Evening star., 1922-11-14
The Tables That Turned.
UTUMNAL rain drippe

~ mally on a dreary morning
~ when a battered taxi clat-
tered UP to the door Of the
Pumpkin Shell. But tho twins. whose
dispositions had run wild while their
mother was in Canada, were making
such a terrific racket that Susan Sue
didn't hear the clang Of the spread
eagle knocker on the old front door
until Ragsy threw himself ecstati-
cally against it and yelped to tell the
world that Mistress Merry had como
homo.
But she was a forlorn little wrath
Of her once merry self as she sat
down, travel-stained and weary, to
clasp both babies in her arms and
hug them until they painted Tor
breath.
"Oh, ma'am,"-Susan wheezed and
grumbled apologies for the untioy
house-''if only I'd known you WeIe
bettef; but what with my asthma ,
and the children acting up aw1ui.
and Ethel gone-oh. mas Sne
began to wall forth plaintive taie
Of the police and how they had taKen
Ethel. and how the poor or, sari ,s,,, Tas va,
a soul to cheer her.
For didn't dast to take the
twins over there, and the heart OF
me Just breaking to comfort the poor pool
child. that has done nothing. Sne
twisted her apron mournfuiiy; Hns shs
afternoon of 1 must have to go to
susan, SUSAN Merriam inter.
rupted. "You heartless old wretch!
You treat me like @ q stepchhas ste, 1ast eveu yeu
| stop stop favins about Ethel for two
minutes while tell Ricky and
Dicky that their Daddy boy came all
the way from Canada with me-.
"oh. my Daddy, boy. he ne Gadsa Gomsa
boy?" Ricky whirled about like a
mad thing.
Merriam's brown eyes ached with
the tears they must not shed;
Susan" she exclaimed. jumping
up. II don't know how I'm going 70
endure the next two or three hours!
Johnsy is over in the Blaisdell once
and Ralph Beecher is with him-and
| a lot of detectives and some lawyers
and officers. Oh, Susan. we thought
he had such a perfect alibi that ne
could prove in two minutes that he
didn't have anything to do with that
robbery-but they are wrangling ana
talking and gabbling and wen:
Uncle Thorne put me In that taxi
and told me that it would be two or
three hours before things were ar
: ranged. and that l was to come home
and get a hot bath and go back there
| at noon. and-oh. Susan. how can
stand it until noon. she walled.
Susan's eyes were pleading. ~
"Oh. ma'am." she begged. "its
keep busy and l wouldn't fret. II
you'd take that bath now. and then
get your car out. and let me go to
see Ethel" She put her hand on
Merriam's arm. "The poor girl-and
she all the time crying to the police
! maybe she would tell what might
, oh. I'm fed up with this Ethel
| business" Merriam was petulant.
Hush about it,
But when she was bathed and
Susan had artfully coaxed her to
have a cup of hot broth. she paced
i the floor restlessly.
Get the children's raincapes and
| my coat and yours" Merriam snapped
! finally. You will have your own
| way"
| the est steps Of the jail. Her knees went
suddenly limp as she realized that
presently she might be coming to
some such place to see S her r,JHnn John: ~,
tie slavey being led in by matron:
she put out her arms impulsively and
drew the girl to her heart.
You poor Ian lamb" >, ,,shs she xsi, sighed ned
anything to do with it,"
"Oh, Missus Merry" wept Ethel.
they got me and ] reckon 1 can't
get away noways. But. oh. didn't
do anything really. only what Madam
Doreen told me to do. and I didn't get
lNt h a
day when Packy tried to get me away
| from your house. And left that dope
book behind. and then it come over
| me what 1t was he wanted me for.
| and-and-" Her head bent. Il
thought maybe could get away with
i, myself Paeky and Dan In jail and
Away with what:" demanded
Merry.
THAT pay roll money. You see.
| Missus Lindsay, it was Packy and
Dan that pulled that deal of. and Dan
was hurt and run and threw the bag
to Packy. and Packy come pufing
| into Doreen's house. and she grabbed
| 1t and hid it somewheres, and then
the next night her and me took the
| train up to Buffalo. and trolley to
| q town named Tonawanda, where she
and she give me note and some bun
| dies Of. the money-only j! didn't
know it was money-she said It was
her insurance papers and things-and
she made me go in and stow it-and
! when I come out she wrote down the
| number Of the box and all in the
dope book. and cursed me out. and
then we come back: and right after
| that was when she had to go back to
! giving seances because her and Packy
hadn't much money and didn't dare
| touch what was in that pay roll
bunch for fear they was numbers on
those bills like the bulls said there
was-and. oh, when l saw that dope
| book lying on your table and knew
all the rest Of them was caught,
thought maybe, did 1 hush my mouth
some time I could get my hands on
the book and go up there and get
the money-Doreen being dead-but
Misses Lindsay. If you was to look
| in the back of the book and get that