The Keota news., 1921-04-08
M0LlIE's BURGLAR {
oy JACK LAwToN.
S9@99@@3eSeSe SeSe9eS9t
CcopyvishS. 1870. Wssssss Newspaper Cn'oe

moOnlit garden. NJ she brnideu "e1
hair for the night. Just one month
ago all had been ''iove and roses.
Al least that had been Moliie's roseate
vision of life. And tonight! shadows
and darkness seemed everywhere. ike
the shaded corners Of the garsien.
And all because Of Douglas. What
u vast difference "the man" can make
In ones life.
Douglas had come. and seen. and
couquered-as far M Mollie was con-
cerneti. She met him In her home city
At = party given By the sou OF bis
employer.
Douglas Was q favoriie With his en-
ployer: Douglas WAS. II seemed. Ia
vorite with everybody. So Il wns not
strange that even little. elusive Aoliis
should capituiate to his charm. His
wooinE Was prompt and successful.
Mother admired Douglas. Father
thought we'll Of him. Mollie's he
trothai was . time OF jubiintion. And
ihen-pouglas urged this visit to moth.
er. He was very fond Of his tender
little mother. Aloiiie knew. and anx.
ious that she In turn. should become
fond Of the girl chosen Of his heart.
SO Mollle went with Douglas. out on
an afternoon train to . dear old.
queer old house. In the country.
Gorgeous flowers framed the door.
ways. and inside there were mysteri.
Gus halls. with steps descending unex.
pectedly here and there. Moliie's room
led from q branching upstairs hall:
ct the opposite end Was the room Doug.
les had occupied In his childhood.
and which was kept unchanged for
his frequent visita Three steps to
the right was Faithful's room-and
Faithful was the girl who had. inno-
Gently enough. brought this new heart.
ache to Aioliie. Douglas mother had
introduced Faith lauxhingiy. that hrst
day Of Mollie's arrival. ~ an old
sweetheart Of his. And though Doug.
las later painstakinEly explained that
the swecthearting had been . joke
of pinafore days. the insinuation ran.
killed.. Jealousy. heretofore an un.
known experience with the carefres
Mollie. held her now batiied In It's pow.
~r. For while Mollle In secret tierided
herself for her foolishneSs. and made
firm resolve to pay no attention to
the comrxdcship Of Faith and Douglas
no sooner did she come upon the
two talking together than Moiiie i'm.
metiiatcly became frigid In demeanor
toward her lover. inficting upon him
pcrpiexing hours Of unhappiness.
This unfortunate state Of affairs
had eliminated in the present quarrel.
nOtly had the new tempestuous Mollie
accused her nance Of unfnithfulncxs.
while he. suffering under this injus.
tice. had taken back silently his ring.
Pride raised between these two an
insurmountable barrier. As Mollie
turned from the window. she noticed
beneath It q mans moving figure and
recognized the shufflng outline as a
tramp" whom Douglas mother had
helped on his way with 4 warm sup.
pcr.
People were almost too trusting in
the country. Mollie thought. MS her
weary head pressed the pillow. 1t
was In the dead of night that she sat
up suddenly In bed, every nerve q.
iremble mt the strnngness Of her wax.
ing. The stealthy sound which had
roused her came from the direction Of
the clothes closet. whose small win.
dow opened on sloping roof. And NJ
Mollie watched. plainly discernible in
the moonlight, the white knob of the
closet door moved slowly, then was