The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-01-31

Don forgot the date entirely-but to
have him choose that particular eve
ming to talk to her so dreadfully, and
in front of all their friends, was real
ly too much!
"Jeepers Don had said. Haven't
you even brains enough to return a
lead? If you can't learn to play
bridge, why not admit it and quit?"
Well, she had quit; she'd left not
only the bridge party but Don himself
several miles away. Peggy gave
vicious push to the acceleratOr of her
blue roadster and swung on two
wheels round the corner into Park
drive.
Early the next morning Miss Vera
Stern, starting on her daily trip to the
meat market for Toddles' chop-bones,
paused before the closed door of an
apartment on the floor below her own
Usually at this hour a burst of sing
ing and the clatter of dishes an
nounced to passers-by that the ''pretty
little red-haired bride" was on the job
Today the apartment was disturbing
ly silent.
"Not that I'm curious" she was
soon explaining to plump Mrs. Griggs
at the corner grocery. "You know
never pry into other peoples affairs
but 1t did seem very queer to me, very
queer, indeed. 1 went around to the
courtyard and looked up and every
window was shut tight And there
was this peculiar odor. It somehow
suggested a hospital to me, but 1t
wasn't ether"
"Chloroform?
THAT'S it. Yes, I'm sure that was
1t. Don't burglars use chloroform?"
Eyes, they do. Or sometimes people
kill themselves with 1t. But you say
they seemed quite happy?"
"Oh, very happy! Just bride and
groom, you know. And she was such
pretty little thing, with lovely red
hair Oh, dear, what do you think I'd
better do?'
'Do? Well, of course your janitor
would have a pass-key, but 1 don't
really believe Oh, my goodness,
there's the trolley coming"
Decidedly out Of breath, Mrs Griggs
sank into the seat nearest the trolley
door and discovered It's other occupant
to be friend of her younger sisters.
They fell into casual conversation, to
which the older woman, after a time,
contributed the story she had just
heard.
"The Park Court Apartments !"
Elise exclaimed. "Yes-I know where
they are. I'll be looking for details
In the paper. So long"
Don Biddle looked up from his desk,
annoyed by the chatter of the filing
clerks inside the next partition. He
half rose from his chair to ask for
quiet, overheard some one say "The
Park Court Apartments" and sank
back to listen.
do go on, Elise. It's like hearing
newspaper story before 1t comes
out"
"Only l don't know the end. Any
way this young couple had been living
there for six months, and they seemed
crazy about each other, she said
which doesn't sound like suicide. But
all the doors and windows were shut
tight and stuffed round the edges with
rags, and burglars wouldn't do that.
Then there was this terrible smell of
chloroform, simply overpowering, and
no answer to all their pounding on the
door"
"My heavens, girls what ails Mr..
Biddle?
Hes been acting queer all morning
and now he's dashed off without his
coat or hatw
At almost the same moment, in q
downtown tea room, a plump matron
suddenly exclaimed to her bosom
friend: "My dear do look at that girl.
Tearing out as though the place was
on fire."
"She was listening to you," re
marked the even plumper friend, pla-
cidly slipping frosted chocolate, land
when you said Park Court Apart
ments' she just jumped out of her
chair"
SO it happened that Don Biddle and
his new and very red-headed wife fell
into each others arms at the door Of
a certain very -talked-of apart
ment.
"Oh darling, darling-I was
brute!"
"Dearest-I was perfect little fool.
l drove out to mothers for the night,
of course"
Suddenly they realized that the door
of their apartment stood open and that
from within there came forth faint
but decidedly anaesthetic odor and
the sound of voices. In the kitchen
they found Miss Stern and the janitor,
intently examining large wooden
crate.
whats in it," demanded Miss
Stern.
"Tangerines shouted the Biddles
in chorus.
They're spelling on the bottom,
num-" announced the janitor, after
another Whit, "And I'm not saying
they don't smell mighty like this here
chloroform Miss Vera was huntin'
for"
Il suppose 1 should apologize" be-