South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-13
Revelations "a Vile sqo5 aRR5

90 'i4 4oih AheSleT way. but I was
tremendously glad. nevertheless. TO
hear more OF the bizarre Happenings
in Katie's room.
In the first place Lillian re-
sumed, ''as soon as YOU left. I drew
up the very Ingenious rope ladder
by which the gifted Mr. Smith de-
scended 20 the ground. after his
stunt OF staring in at us or rather. "
she continued. with a significant
Lutte smile at me. "by which he de-
>eended part way The last por-
ton OF his journey. / fancy. was a
swift II not graceful back somer-
sault. We were that successful az.
least tn our shaking Of the rope"
How you women ever dared,
Tom Chester exclaimed. boyish ad-
mirauon IN his voice and face. The
man was desperate as a trapped rat.
lie might have killed you both"
Lillian's feminism fared in a sec
ond. I knew the signs by her
heightened color and the glitter in
her eyes, but her voice was cool and
pleasant as she queried.
1T is your experience, then, that
women dare less than men Q"
An Embarrassed Reply.
The young chap flushed TO the
roots Of his hair. stammered. then
said resoIutely.
j should be a fool 10 say that
after what 1 saw Of the nurses ana
other women workers under fire
when Z was across. But I must stiu
Insist that ii was an exceptional
thing you did, and that the average
woman. because Of her training,
would not have done IT,"
He spoke 10 her he looked az me
and his earnest eyes emphasized
his meaning lie was stubbornly
insisting upon clubbing US heroines.
and / think Llllian's impersonaI de
fence Of woman in general momen-
tarily preached its defences 10 ad-
init the boyish compliment. for she
laughed lightly when he had fin
ished.
"Oh. we're heroines, all right
she said. "Well acknowledge the
/ fact and smile pretuly, but we'd
rather discuss the rope ladder. 1t
was a most intricate and thorough
piece Of work, Of the finest. stan
chest quality possible. and fastened
( somewhere on the roof above us.
He must have been in Katie's room
before we came up, heard us COM
ing and hiked TO the roof Just in
time, pulling his rope ladder up
after him"
Then" 1 breathed. "he must
have been on the roof above us all
tine time we were rausacking Katie's
room"
Except the time when he was
swinging on his ladder beneath
heaven and earth and giving US the
once-Over,' Lillian retorted with
apparent fiippancy. but 7 guessed
thai her nerves were no less ling
| ling than mine at the thought of
that sinister watch upon our move
ments.
Jerry is Amused.
Then the rope ladder is still
I fastened 10 the roof" I remarked,
feeling myself flush at the banality
when / saw Lillian's lips quirk in
to a smile.
Not being n circus ACROBAT. I
have not yet attempted 10 get il
down" she said. THAT will he Mr..
| Chester's job in a few minutes. You
have a hashlight?" She turned TO
him.
Two of them. and a couple of
extra batteries"
Good" She looked at him ap-
I provingly. turned back to me.
caught my look of astOnishment and
/ grinned impishly. Think a min
ute" she said. "A couple OF shots
/ or more in this section will arouse
no curiosity There's hardly a night
I but somebody fires at a cat. or a
possible weasel in the chicken yard.
/ or-in the case of our neighbors
I across the road-fOr the sheer JOY
of dischargiag a gun. But the sight
| OF Mr.. Chester on our roof in the
daylight would be gOodly titbit
/ of gossip Can YOU imagine the ex-
| element If I sent Jerry TIGER to set
that rope ladder? We might as well
tel the whole story TO the local
newspaper
But" I objected. "the TIGERS no
\ doubt heard that shot from this di-
reCtiOn. Won't Sam or Jerry be apt
/ 20 investigate on our account
"Oh, wise young dame," Lillian
/ paraphrased. They did hear the
I shots and did investigate. Jerry ar
rived. GREATNESS and excited awhile
/ ago. and 1 sent him back home
/ again with a plausible explanation
OF hearing noises i'm the chicken
I yard, but finding out afte~ward that
! 10 was the COW He set off home, try
inS not to chuckle too audibly over
| the fOolishness Of women in general
and you and me IN particular Wen
give him time TO get 90 sleep again
and then Mr.. Chester viii tackle
tho roof and the rope ladder"