Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-31
By Ethel Lima White

was her master.
The kitchen clock. too. provided he
with a measure OF comfort, for it
hands stood at fiye-tlfteen. ALREADY
half the time had slipped away and she
had survived. Mechanically she scooped
up a handful of raisins and put them
in her coat pocket. In another quar-
ter of an hour Fay would be back
| Meanwhile, she thought she would fee
safer in her own bedroom than on the
ground floor.
1t really seemed as though Fay's
| strategy were going TO succeed, for Mis-
| Luck was careful to curb her unhealthy
Imagination as she went upstairs. i
is true she did not like going through
the gloom of the hall and took pain
not to look in the direction of the line
of coats. On her way she rehearsed
the notice that she knew would never
be given, for Elsie would not allow it
Il will not tolerate disobedience."
NO one defies me twice"
What hurts me most is the deceit.
These fine phrases carried her safely
up the corridor, Wilhelm contrast
with the hall-glowed with light. II
had a red turkey carpet, two marble
OQSiS uPOll RIOCSldlot JAZZ PdAAA1t dllQ
picture Of Lendseer.
With the exception of the bathroom
and her own bedroom all the white
enameled doors had their keys on the
outside, in proof that they were never
used. AS Fay'S Sanctum communicated
with her WI by a door without ever
a fiimsy bolt, Miss Luck locked it, anc
then put the key in her coat pocket
She marched, like a soldier, into hel
own fortress, where she set about the
task of making it im%pregnable.
1t was now more necessary thar
ever to curb her imagination, for the
pictures had made her dread gigantic
hands with clawing fingers shooting
out from behind curtains and Secref
panels opening behind her in the wall
She began to give Elsie notice all ovel
again, but this time her phrases wert
pitched in al ominOus minor key.
"Oh, Elsie, how could you betras
me?"
Haven't I always been a kind ant
generous mistress to you?"
Perhaps you'll be sorry when you
hear I'm"
Miss Luck checked herself just il
time. Under the beds. Behind The
window hangings. Inside the ward.
robes. The worst she found was a LITTLE
fluff. busting her skirt, she went Il
the window and looked out.
She vas amazed to find that it wa,
still twilight. The laurels and hollie.
stood out distinctly against a natura
background and the lamps in the roat
we're not yet lit. Officially, it was aft
ernoon. AS she leaned out of the
frame in the hope of hearing the cal
her broad back al towards the door
So she did not see the handle turr
slowly, as though some n on the
other side were trying to enter.
But she looked around at the Sounc
Of footsteps. Or, rather, they sounded
like footsteps, creeping along the cor
ridor. She put her hand automatically
to her heart and then withdrew il
promptly as she remembered the locked
doors. Besides, she knew how much
mimicry there was about the noises
of an empty house at dusk. That
creak, for instance, exactly resembled
the opening of ElSie's door.
She looked at her watch and heaved
a sigh. 1t was nearly twenty-five min
utes past five. OF course, she could
not count upon Fay returning to the
dot-but her vigil would soon be over.
A car purred down the road, and al
though it did not stop it seemed a
link with the outside world.
She determined not to let her
thoughts get out of hand. Little bits
of cotton wool in her ears would be
helpful. N~ourishment, too, seemed q
good plan. AS she began to crunch
her raisins she wondered why people
limited that she was greedy. Once she
had taxed Fay with the question anc
had been comforted by her reply.
Not greedy, darling. But, perhaps
you give the impression of some one
who's been kept short"
That was it. Miss Luck nodded We.
hemently at her reflection. She ha(
been half starved at her expensive
boarding school.
Meanwhile; it was tonic to look about
her room, which was furnished in florit
taste, with an imitation empire bed
a rose pink carpet and pink wall paper
picked into panels with silver beading
No one should feel nervous in sucf
surroundings. Those curious scrapinf
noises were plainly made by a mouse
Any minute now Fay would return
And here she was in a cheerfully Ii
room, from whence she would step intC
a cheerful, brightly lit corridor, dowr
into a cheerful, brightly lit groune
floor.
Luckily, she did not know Of til,
startling change which had taken plac,
just outside her closed door. The whit,
doors and red carpet were blotted on
by a pail of darkness, Transforming
the homely passage into a Jungle
wherein crept and rustled some crea,
ture Of the night. Miss Luck began
to yawn. She played with the ide:
of going downstairs to ring up the DO
lice station and ascertain the exac
time at which the car had started
Only-that might look like nerves. 1
was rather too late in the day to YEA
the white feather, now that the hand
of her watch were past the half hour
Besides, she did not quite like the ide,
of passing that line Of coats in the hall
Suddenly her expression grew intent
In the distance there was a pingin,
note, like the buzz Of al insect. I
might be the car returning with Fay
In order to listen better she remover
the plugs of wool from her ears.
Her face paled. Some n was NOV
ing inside Fay's room.
This time 1t was not fancy. Their
were unmistakable footsteps on tn
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