The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-06-25
Through the Sky
light in the Studio
20 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
BY RUBY DOUGLAS

&c by Mcclure Newspaper SyhulSate')
Tom Foster opened the door of the
| little apartment he shared with his
sister. lie hai left some important
papers i'll the pocket OF another SUIT
and had been forced Ia return home
| from the office 10 get them.
He stepped back in amazement at
what greeted his eyes. Then he
closed the door behind him and looked
| about the little room that served
| Jointly as his sisters bedroom ana
their living room. Almost every draw
er had been pulled inside out and the
contents were lying all about the
room.
Burglars" he said to himself
"And | can't tell what is what III
HaZel's belongings. | wouldn't know
| if anything were stolen. I'll take a
look AT my own things" Yes-his own
chiffoner drawers had been rum
mayed also, but not to such an extent.
Looks like the work of women
! thieves" he said.
He looked about for other signs of
the burglars work, but everything else
seemed to he in good shape. There
were bits of bric-a-brac, a good small
rug or two and Some silver in the side
I board, but evidently the thieves had
not cared for that sort of loot.
There was skylight in the room
it was a studio apartment in build
ing adjoining other editices of the
same character.
Tom got out the little stepladder
that he and Hazel used as Il chair
when they had extra guests. He
climbed up and out onto the roof to
see if he could get trace Of the thieves.
He decided that they must have been
in the rooms within a couple of hours,
since Hazel always remained to have
breakfast before going out to teach.
On the roof he came upon a start
ling picture. A very lovely young
woman was drying mass of gold
bronze hair in the sunlight. She held
book on her lap under the curtain
of hair and she evidently had not
heard him come up through the sky
light
I'm sorry" Tom began.
"Oh," the girl cried. startled. 81
did not hear you come up"
"And / did not dream there was
any one here. l am looking for
thieves" announced Tom.
Thieves The girl threw back
the clouds of hair and looked inquir-
ingly at the intruder.
"Yes; l happened to return home
and have found the drawers in our
apartment all ransacked. Have you
perhaps. seen any strangers on the
roOf?'
The girl shook her head. mo.
have been here for an hour drying my
hair, but / have seen no one" She
hold him how sorry she was and he
found himself telling her all about his
sister and incidentally about himself
He had forgotten all about the bur
glars and was observing the wonder
full lights in the girls hair and the
|
eyes.
"Could /, perhaps, give you little
assistance i'm divining a reason-fnd
ing a cluef' she asked, when they had
returned to the subject of the sneak
thieves.
would you-cOme down the lad
der and seer he asked.
"Of course" she said, proudly. %
am visiting my aunt in the apartment
below and l am almost dying of ennui
Out West where 1 live there is some
thing doing all the time, so that
jump at the chance to have even 81
little excitement as this" She laughed
as she followed Tom down through
the skylight.
at does look like sneak-thieve:
looking for something in particular,
the girl said when she had viewed
the contents of the emptied drawers
Just then they heard footsteps oil
the stairs outside.
Ssh" said Tom, his fingers on hi!
lips.
They stood motionless while thu
footsteps drew nearer.
Presently a key was inserted II
the lock and Hazel stood before them
her arms full of packages, bag il
one hand.
"TOm," she cried.
Hazel" her brother replied. "Thert
have been burglars herer"
Hazel looked at the girl with hel
hair all about her. "Oh," she said.
"No-no," Tom began, seeing hel
mistake. "This is a young lady
found drying her hair on the roo
when went up to look for the
thieves"
Helen Rogers" the girl explained
II stepped down with your brother t
offer my assistance"
Then, to the amazement of both Ton
and his companion, Hazel Foste
threw herself on the couch and emitted
peal after peal of merry laughter.