Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-01-14
| staIrs anxIotusIy waiting for you to go

stairs anxiously waiting for you to go
out"
How do you known"
Swallowed him. My revoly-
ers all right? And the red PEPPER
"Yes-but I've been thinking about
that pepper and how about ammonia
| Unsteady"
Hmm" considered Billy. whats
the advantage?"
"It wears of quicker. and think It's
probably safer for Us 4 he struggles
and we have to hold tdm down"
"Guess H. Is" !8Illy agreed. Got IT
ready?"
took him to the kitchen and showed
him half glass of household ammonia
diluted with water and covered with a
saucer. Then hung his coat and hat
in my wardrobe. After that he looked
at me and looked at him-the fatal
moment had arrived.
"Well?" said Billy. / seemed to
know he'd say "well."
"Wellp | repeated after him, try
ing to pretend to myself didn't know
what he meant.
Billy glanced at the clock. "Your
'mossoo' Is wondering why you don't
come BY the way--there wasn't a
soul in the lower hall when sneaked
in-he's sent his man off for fear you
won't leave"
My knees were shaking under me. !
was sure Billy knew Il, but he affect
ed not to notice. He took one OF the
revolvers and inserted blank car
fridge for the first shot, explaining
that we couldn't have an omelet with
out breaking eggs. / was to jump out
of my bedroom and fire this as soon
as monsieur reached the dining room.
II calculate Wen have him now In
about fifteen minutes" was Billy's del
icate hint to me to go on with my part,
and with knees ready to close up I'M
der me like jackknives l rang for
George.
| must say that George acquitted
himself very creditably--as a spy. In
stead of his usual inquisItive Coin
to be out oil the EVENING"" ne put 1t
In this way: "If somebody calls when
shall tell 'em you'll be homer
"Tell them won't be home-say I'm
out for the evening"" l returned
promptly; and Georges face wore the
| satisfied expression of q well-earned
five-dollar bill.
BY the time we reached the second
floor Billy was ringing furiously from
the slxth-this was to get George out
of the way at once so l could slip up
stairs--and when we reached the first
the luck that is said to favor natural
born idiots and such turned trick
for me by fetching little Mrs. Thing.
downstairs slithering along the hall.
She darted past me into the car, al.
most knocking me over in her desire
to keep George from opening the front
door for me, and she made sure of
my defeat by utterlng an acid, Take
me up immejetly." For which rude
ness | have ever blessed hefl In ten
seconds / had gone along the hall to
the front door. retraced my steps
and--thanks to her-was gliding up
the stairs In her wake like a ghost. In
less than two minutes from the time
she trampled me under her feet l was
safe In my own fiat.
Whether Billy and / had FIVE min
utes or fifty TO wait now we did not
know, but we took 1t for granted that
we should have the shortest possible
time in which George could deliver the
news of my departure "for the eve.
ming" and monsieur could creep up.
stairs, unseen by his all-seelng spy
We therefore took our prearranged
places.
The fiat was almost dark. One low
gas Jet lighted the dining room and
showed the hyaclnths on the table
so monsieur could see the moment he
entered the front door; low light in
the bathroom showed at glance
through the half-open door that no
body lurked within. The door to my
bedroom stood fiat against the wall
the kitchen door nearly so, and behind