New Britain herald., 1922-09-01
The Mental Relief Madge's Father
 Gave Her.

My father gave quick approval tc Allen Drakes proposal that I stand in the hall instead of the library fol the purpose of keeping track of Katie
 That will be much better" he said decidedly, and, Daughter dear you would better take your station here at once. The lights must go out in this room in another minute, and you don't want to be stumbling over chairs, But there is no reason why you cannot sit down until you hear Katie. You can easily rise from this without making any noise. Not so, Allen?"
 With an approving nod MT, Drake left the room, and my father lifted a small antique chair from the corner, carried 1t to a spot just clear of the door between the library alcoye and the side hall, and set 1t down.
 There That's far better !" he commented. Let me help you with that"
 He had seen that I was having rather sad time in winding the dark motor veil around my head, and with fingers deft as a milliner's, he took it from me and would it around my head and face until only my eyes were visible.
 You have dark gloves?" he asked, and l silently held up a pair with which I had provided myself
 Put them on,' he said. and seat yourself here. l will turn this light off now and move with the aid of my pocket flash. Ready"
 Yes" I whispered. for the bizarre preparations, the prospect of sitting in total darkness waiting for some thing evil to come into the house made me instinctively hush my voice
 A Poignant Fear
 ''Very we'll" My fathers calm voice held no hint that he had divined my feeling as he turned out the light, then made his way across the big room with his pocket light illuminat- ing his path. Close to me, he shut it off and stood silent for a moment, then spoke relievedly.
 T cannot see you at all," he said. ''I was careful not to look in your di- rection before 1 switched off the light so that the test might be fair. But you may be assured that you are en- tirely invisible in this darkness"
 He switched on the fash again, came to my side. and, stopping, kissed me tenderly.
 My own brave girl :" he whis- pered. T know you're going through with this without a tremor. And re- member that Allen and will be very near you all the time"
 "Where?" I demanded, with a sud- den fear clutching me.
 "On the veranda."
 The fear materialized poignantly The veranda was the place where Smith was to be told by Katie that I was asleep. IL was to be the scene of his capture Allen Drake had spoken of "durmy in the couch hammock, couple of men in the shadows of the vsianda," but I had not dreamed that my father would be one of he men in that post of ex- treme danger
 All Set, Chief"
 That he was as brave, as resource ful, as brilliant as Allen Drake, l knew, but-he was an old man. A post like that was for youth and brute strength as well as skill. Smith was 6 big, muscular chap, skillful and des- perate. No rat ever cornered would fight more dangerously than he.
 I tried to put something of my fear into words without betraying any doubt of my fathers physical strength, a theme which is distasteful to him, as to all aging men. He put his hand gently against my lips be- fore l had uttered but sentence.
 Were not going to rely upon an old man and a convalescent for the capture of a desperado like smith he said, with a trace of bitterness in his tone. we are to be on the vef- anda, certainly but we will have the operatives who have been snadowing i him there, too"
 Forgive me-" I pleaded contritely. 1 "I should have known"
 If it had not been for the flash of the light in his hand I would not have known of MT. Drake's approach.