Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-16
MY MARRIAGE
PROBLEMS
Adele GarTison's
New Phase off,.
REVELATIONS
ORA WIFE
THE PLAN THAT LILLIAN
SUGGESTED

There was a puzzled, hesitant look
in Tom Chester's honest gray eyes as
Lillian told him we were ready to hear
his story of the pursuit of Smith. !
guessed that he was far more ready 10
action than be was in words, especially
those in which he was compelled to
clothe his own valor and ability. That
Lillian saw his dilemma, ] realized
when she spoke again, to me, in casual
apologize fashion.
pardon me, Madge," she said, "but
/ had forgotten for the minute that
you know nothing of what happened
after we heard Katie's scream, so I'd
better pick up the dropped stitches
before We go on
/ forced back the smile which trem-
bled upon my lips at the idea of Lii
liam forgetting anything. She was sim
ply using her supposed neglect of me
as a broom with which to sweep con-
versational obstacles from Tom Ches-
ter's way, but / was tremendously
glad, nevertheless, to hear more of the
bizarre happenings in Katie's room.
I'm the first place." Lillian resumed.
"as soon as you left. ] drew up the
very ingenious rope ladder by which
the gifted Mr.. Smith descended to the
ground, after his stunt of staring in at
us. Or rather" she continued, with a
significant little smile at me. "by which
he descended part way. The last por-
ton of his journey, ] fancy, was a swift
il not graceful back somersault. We
were that successful at least in u
shaking of the rope"
How you ever dared". Tom
Chester exclaimed. boyish admiration
in his voice and face. "The man was
desperate as a trapped rat. He might
have killed you both"
Iillian's feminism flared in a second.
l knew the signs by her heightened
color and the glitter in her eyes, but
her voice was cool and pleasant as she
queried:
1T is your experience then. that
women dare less than men,"
An Embarrassed Reply
The young chap flushed to the roots
of his chair, stammered, then said res
o~lutely:
Il should be a fool to say that after
what | saw of the nurses and other
women workers under fire when l was
across. But I must still insist that it
was an exceptional thing you did, and
that the average woman, because of
htI tIUiulHR, Nbulu ubi nave none 1t.
He spoke to her, he looked at me
and his earnest eyes emphasized his
meaning. He was stubbornly insisting
upon clubbing us heroines, and I think
Lillian's impersonal defense of woman
In general momentarily preached it's
defenses to aSinit the boyish compli-
ment, for she laughed lightly when he
had finished.
oh, were heroines. all right she
said. We'll acknowledge the fact and
smile PRETTY. but we'd rather discuss
the rope ladder. 1t was a most intri-
cate and thorough piece of work. of
the finest stanchest quality possible.
and fastened somewhere on the roof
above US. He must have been in
Katie's room before we came up heard
us coming and liked to the roof just
in time. pulling his rope ladder up
after him"
"Then." ] breathed, she must have
been on the roof above us all the time
we were ransacking Katie's room
Except the time when he was swing
ing on his ladder beneath heaven and
earth and giving us the once over
Lillian retorted with apparent flip
pancv. bnt | guessed that her nerves
were no less t~ingling than mine at the
'H'"ch' VI tHdt siHiSttE NdtCU upon
our movements.
Jerry Is Amused
Then the rope ladder is still fas-
tened to the roof" / remarked, feeling
myself flush ut the banality when I
saw Lillian's lips quirk into a smile.
Not being a circus acrobat. | have
not yet attempted to get it down" she
said. THAT will be Mr.. Chester's job
in a few minutes. You have a flash
light" She turned TO him.
1.-TWO of them, and Il couple of extra
batteries"
Good She looked at him anprov-
ingly, turned back to me. caught nv
look of establishment and grinned imp
ishly. Think a minute she said. "A
couple of shots or more in this section
will arouse no curiosity. There's hard
~ a night but somebody fires at a cat.
or a possible weasel in the chicken
yard. or-ln the case of our %neighbors
across the road-for the sheer joy ~
discharging a gun. But the sight of
Mr.. Chester on our roof in the day-
light, would be n goodly titbit OF COS
! sip. Can o imagine the excitement
if sent Jerry TIGER to get that rope
ladder! We might as we'll tell the
whole story to the local newspaper"
But" / objected, "the TIGERS no
doubt heard that shot from this direc.
ton. Won't Sam or Jerry be apt to
investigate on our account?'