The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-05-27
Nv Story
'LmT~or,,H1lA
A BURGLAR ENTERS RUTH's


A BURGLAR ENTERS RUTH's
ROOM.
Sally. spoke quickly a. Ruth APP
preached. Here's your money.
Now you can settle your old bill
and leave me alone" Her voice
was g. little superior. Even now
she couldn't forget that for q long
time she had been popular ana
Ruth hadn't been.
"Thank you" Ruth counted It.
She knew that Sally might pre-
tend later that she had given her
the proper amount OF bills when
she hadn't. "It's all here. I'll give
It to Sue tomorrow to turn over
to Arnold Page when she 49,.
she stopped.
.Why don't you give It to him
yourseif?" sally asked. Or does
Sue have some sort Of special pat
emit on the man that makes every
one else keep hands ON?
"Of course not" Ruth answer
ed quickly. But Sue was going
into town in the morning. After
ali. It was her debt in the first
place II she paid him back she
would know It was DONE"
sally smiled and turned away.
Ruth went home. She dreamed
that night that she was searching
for q Job. Running down long
highway knocking at doors. But
no one had anything that she
could do. Someone set q dog on
her. She was running faster ana
faster. and then her legs'wouid
not work any longer. When she
awoke she was sitting up IN ped'
| her hands clutcnfng the sheet con-
vulsively, pulling 1t over slender
shoulders. She could see her re-
| Election in the mirror beyond. inc
tumbled down curls, the eyes lum-
nous and frightened. she couIo
feel her heart going too rapidly un-
der the scrap OF pink crepe that
covered It. She gave q long, oeep
breath, stretched her BODY witn u
sinuous movement, and tried 70 re.
lax. But she couldn't. she WASH
alone. She was sure or tnat: Ihere
was someone one, something III
the room.
A shadow moved near the win
dows. Franticaliy was q low pal
cony outside. Anyone could SWING
himself up the trellis work from
the veranda below. And the house
was back from the road. Neigh
bors were too far away to near
anyone who called. The SHADOW
came closer. A long black thing
that moved menacingly, like an
animal that might spring.
She wondered IL the man knew
that she had been awake. II ne
had seen her sit up, heard her give
the moan. She hoped not. II ne
had. he would take 1t for granted
that she knew that he was there.
And then suddenly she thought
/, of the money that Sally had given
her. The money that she had In
tended to give to Sue to give 70
| Arnold Page. It was In the envei-
one in which she had received IT,
| And the envelope was In q corner
Of the pillow case. But she dldn :
use a inflow as O rule. She tossed
IL on the floor during the night.
Now she saw It just beyond. She
has pushed It aside in her sleep.
she wondered II the envelope haa
worked it's way to the edge. II
was quite probable. And IL 1t mao,
the man would undoubtedly PICK
IL up. She had to get It. But sne
couldn't make O. deliberate move
in its direction. Perhaps the en-.
velope was safe in the corner. II
40. the man wouldn't think that
anyone would throw money around
SO carelessly.
she gave little strangled cry
then. His flash light was playing
over her face. She could sense the
light. Then the fiickering stop
ned, The beam was In her eyes;
AGAINST her own will, Ruth opened
her eyes. The man bending over
her was masked.
One foot was pressed against
the crisp linen of the pillow case
where is IT." he asked In gut
where is what?" Ruth asked,
trying to make her tones even.
"The money-the money that
dame gave you in back OF the tree:
speak up now. You might as well
come clean. No good holding out.
Better hand It over, sister,"
NEXT: A struggle.