The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-09-05

you couldn't leave the boy, and with all the travelling about I'll have to do after l get out there, it would be inn possible to cart him along, too"
 Janet took the news more calmly than he had expected.
 Don't worry about me-" she said. "1n manage alright. Naturally I'd prefer to accompany you, but, as you say, that's out of the question
 You're a plucky little woman!" Allan exclaimed gratefully. After all. it'll only be for . month, honey. I'll be back bsfors you've had a chance to really miss me. Isn't 1t a good thing. though. the4 we've got a police inspector living right across the hall? That ought to keep you from feeling nervous while I'm gone. If you like I'll speak to Holden-ask him to sort of keep an eye on you whtle-''
 Don't bother" Mrs. Fremont cut Allan. I shan't be here.''
 You won't be here?" he echoed wonderingly.
 fNo, I think shall try boarding house life until you get back. It is hardly worth while cooking meals for just Buddy and myself, and I shall be less lonely in a boarding house."
 s.That's a good idea," Allan approv- ed.
 Janet thought so, too. The in spiration had come to her as soon as she heard her husbands news. That was why she had been able to take the impending separation so calmly. She would miss Allan of course. It would be the first time in her married life that she had ever been parted from him the nrnSnacf of get ting away from that menace across the hall for whole month was al- turing.
 She intended to seek a boarding house miles away from her home. There, for four blissfu1 weeks, she would be able to enjoy comparative security. No more nerve-racking sus- pense! No more sneaking in and out like a hunted creaturei Why, she hideous way of wearing her hair which her fears had compelled her to adopt.
 The plan looked so good to her that she could hardly wait for her husband to start on his trip.
 But, alas! when she attempted to carry it out, she made a disconcert- ing discovery. The housing famine in New York rad got its grip on the boarding-houses as well as on the apartments. There did not seem to be a vacant room in the entire city Even the hotels. she learned, were filled to overfowing.
 So her hopes of temporary relief | from her predicament vanished into | thin air. For a fortnight after hel I husbands departure she continued l her wretched existence of evasion ane | terror.
 And then, one afternoon, the blov fell.
 FACE TO FACE She was in ther bedroom combin, her hair before the corror. Littl Buddy was Tn his crib, taking hi daily nap. The ring of the dumb waiter bell took her out to the kitch en for a few minutes. When she re turned she made a, startling discov cry.
 The boy had awakened and was i imminent danger of choking to deatt He had somehow managed to thrus | his little head through the side of tn l crib, and was stuck there hard an 1 fast with one of the wicker, upr1gh bars pressing against his wind-pipe Frantically, Janet strove to extri cate him-but she was unable to d so. The only effect her efforts Ina was to cause him to turn black in tn face and to bring from him a blood chilling gurgle.
 Screaming with terror. she ran ou into the hall in search Of aid. MT: Jonh Holden, dressed for the stree was just coming out of the apartmen opposite. The latter was one of tn last persons whom Janet would hay cared to address under other cir cumstances, but her maternal in stincts rose supreme over all othe considerations at this critical momen
 "Oh. please come auick!" she criet
 My little boy. He's being strar gled! Please hurry!"
 | Good-natured Mrs. Holden hesftat ed only long enough to yell somethin
 to somebody within her own apart ment then accompanied the agon ized mather to the scene of disaster
 The two women were making des
 perate efforts to pry apart the stou wicker bars when Inspector Holde
 joined them. He had responde
 promptly to his wife's call, and ha
 come there expecting an encounte
 with desperate thug or maniac, fc
 he was under the impression that
 was at the hands of a human assai
 ant that little Buddy was sufferin
 strangulation.
 | Therefore there was a grim scov
 on his features and an automatic
 his hand when he rushed into th
 room. His appearance was truly fol
 midable. He pocketed the weapo
 however. and his expression relaxe when he saw what was what. In le! time than it takes to tell it his stron hands and his cool head had sut
 ceeded in bringing about the youthfl l prisoners release.
 Then he turned with a pleasal
 smile to Janet.
 "The little chaps all right" he sai'
 Don't be alarmed. It's only tF
 scare he got that's making him bay
 like that. If he-Catch her, Mari<
 She's going to faint.'' When Janet opened her eyes agai she was lying on her bed, and MT
 Holden was bending over, moppir | her forehead with a wet handke chief The inspector was not in tt