New Britain herald., 1922-06-15
Why MadSe and Allen Drake Had ,
 silent Disagreement


 Reaction inevitably follows the tensest of situations, and l think we all needed and welcomed the relaxa- tion which the discovery of Katie E audacity gave us,
 At any rate, Lilian's exclamation was like a key unlocking our risibles' Allen Drake led of with hearty suffaw so oddly contrasted with his usual cynical poise that l stared al him in ama2ement, and Lillian, my father and l joined him in chorus of laughter.
 For tense second, Katie stood mo- esonless, patently undecided between offended dignity and mirth. Then her face relaxed, and she gigEled gleeful- ly. all ls2' fright forgotten, as is Rates rolatie way,
 "Whcre are these scissors which are so needed to complete this fiikn ?" AL len Drake asked when he had finally settled back into composure. Katie. I am so lost in contemplation of your genius, that I know I never shall find myself again until l see the end of this reel so prithee let me hunt the scissors"
 His eyes rested on the girl with ex- actly the same expression, I told my self hotly, that they would have held were he suddenly confronted with an unusually clever performing seal To me Katie is a vivid, lovable. human personality, to Allen Drake, I saw clearly that at this moment she was an impersonal problem, a little less than human, whose antics appealed both to his sense of humor and to his love Of tormentins, an instinct pos sessed by anything masculine, but which is especially well-developed in Allen Drake.
 'Dot's It."
 katie's broad smile vanished abruptly at his request, and I saw her eyes flash ominously. She could not understand his vocabulary. but her keen perceptions told her that he was making fun Of her. I intervened quick ly. for I had no desire to discipline the girl for another outburst of rude ness
 There are some scissors in a desk here I said, rising and crossing the room to a desk in which I kept few extra sewing things. Come here Katie ' I made my voice f.ndly, but peremptory and the girl walked obediently toward me. giving me the opportunity I wished to speak to her. l changed my position so that I ef- fectually shielded Katie from Mir. Drake's observation as l murmured softly:
 Katie, for my sake don't notice anything he says
 Into her big eyes came the look of fidelity one always associates with faithful dog. With only compre- hending little nod she took the scis- sors and returned 10 my mother-in- laws band-box while I constrained myself to suppress the indignant frown which I knew my face held for Allen Drake.
 With quick deft fingers Katie ripped a piece of velvet covering the hat. and drew from beneath it a folded pa per. which she held out to me, saying simply: Dots it.
 I held it out to my father who took it and scanned it for second Then he looked at Katie with kindly relaxed face.
 A Peremptory Tattoo.
 Yes, this is the paper taken from the book. Thank you, Katie, you may go now. Mrs. Graham will talk to you later"
 Katie looked at the hat whose GOV ering she had just ripped.
 ''Vot you do init dot?" she asked worriedly.
 "Ill attend to that, Katie, I re- turned. Tt won't take but a minute. Go to bed now and try to get some sleep"
 She snatched my hand and kissed it. T tink l never sleep again." she said mournfully, then she went slowly out of the room.
 That's d good line" Allen Drake said approvingly, but I cant echo it, Me tink I like to sleep clock round shoost about now :" He grinned maliciously at me as l turned from the desk with the thimble, needle and black silk thread l needed for the restoration of my mother-in-law's hat, and at the grim ace, even more at his atrocious imita- tion of katie's speech. l wished that l could substitute his features for the hat
 My father replied quickly before l