The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-04-09


manner OF Barbara's clothing. Tia
decision had brought with it .
twinge OF conscience. Now. behold.
she was absolved In advance. She
had found justification. A good
Bible education IL q grand thing.
Strengthened by faith, Hannah
went about her business with zeal.
and just bit Of necessary stealth.
She took the wardrobe closet
first. working prOdigiously and
silently. Clothes came from their
perches by armfnls.. She dumped
them on the bed. Finally the closet
was bare. On the top Of . rectangls
Of captured rainbow on the counter.
pane lay = dozen pairs OF boots.
She rolled the whole mass to-
gether In the Counterpart. swung
the bundle over one rectangular
shoulder and made quietly for the
door.
When she returned q few mo-
ments later. there was a sound in
Barbara's room. She steeled her
SELF. What would the girl do when
the trick was discovered? Burn
down the house. likely.
Sounds Of laughter came from
Barbara's room. Laughter. Han
nah couldn't believe her ears. The
girl was insane. The laughter OF.
the lunatic presently subsided. and
her voice came through the door.
Hannah
The housekeeper stii1ened, but
said nothing.
Hannah" called Barbara. "Whae
have you done with all my thingsr'
They're not your things" came
the answer. They're Mr.. Hardi-
mans. They were only loaned To
you"
Hannah! Give me back the
clothes wore when I came h0e.
Keep the others. but give me-
those"
Il can't do It. I promised M.
Hardiman that I'd keep you her0.
and I'm going to do IT.
III you don't bring mo my
clothes. Hannah. I'll stick hot hat
pins into YOU"
Even il l could l wouldn't
IN catch you and tie you IN
your bed and pull your toe-nails
OUT"
'l've burned them!s
oh"
The silence that followed vaa
OminOus. In her room Barbara.
naked! shivered and tiptoed to the
bed. She took a sheet and wound
herself in it. She opened the door
and confronted Hannah. who faced
her sternly./ although prepared to
take flight in an instant IL need be.
NO use arguing" said Hannah.
You don't vet your clothes back
until Mr.. Hardiman arrives. and
hat won't be till morning"
I'm too tired and Sleepy" said
Barbara. ITO heat q hstpin rtxh>
now. I'm TOO tired to argue. even
II | wanted to. I'm going to bo4
now, Hannah. And when I wake
up--bew2re!"
Rising. she went to the door, ana
cut Oh retort from Hannah BY
slamming 1t. with all the strength
she had left. IN the h0usekee per's
face.
She was cold. There wassa kick
or two left In the dying Winter.
She wound herself In the bedding.
and gradually her body warmed
She had no right to sleep. She
was woman Of many problems,
and acquainted with grief.
| There was telephone down,
stairs.
Wrapped In her bedsheet. she
could creep downstairs. She could
get to that phone. and call up Soma
friend for help.
What friend!
Her mother was dead. She had
no brothers. no sisters. Her father
was in Saygoulian. wherever that
was. and were he across the Stroot
she wouldn't appeal to him.
Whom covld she call?
| Not q soul
Not : soul ia the world.
decentralization
She judged the hour OF hx
awakening to be midnight.
She did not switch on the lights.
For an hour, wrapped In the over.
sheet, she sat up In bed. To the
thousand hypothesis she. con
tion. ~ s
Having come to ; dscissoa. ~
spirits scared.
She worked In the dark On the
rumpled linen which she disentan.
gled from arms and legs. Sc
worked and whistled q little Turn
Her fingers wrought with beanr
tiful precision. For the hrst tins
in her life she knew oil tAe o.
lines Of thing called Z Job.
There are worse things th11
being lonely" she comiorted haEs
self.
She found the exact center Of
the sheet and tackled It with
sharp teeth When she could work
y finger through the hole 80
ripped. Then she pulled the shesk
over her head and forced her he1a
through the opening. She v1s
clothed.
IT l wanted to hide Ha1nanFx
clothes, where would put themy
She could ind no satisfactory
answer to her question. TheF0
was only one way to proceed.
The bend Of the stairs was r.
miliar. She knew the back OF tn
house -Hannah's domain - woa1d
be the best place to begin h9
search. She had only : vague
knowledge OF the geography q
that part OF the house.
| The white ghost tiptoed throug1
q. corridor.
Her heart clamored when, hnk
Ing herself In q room. she heard
raucous snoring. She managed -
set out without waking the sleepeg
| probably the cook.
| The house. which had been %
silent. was now full Of tiny. Siu1sr