Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-08

Smith. and l was not part1cularly reas-
sured by the preparations she made for
the night.
Allah be praised for small favors.''
she said. as she moved swiftly through
the lower rooms with me, attending
TO the fastening of the windows and
doors. Your mother-in-law's windows
have bars-you remember she had
them put up after Junior was taken
last fall. I'm going to ask her if /
may put Marion in her bed for to-
night, and when they get soundly to
sleep I'll lock them in for a spell.
After I've interviewed Katie I'm going
to take the liberty of putting her on a
cot in my room-she'u be 50 frightened
by the time l get through with her
that she'll be glad to be locked in-and
yeu know that window in my room
couldn't be reached unless by a ladder.
Besides, it is on the road. Then you
and l are going on a little excursion.
l suppose all these precautions are the
rankest foolishness, but I'd rather be
sorry once"
A Little Excursion"
Il should think So / replied blandly
enough, but indeed 1 was in no state
t o choose my words. Was it possible
that with the man. Smith. at large in
the countryside-even if he were
shadowed-Lillian meant me to leave
the house with her? Yet what else
could the phrase little excursion
mean?
My loyalty to Lillian and the cause
in which we were working took a
sickening slump at this point. Not for
anything in the world, l told myself.
would l leave my little lad in a locked
room with only his feeble grandmother
and little Marion to stand between him
and any danger, real or fancied. My
determination must have shown in my
face. for Lillian laughed lightly as she
turned TO me from the last window
fastening upon the ground floor.
Il really don't need a padded cell,
much as you may think it," she said.
Our little excursion will be a per-
fectly safe one-it's only to katie's
after she is settled for the night.
Now, if you don't mind playing cham
bermaid and fixing up a cot for Katie
in my room-incidentally. you n L
will share my bed tonight, when we
finally seek a bed will go to Katie
and try my luck at a little applied
psychology
1 busted myself as she had sug-
and did even more-for l car
reid Marion. a slight figure for her age,
to my mether-in-law's bed without
the child. and explained that
wished Marion to sleep with
her. and would explain why in the
morning.
IAN right" Mother Graham MUIR
s~leepily. Put her on the side
from my arm. Luckily it's a,
wide bed"
She was asleep again before l had
left the room. with a reassurlng stop
at Juniors cribside. and it was not
many minutes afterward that Lillian
to her room.
you So Goot-"
Everything set, | see. she com
nented. looking around the room. and
then. when / had explained what | had
lone. Did Marion wake up. or your
ncther-in-law object? No. at my neg
ltive shake of the head. That's good.
wish | had been as successful
/ made no reply, for | knew of old
that questioning annoyed her. and that
she would tell me whatever she wished
TO know.
That girl is certainly a thousand
piece picture puzzle" she said after nj
'ew seconds pause. ''Sbe 'swears her a |
that she took nothing from your
room. or anything else, and
m almost constrained to believe her.
let there's something about her-l
lon't know"
She spread her hands in a helpless
:, sture most foreign to Lillian, and II
that she was indeed puzzlcd-and
roubled-concerning Katie, and the
possibility of her having distracted
rom my fathers room the mysterious
.biect which Smith and Soc and the
behind them were SO anxious to
ind.
Il purposely left her alone SO that
he could hide the thing if she wanted
o. told her Smith thought she had
t. and would no doubt try within the
few hours to find her and get it'll
rom her. Well have no trouble about
her indoors for the next few
lays or so. Here she comes now.
frightened out of her senses. ! can tell
" her gait. You take her up to my
Dom and get her to sleep, and then
ONE back to me-"
That my little maid was terrified I.
new not only by her hurried. uneven
ootsteps. but by her pallor and the ex-
in her wide eyes. She came
to me when she entered the
Dom, carrying a bundle Of clothing un-
er her arm. and her voice shook as
he addressed me.
Misses Underwood say l sleep in
by YOU and her tonight