Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-01-18
Burglar
Alarm
By ALICE DUANE
g. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

4 stopped before the Barley Jones
house did not look undernourished or
weak. He was tall and thin.
He glanced at the front door, then
at slip of paper in his hand. Then
he rather stealthily made his way
from the front of the house to the
back door. 4@
He asked the maid who answered his
rapping if there was something to be
done about the place. "Just any
thing" he said rather pathetically.
"Just anything you can give me to do. "
Annie, the maid. gave one look into
his gray eyes and decided that, if she
had to pay him ont of her own pocket,
he would have work for the afternoon.
Sure" she said. "Just sit down
on the steps and I'll. ask" She was
a pretty girl, and the man smiled at
her thankfully. Her eyes filled with
tears as she turned away from him.
She hurried off to her mistress.
This lady, overplump, over-endowed
with this worlds goods, sat idly be-
fore the living room fire. ~ must say,
Elsie," she said irritably to young
girl who was playing solitaire, "that
you're about as unpleasant guest as
Lean imagine. Why can't you suggest
something to do"
1-sOh,' said the girl contritely, I'm
awfully sorry, Aunt Bess, but l came
to visit you just to get away from
seeing people. especially men. 1 just
love to sit here safely"
Its safe enough" snorted Aunt
Bess-otherwise Mrs. Barley Jones.
"But I'm bored" Then catching sight
of Annie at the door, "Well, now
what?" she added GROSSLY.
Annie told her story.
"A poor young feller," she said. "As
nice looking as you please. And he
doesn't look as if he'd eaten for a
week. Just anything he'll do, he says"
"Oh, WE'LL" Mrs. Jones considered
"Why, of course. You couldn't turn
him away. Tell him he can clean the
cellar. And make him some coffee and
sandwiches, If you want. You might
bring us a trayfH, too, Annie!"
II WISH" Elsie thought, "that hadn't
been such fool. But it was his fault,
too. He was too brutal to leave me
without a chance of explanation.
wish I'd sent him that letter. 1t would
be better to have him know l haven't
a speck of pride than not to have him
at ALL"
In the cellar the young man-"My
names Pete" he told Annie-was look
ing in troubled perplexity at the neat
tray the maid had just brought him.
A small pot of coffee, cream and
sugar, a pile of bread and butter,
sliced chicken and ham and swiss
cheese.
"MOre food" he thought "What'n
/ do with it? can't hurt the girls
feelings. Oh, WELL" he thought, II
might as well try it."
Then, fortified by his lunch, he be-
gan to clean up the cellar.
1t wasn't until he was almost
through that Annie was frightened
Then she realized what he probably
was-a burglar.
Annie couldn't stand keeping her
suspicious to herself. Here" she said,
you empty these trash baskets into
the barrel there" And she went up
stairs, carefully locking the door at
the top of the kitchen side, so that
the man couldn't follow her.
She burst in upon Mrs. Jones and
Elsie.
''Oh, Mrs. JONES'" she cried. "It's
my fault, 1 suppose-but that young
Teller down there-he's been asking
me questions, and I'm afraid I've told
him lot about the house and the
family! Such nice young man he
seemed, too. at first. But he's bur-
glar!" And Annie began to cry.
Aunt Bess subsidized into a state of
.semi-hysteria. 1t was the last straw,
she thought, as she watched Elsie try
ing to quiet the weeping Annie.
! "But he can't be a burglar, Aunt
,Bess," said Elsie reasonably. "He
was too obvious, pumping Annie like
that. I'll go and see." And she
StdTleu CeildTWdTu, Tie shaken anu
still fearful Annie close behind her.
In the cellar, when Elsie got there,
bending over the trash barrel with a
rapt and ecstatic expression, was the
young man.
"Why, Peter Wales!" cried Elsie.
How on earth did you get here?"
"Motored over this morning. Found
out at your house where you'd gone. !
knew you wouldn't see me, so 1 tried
this way of getting in with some old
clothes" He smiled at the Devil.
dered Annie. Then he walked over
to Elsie and took her firmly in his
arms. snow listen to me, Elsie" he
said. well have no more fooling. You'll
marry me-nOw. AS soon as we can
get a license. You and l both made
mistake with our silly quarrel"
ooh, Peter" said Elsie-"I can't
But how did you know?"
'Here!" Peter held her with one
arm. He spread the other hand In
front of her. She took from it q
crumpled, torn scrap Of paper. II saw
this in the rubbish-it must have come