Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-21


I smiled. for now the fox terrier.
some little way Oh. was sitting down.
wasgins its IN vigorously; he had
something In, his mouth. The wo.
man seemed In despair. She made
q helpless movement with her hands
Evidently she wanted to catch the
dog: evidently. too. mist help her.
I stepped out OF the archway. and,
az I 30 did. paus.ns uncertainty. shs
turned to me and said. ''oh. there
you are. No. s. ! mean No. Q.
Do help me to catch this dog"
came forward. going toward the dog.
No. o? why dii she cali mo. No. o.
She must have expected me at this
very spot. Meanwhile. ] made at.
tractive noises to the dog. who
promptly danced about. full Of ex.
element. making circles round both
Of US: "why" I cried. "he's got
slipper in his mouth"
"Of course he's got . slipper. It's
my slipper. It dropped of ss I got
out Of the taxi. and this this
:. |. this dog picked It UP. And he
won't give It me back.
I s.rove to interest the dog, who
Joined in the game with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile my mind was working;
she had made a slip; she had called
me No. s. and only after that No. ..
That was because No. 5 was occupy.
ing her brain. She must be No. s.
ANYHOW. I'D risk 1t. 1t wouldn't do
any harm. So l said: 1T was care
less OF you. No. g."
II know It was" she said. angri.
". perhaps we'd better not move
for a minute. He might drop It."
We watched the fox terrier for
while. The girl asked why she had
not seen me before and supposed I
had drawn the lot by proxy. Mean.
while, after throwing US q glance OF
disappointment because we Would
not go on with the game. the fox ter
rier had now settled u little way OF:
Tar from leaving the slipper. he was
beginning to eat II. Then i did
silly thing. Hoping to catch the COS
unawares, shouted and leapt TO.
ward him. He started up. alas. TAX
Ing up the slipper. Nimoly dodg!ns
me, he bolted into the archway. l
ran into Shepherds Market, the wo'
man limp!ng behind me. For one
moment / thought had caught the
creature, for / touched him. but he
rushed between my legs, then into q
corner where he left me. for when I
turned he had disappeared. Then. In
the distance, we heard a clock strike
the half hour. The woman made a
desperate gesture: "Too late! We
can't 20 after him now"
I was just going to suggest md.
ing her a taxi to drive her home. for
getting the peculiarities OF tie case,
when from the four corners OF
Shepherds Market. detached them.
selves men. They were strange.
foreisn-looking men. in ready'made
clothes, except one. who. Ike our
selves. was dressed In fashionable
garb. When they were quite close.
the woman In a low tone remarked:
mo. g."
Then men were staring at me. So.
determined to see this to the end. l
Ynurmyred: mo, o."
Fright" said one Of the men In a
low toce. Now. do you mind" l
found that a bandage was being
slipped over my eyes. but as l had
had time to see another handker.
chief being made ready to blincfold
my companion. I did not resist. Be-
sides, the man In evening clothes
volunteered an explanation In the
shape Of a question: Il suppose your
committee always blindfolds friends
from another district7"
"Oh, always" said Number s. saw.
ing me a reply.
We were walking on: meanwhile
the man In evening clothes talked a
little in q low tone: TITS quite as
we'll. you see. Like that, X one com.
mittee gets caught, the others don't
get taken also. Besides. we haven't
far to CO." Where we went ! still
do not know. for our guards followed
a cleverly circuitous route. turning
us round rapidly. diving into corners
and coming out. Perhaps we went
three hundred yards, perhaps nifty.
Finally found myself being led into
q house. The door closed behind me:
my bandage was taken OF. went
into a ground floor room from which
the street could not be seen as the
shutters were up.
Continued In Our Next Issuel