Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-31
she was spared a reply by the ringing
Of the telephone bell from the hall.
BY Ethel Lima White

DIG was opdlcO u lCpiy ny AK ringing
of the telephone bell from the hall.
III answer it," she said, quickly.
When she returned there was q jaded
look on her small, vivid face. Fright
fully sorry, Aunt Winny," she said.
I've got to go out, Immediately"
Miss Luck's mouth dropped. Leave
me alone?"
But. angel, it's still afternoon. It's
only for half an hour. And you'll have
Elsie"
mo. It's her evening out. Where
are you going?"
Fay braced her nerves for another
scene. ITO the police station" she
replied. They've arrested another man
and they want me to Identify him."
Miss Luck's face puckered with rage
and fear. Felicia" she gasped, II
forbid you to 60"
I'm afraid it's nothing to do with
you" Fay's tone lacked respect. And
1 don't see why you should worry. It's
my funeral. Oh, dear, why did l take
that walk?"
Her face grew wistful as she remem-
bered that wild wet day of high wind
and flying leaves which had tempted
her to a ramble in the beech woods.
She had been SO filled with the JOY
Of living-SO unconscious Of the horror
in store. And in the midst OF her
rapture, she had heard a scream
Breaking through the bushes. she had
been in time to see a mar rushing
away from the PROSTATE form Of q
woman.
Although she had missed the actual
murder and was thus spared the nau-
seating details-which her aunt de-
voured In the morning paper-the
shock was severe. She re-lived that
moment, together with her breathleSS
rush to the police station, in many a
nightmare.
What had tried her nerves most,
however, was her aunt's attitude. She
reproached Fay bitterly for giving in
formation OF the appearance OF the
criminal and thus exposing them to his
possible recrimination.
We're a marked house." she qua
vered. You should have kept your
own counsel and said nothing at ALL
Unfortunately, some OF Miss Luck's
gloomy prophecy had been fulfilled.
The police had made an arrest, but
Fay failed to identify the man. AL
though her name "a kept out of the
papers, she must have been seen as
she left the station, for the next day
she received an anonymous note.
II seen you. Keep your trap shut
or I'll serve you same as l done her.
"A Man of His Word"
Fay crushed the note in her indig-
nation.
Fancy that calling itself a man.
Optimist. I'm jolly glad now 1 saw the
little rat"
But some Of the poison which turks
her skin. She could not rid herself
of the impression that her movements
were logged. Therefore she was care
full to avoid lonely localities and not
to go out, unaccompanied, after dark.
Today's message from the police sta
ton came as a relief. Her description
of a gentleman of brunette coloring,
smart appearance, and poor physique
applied to more than n member of
a razor gang in which the police were
interested. But, since the problem
boiled itself down to a suspect being
unable to account for his movements
on a certain fatal Wednesday after
noon, she was hopeful that, this time,
she would return to. the cottage with
the comforting knowledge that the
criminal was safely under lock and
key.
Her lips were set as she walked into
the hall and took down her brown
tweed coat from its peg. When she
returned to the parlor her aunt looked
at her with dog-like, appealing eyes.
She had many nieces-an attractive
and charming-but this independent
chit was the one she cared for most,
and was, in fact, her principal legatee.
She wanted desperately to win back
Fay's respect.
Fay's lips did not relax at her I'M
spoken plea.
I'm going to the kitchen to tell
Elsie that she must stay in for another
half hour" she said.
AS she spoke, she regarded her aunt
with eyes that had grown speculative.
Apart from her failing, Miss Luck was
a good and charitable soul, with eX-
cellent qualities. At her death she
would be missed more than many an
attractive personality.
Suddenly Fay felt that she would be
really fond of the old thing If she were
not such a desperate coward. With
the regrettable urge for reformation
which animates most young and ardent
natures, she wondered if it would be
possible to cure her aunt of cowardice.
She would have to endure a sharp
lesson, but the result would justify any
pain. She must be made afraid Of
some peril which was nonexistent, and
thus receive a demonstration of the
futility Of fear.
"How?" wondered Fay, her eyes bril-
liant as diamonds.
But, even as she racked her brains,
she remembered the classic horror of
the mar who frightened his wife with
a dead snake, only to attract its liv-
ing mate. Fay shook her head. Her
idea held dangerous possibilities. But
1t spurred her on to reopen the vexed
question.
"You asked me, just now" she said,
what I thought Of you. Well, I think
you are a puzzle. I can understand
a rabbit being frightened Of a snake,
because they're different orders. But
it beats me altogether why one human
being would be frightened Of another
human being"
Fay laid down the law with youth
full authority, ignorant Of the fact that
the human species has its rabbits and
snakes.
"WouIdr,t WI, ha fr,chtorod 10 :