The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-16
BETTY'S BURGLAR ALARM.
BY Lillian n. Delaney.
Copyright, 1922, by the Wheeler
Syndicate, Incl

ny AAheAAkA &tAs DNAAshss
Copyright, 1922, by the Wheeler
Syndicate, Inc.)
Robert Weston hurried up the
gravel path to his pretty suburban
home. entered the front hall and
eagerly shouted: N
Betty! Oh, Betty! Where are
you?"
From the recesses Of the kitchen
Betty called: "Yoo-hoo, Bob" and
flushed and dishevelled from her
culinary efforts, emerged into the
hallway to throw floury hands and
arms about her young husband
neck.
What's wrong, Bob?" she asked
in alarm, for it was only 2 in the
afternoon, and he never got home
befors1t:15 in the evening:
Got to go to Chicago tonight,
Betty" said Bob, gently. Il hate to
leave you. dear. but it can't be
helped. Winters is sick. and there
is no one else we can send. I'll
have to be away a week. Isn't
there someone you could ask to
come and stay with yop?"
Betty shook her head mournfully
She was a southern girl whom
Bob had met while on a business
trip, and she had come just a
month before to this pretty little
nest he had prepared for her. II
had been hard for her to leave her
home folks and her girlhood
friends. but Bob had sufficed.- And
now he was going away! Well, she
must make the best of it. He had
been taken into the firm recently
and was no longer obliged to trav.
ell. SO she must be brave this one
time, when circumstances made il
necessary to take a business trip
A hasty luncheon. the hurried
packing of his grip, thousand anG
one parting admonitions, ther
Betty watched from the window az
he started for the train.
About 6 o'clock that evening al
she sat languidly eating Z lonely
meal. the clock on the kitchen
mantel suddenly burst into action
1t was an alarm-clock, set In q
carved-oak frame, and used only
as a timepiece. Betty had never
heard it ring before. She stood
almost petrifled with fright. Sht
was not snperstitious, but! Sh.
recalled old tales Of the south tha'
she had often heard the plantation
hands relate, of signs and warn
ings. This was the time Bob wal
f, to start for the west!
She suddenly remembered tina
Bob had wound the clock Just be
fore3eaving. as he always attend
ed to such things. Possibly he hal
released the lever in some va!
while winding it. Horrors, sh'
must stop its dreadful racket. Wa
there ever such a clock? Why, i
was just like a burglar alarm! A
last she had it muffled, and frauti
cally she searched for the sfiencer
while the horrible gong growlet
and choked and ragged, then finall.
ceased altogether, as she pushet
down the controlling lever.
! After dinner. she read a shor
time, then feeling too lonely ant
nervous to stay any longer in tn
/ living room. she decided to- go Il
bed. 1t was new experience t,
have to lock windows and door
herself. for Bob had always per
J formed that task. but she made tn
rounds Of the lower floor. thel
mounted the stairs to the bedroom
In spite of her loneliness. sleel
came quickly, and in dreams sh'
walked with Bob through sunli
gardens, where flowers bloome'
and birds sang. and there were nj
business trips to mar their happi
ness.
1t seemed hours later whel
something awakened her, and list
ening, she heard something strik
the windowpane Again and agail
the noise was REPEATED, then as Oh
cautiously got of bed AM
peep through the draperies she say
a man out on the lawn take OF hi
coat and hat and shoes. A burglar
tOh, what should she do? Il Boz
rere here. Ifaonly shs had 1 tale