Evening star., 1921-09-04

Frank: You are the insurance
man."
mo. really. No. nothing like
that! Quite another matter. I as
She took the card and read the
name.
Well. I expect Frank any min
ute" she said. He ought to he
| here now. You can come into the
parior and wait, il you want 10. I'm
getting dinner. AMI it will burn if
1 don't attend to It."
lighted gas jet in the parlcr. 1t
was quite plebeian: furniture that
pretended to be carved but that was
really cut out of fiat slabs-instal-
ment stuff. very evidently-an cheap.
i. was beginning to show wear. too.
The plush was going the inevitable
way Of all cheap plush. The rug
That's the most comforta BILE
chair" said Mrs. Casey. Il think
Frank will be here in a minute.
sometimes he Is a little late when
he stops to buy something extra for
supper-mean dinner. I'm from the
west, and I never get over saving
supper Out there we had dinner
in the middle of the day. you know"
Really" said the adventurer.
Every one does" said Mrs. Casey.
You mad better take Off your coat
out" " " '''' "neh 70" go
"Ah-may I ask what-ah-your
husbands occupation may be?"
asked the amateur adventurer. He
was really having quite a thrill Of
excitement. He, Morley Smith, was
had no business whatever to be,
talking to a fair-faced young matrcn
whose saucy eyes denied her sedate
manner. and the husband was due
at any minute. 1t Is true that there
was nothing in the young woman's
her husband would rush into the
fat in a drunken frenzy and throttle
her unless the visitor prevented
him. but 1t was adventure none the
less. Already Morley had learned
supper and Is had in the middle Of
the day. say. what?
We'll. I guess maybe Frank had
better tell you all that himself" said
MRS. Casey. answering Morley Smiths
last query. Il always think a woman
should not mix into things like that.
So just make yourself comfortable.
I'll have to look after my dinner
She went az far as the door.
iii just close this door, II you
don't mind" she said. I'm cooking
chops. and the smoke is something
y 4 4 4
XNTHEN she had closed the door and
had retreated down the long
telescope hall to the kitchen the
adventurer felt. for a moment or two.
that he was taking a silly risk He
dropped his coat over the back of
his chair, stood his stick against it,
placed his hat on the floor and with
cautious tread approached the closed
door. AS quietly as possible he
turned the knob. The door. opened
easily. He was not. as he had feared,
locked in! AS cautiously as before
he went back to his chair. Even
through the closed door he could
hear q faint noise of spluttering
chops. He heard the sizz Of them
browning pork chops came through
the door-poseibly through the key
hole-and. although Morley had
already eaten. his appetite leaped
chops for years-oh. not for many
years! BY Jove. as soon as this ad-
venture was ended he would 60
somewhere and have a brace of pork
ohop:! What? If'hs was stil alive.
AS the adventurer sat there In the
commonplace little fiat parlor, wait
ing for the real adventure to begin.
he had nothing to do. He shook out
one of the spotless handkerchief
and brushed a nose that did not need
brushing. He removed one glove and
folded it carefully. He looked at the
shockingly bad pictures on the wall
Onstallment-plan stuff) and then, walk
ed to the window and looked out.
Here and there across the way were
lights in the windows. but most of
the windows were black, the families
looked down and saw, a policeman
standing under lamppost slapping
HIS arms across his chest. The bright
est spot in the street was the restau-
rant across the way. and rs Morley