Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-03-03

my own nandS-and the skin Off your
face, too. Get me? i mean every
word of it. You're goin' to come down
to where you belong this minute, and
you're goin' to look the part, too, or
my name amt Inez. You've come the
naughty over me for the last time.
It's my innins now, and when Pm fin
ished with you everythin' III be per-
fectly even between you and Inez, for
ever and ever-a-men
With trembling, awkward fingers
Priscilla began to pluck at the but
tons of her blouse.
lnez retreated to the table, picked
up the glass and ratified the ice mu-
sically within it.
Hurry, dear hearth"
Priscilla removed coat and blouse
and stepped out of her skirt, then lift
ed her hands for the glass. Her tor
mentor warned her off.
"Wait-a-min-ute! You're forget
tin them rings"
Silently the girl stripped her fin
gers, dropping their jewels into the
greedy palm. Nothing mattered, so
that she earned that drink of water.
But yet once again was she put off.
Don't crowd me SOL l might get
| nervous and spill somethin .
| Climb into them clothes l brought you
| tirst-and if l was you l wouldn't
waste no time, neither. Can't tell
when Harry or someone III bump in
| here and catch you with nothin' on
but your pretties. And be thankful
| let you keep them :"
For an instant, indeed, the woman
seemed disposed to repent of that
! generosity, cycling Priscilla's under
| garments of lace and filmy silk. In
fumbling haste Priscilla covered them
with the cheap and none too clean
! cotton blouse, the shoddy and i'll
fashioned coat and skirt which Inez
had brought her.
At long last she had her reward. At
first in frantic gulps, then more slowly
If with no less avidity, she drained
| the glass: while IneZ at the bed
snatched up and packed under her
arm the spoils of this her first victory
over her rival.
well, how about it, Nora? Feelin'
chirpier?" she inquired with magma
nimity when Priscilla put down the
empty glass.
II don't know" Priscilla's feet wove
uncertainty toward the bed. Too late
she was realizing that the glass had
held something more than mere water
She sat down suddenly and began
again to nurse her head. Pm ill.
she murmured-"very ill. How did
get here?"
Il guess maybe that's sOmethin
you don't know" Inez laughed spite
fully. And | don't mind tellin'
Harry followed you down Fift' avenue
'SafternoOn and seen where you
stopped, up in McDougall alley. TheG
he got Charlie and left him to watch
you while he 'phoned for the rest OF
the bunch. When it got dark ant
everythin' was quiet, they picked the
lock, found you dom Rip van Win
kle that looked good for twenty year
give you shot of the hop to make
sure you wouldn't wake up at the
wrong time, and brought you dow
here in taxi. That's your history VI
to date. Cheer up: the worst is ye
to come. And when it comes-grat
this from me-innocent iii Inez /!
goin' to have a ringside seat"
II don't understand :"
The words were barely audible; bu
the termagant heard. Her sneer dark
ened.
well, if you gotta know, thu
bunch's outside maxim up their minds
what to do with you. l haven't got NJ
idear what they'll finely settle on, blu
it'll be plenty, whatever it is. If i
was anybody else I'd feel sorry 70
them; but you-w .."
Her laugh was harsh and jeering
For sole response the cringing fgur
on the bed suddenly sank in upOl
itself, then over upon one side, wher
it lay sprawling inert, whites of eye
showing under half closed lids.
Startled, the woman bent over Pris
ella. But her breathing went on mo
-notonously. She had merely tainted
III. THE TRAP.
| Tho h1iDIinu Ulorn ha