The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-10-16
BY Beatrice Burton
CHAPTER L

AT r. GREGOfCI BOHe out "
IMI lunch" Miss Briggs told
W. Gloria. But he ought to
be back soon. If you'd like to, you
can sit down and wait for him. You
won't disturb me at ALL"
She went on with her typewriting.
Gloria glared down at her smooth
head, bent over the machine.
She guessed she had per-
feet right to sit in her own husbands
office without waiting for Miss
Briggs permission! And if she
wanted to disturb Miss Briggs, she
could do that, too. Watch her!
She took off her hat and tossed it
down carelessly on Miss Briggs
desk. 1t bounded off onto the floor.
Gloria picked it up and handed 1t
to Miss Briggs.
"Just brush that thing of" she
said impudently.
Miss Briggs looked up at her in
surprise. Then she flushed deeply.
But without a word she wiped the
dust from Glorias hat with hand
towel that she took from a drawer
of her desk.
Then she hung it on the rack be-
hind her.
''Look up our burglary insurance,
while you're on your feet, Miss
Briggs" Gloria snapped.
From under her thick lashes, she
watched Miss Briggs go to the files
on the other side of the room, and
look for the insurance papers.
Here they are, Mrs. Gregory
she said quietly as she handed them
to Gloria.
"And now call up the police and
tell them we had robbery at our
house last night" Gloria directed
her. "Tell them all our table silver
was stolen. 1t was worth about 5000
in case they ask you"
Miss Briggs stood looking down at
her for a moment.
wouldn't it be better If you
talked to them yourself, Mrs. Greg
ory?" she asked in a low tone.
"They're sure to ask a lot of ques-
lions that 1 won't know how to an
swer.'
Gloria met her look, coldly, "Will
you please do what told you to?"
she drawled.
Miss Briggs bit her lips. 1t was
on the end Of her tongue to tell Clio
ria that not she, but Dick, was her
employer. But, because of Dick, she
said nothing.
She picked up the phone and
called the police. They asked a
dozen questions, and at last Gloria
took the instrument from her, and
answered them.
''I'Il send a man out right away
to look things over" the deep, mas
culine voice at the other end Of the
wire told her. There have been a
lot of burglaries in that neighbor-
hood lately"
S Gloria turned away from the
IN telephone, it suddenly &C.
Cured to her that there was
no one at the house to admit the
man from police headquarters when
he got there.
ooh, WELL" she though, careless
1y, what's the diff? He can come
back later" She didn't want him
going through her house, now, any
way. The beds were still unmade,
although it was afternoon, and the
dirty dishes from yesterdays lunch
were still piled in the greasy sink.
For some reason or other, an old
English poem that her mother used
to tell her when she was lazy
flashed into Gloria's brain. 1t told
about a Golfers sloppy wife, who
loved to gossip and hated to work
One evening he was killed at the
mine. And when they brought his
body home ''the slut ran up to make
the bed" the poem said with brutal
frankness. Oh, well, after she had
geen Dick and fixed things up with
him, she'd go home and straighten
the house, Gloria promised herself
She would honestly try to be a better
housewife from now on.
won't you have a lettuce sand
wich?" Miss Briggs low voice broke
in upon her thoughts.
( She had opened a package of
Sandwiches, and a thermos bottle
stood on her desk. From it came q
thin curl of steam and the fragrant
smell of coffee.
II always bring my lunch from
home, Mrs. Gregory. find I can't
afford to eat around at restaurants