South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-04
What Katie Did with the Paper
Father Graham Sought.

The nearer I came to my mother
in-law's room upon our bizarre err
rand, the more faint hearted l be-
came Katies monkey-like clever
ness in hiding in my mother-in-law'e
quarters the paper she had alb
stracted, did not appear like clever
ness, but monumental idiocy, by the
time 1 reached the door behind
which Mother Graham was peace
fully sleeping.
Katie put her hand upon my arm
and her lips close to my ear.
"Plees, 1 don't like to go in. she
keel me, eef she wake oop und find
me shopping round her room"
With an effort 1 repressed the in
clination to inquire fercely in return
what fate she thought awaited me
were my august mother-in-law to
waken. but l turned instead and
tensly whispered:
Where is it hidden?"
You know dat pretty box nit
roses and pictures of old-time ladies
und mems on it?"
You mean her hat box?" gasp
ed with a mental vision of the pride
my mother-in-law' heart-a fancy
and costly millinery box, decorated
with old English scenes and narrow
borders Of roses. inside which re-
posed her very best hat.
Dots the one" Katie whispered
back, and / could have shaken her
for the nonchalance in her manner
Katie patiently had cast her burdens
upon me and was worrying no
longer.
A Tense Moment.
It's on top shelf in closet" she
went on Il saw EFT ven 1 busted
room yesterday. You can hook eet
shoost as easy! See! I'll hold door
open. You shoost grab eet and run,
und I close door after you"
Don't dare to touch the door"
whispered. setting my teeth for the
ordeal in front Of me. 60 back
down stairs and wait for me. I'll
manage this. Softly now Hush Not
another word"
She scuttled obediently and TO
her lessly down the
stairs. and I waited beside the door
for a long two minutes to see IL my
mOther-ln-law had awakened. But
the rasping sounds OF what she Gu
phonionsly terms heavy breathing,
but which Dicky describes as the
"sincerest snoring on Long Island. g"
went on without interruption.
So. with tense nerves and quickly
beating pulses I turned the knob
with infinite caution, pushed the
door ajar and slipped into the room.
I had taken the precaution to turn
out the hall light. that she might
not be awakened by It's sudden
CLEAN, so 7 left the door ajar that !
might be able to escape quickly and
noiselessly.
"Oh! 1 Forget
held my breath as made my
way 70 the clothes closet, deciding
that even the highly-colored life OF
a fiction burglar was not worth
while. And while I was lifting the
box down, recognizing II by touch
rather than sight, and making my
painful way back 10 the door. I was
listening tensly to the regular snores
and thanking my particular little
JOSS for their volume
reached the door without mishap
passed into the hall. closed the door
after me. relighted the lamp. and
went swiftly down the stairs, hug
ging 20 my breast the assurance
that I had succeeded in my mission.
True. there lurked in the back
ground the ordeal OF getting the
bandbox back 10 its place. but
did not have 10 consider that for
another half hour or 50. and I was
frankly triumphant as well as con-
sumedly curious. when I rejoined
Katie in the hall below.
Did you get eet?" she whispered
eXcitedly,