Mrs. Fish, could you
take hold of the bellbOy?
"And you, Miss Tyroll, would you
mind tackling the bathmanf"
Don't ask me-" objected the new
conner. Remember, l never saw the
apparition of the man with the
crutches. Anyway, especially at rest
cures, I believe in letting sleeping
dogs lie"
1--WE must dress for dinner" ex-
claimed Mrs. Dunvegan, rising.
The next afternoon the ladies met
as usual at the hour. There could be
observed an undercurrent of sup
pressed excitement. Mrs. Dunvegan
looked nervously about.
"Where is Miss Tlnpenny? She is
the only one absent. | do hope her
poor nerves have not given way. Did
you find out anything definite from the
bellboy about the person on the ground
f'oor, Mrs. Fish?"
She took a small piece of paper from
her reticule as the timid lady made
answer
81 inquired from Albert by way of
an opening if the rooms In the hotel
were pretty we'll filed. Middlin',' an
swered the hellboy." Mrs. Fish referred
to her paper as she continued; "he
Soid aThpm two rooms on the ground