The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-03-08
Continued from Last Week.)

lou tIlltiK some one tOlu you.
Noble groa2ed. ooh. Julia, Julia
And here It is, all down in black and
white. In my pocket"
II haven't the slightest idea what
you're talking about" Julia's tone
was COLI. and she drew herself up
hnughtily, though the gesture was In
effective, SO far as Noble was con-
cerne0 In the darkness of the quiTer-
ing interior. The quiyering stopped
:iiSi then. however, rs the taxicab
hniteh before her house.
"Wlll you come III with me mo-
ment, nlcase?" Julia said rs she got
out. There are some things l want
10 ask you-and Pm sure papa hasn't
come home from downtown yet
There's no light in the front part OF
the house"
There was no light in any other
part of the house, either. as they dis
covered after abandoning the bell for
an excursion to the rear "Thats dis.
heartening to q hungry person." Julia
remarked; and then remembered that
she had n key to the front door in
her purse. She opened the door, and
lighted hall luster while Noble
brought IN her bags from the steps
where the taXicab driver had left
thea.
"There's nobody at home Mt all"
Julia said. thoughtfully.
mo. Nobody" her sad companion
agreed, shaking his head. Nobody at
all, Juln. Nobody at ALL" Rousing
hn 0pl
tools, and with n lingering gentleness
set them In n corner. Then, dumbly,
he turned to go.
"Wait, please" said Julia. II want
to ask you a few things-especially
about what you've got all down in
black and white in your pocket. VIII
you shnt the door, If you please, and
60 into the library and turn on the
lights and wait there while look
over the house and see If can find
why It's all closed up like this.
"It's chilly. The furnace seems to
be off," she said. "rll-" But instead
Of declaring her intentions, she enact
ed them; taking match from the lit
tie white porcelain trough on the man
telpiece and striking 1t on the heel of
her glitterlng shoe. Then she knelt
before the crate and set the flame to
excelsior beneath the kindling and
coal. "You mustn't freze," she said,
with q thoughtful kindness that killed
him.
"Tm Robinson Crusoe, Noble" she
said, when she came back. II suppose
might as well take off my furs,
though" She did so, first unfasten-
ing the great bouquet she wore and
tossing 1t upon table. Noble was
standing close to the table, but moved
away from 1t hurriedly. This rcvulsion
she failed to notice; and she went on
to explain, rs she dropped her cloak
and stole upon chair. "Papa's gone
away for at least week. He's taken
his ulster. 1T doesn't make any diff
ferenoes what the weather is, he never
wears his ulster In this town, but
when he's going away for week, or
longer, he always takes 1t with him,
except IN summer"
II suppose" said Noble huskily, II
suppose you'll go to some of your
aunts or brothers, or cousins or some
thing"
mo-" she said "Nfy trunk may
come up from the station almost any
time, and if I close the house they'll
take 1t back. The servants are hav-
ing holiday, not expecting me
back"
"You needn't bother about that
Julia. I'll look after It."
"How?"
II could sit on tho porch till It
came," he said. ard tell 'em you
wanted 'em to leave It," He paused
painfully. IT could wait out on tho
porch with 1t, to o'see that 1t was safe,
until you came back tomorrow morn
ing"
She looked full at him, and he plain.
lively endured the examination.
"Noble!" She had undoubtedly a
moments shame that any creature
should come to such a pass for her
sake. "What lovely lonsensei she
said; and sat upon stool before the
cracking fire. "Do sit down, Noble
unless your dinner will be waiting for
you at homer"
mo-" he murmured. 'They never
wait for me. Don't you want me to
look after your trunkf"
"Not by sitting up all night with II
on the porch" she said. "rm going
to stay here myself. I'm not going
out; don't want to see any OF the
family tonight"
II thought you said you were hun.
gry."
II am; but there's enough in the
pantry. looked"