Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-21
Blindrnan's Buff
By MICHAEL SAUNDERS
e Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.
WNU Service.

S~~A0So TIC SSNPSs hAS ~tOA-SAPPAA6
cane guiding his way. Her small
eyes. sunk deep In her f1eshy face.
shone with avarice as she waited
breathlessly. She knew that her blind
tenant was going out on his nightly
rounds to beg, that somewhere hidden
in his room lay a tin box filed with
money-the result Of begging for aims.
She knew. because he had once. limited
at such box, but she had not ques-
toned him further about It
She had given the box Of money a
great deal Of thought What would he
want with all that money? He couldn't
use 1t: he was used to living on next
to nothing. But a normal person, one
who could see and enjoy the advan-
tages that money could bring
Peter had reached the bottom of the
stairs. He adjusted his black glasses
more firmly. over his sightless eyes.
Cooking his head to one side, he lis
tened with those keen ears Of his and
then slowly went out into the night
The landlady quickly emerged from
her hiding place and ran up the stairs.
With her pass key she opened his door
and entered, carefully locking 1t be-
hind her. Cautiously she turned on
the switch and proceeded with her
systematic search. First the closet,
then the drawer of the bureau, next
the furniture. and finally the bed.
Nothingl She bit her lips in anger
and Illustration. Was the box of
money merely a hoax. the Imagination
of her tenant7
She was about ready to give up all
hope when her sharp eyes lighted
on the small carpet on the floor. Her
hawklike gaze noted that the wrinkles
on the rug suggested that recently It.
had been moved. Hastily she pulled
. that one Of the floor boards was NOV
able. Grasping the board and pulling
It upward. she gazed Into the cavity
and her eyes rested on q tin box.
There wasn't even a lock on It! She
gasped In triumph.
With an excited sob she opened the
box. Greenbacks all of them, filling
the container! Tens, hundreds of
large billsl Evidently he had a habit
of converting his silver into bills Of
large denominations so that the money
would fit conveniently into the box.
She snapped the lid down and made
for the door. then suddenly she stopped
dead In her tracks. The sounds which
she had not heard before because Of
her excitement she heard now-to5
clearly and too neari
Tap, tap, tap. Then the sounds
stopped. He was at the door. She
was trapped
She hastily turned off the lights just
as the door was opening. Silently she
hid in the farthest corner of the
room.
Darkness shrouded her as she waited
fearfully. Peter crossed the threshold,
his form outlined against the light
streaming in from the corridor Softly
he shut the door behind him. AS he
walked toward the window he STUN
bled over the board which the land
lady had forgotten to replace Peter
halted. He bent down and felt the
slab of wood. The landlady studied
him warily as she mentally cursed her
own negligence.
Then things happened swiftly.
Peter Strengthened and leaped with
catlike agility to the door. He was
locking it. The landlady almost gasped
aloud. Her heart pounded like the beat
of drum.
Snap! Peter had turned on the
lights and the room was drenched
with clear yellow light. The land.
lady only partly suppressed her de-
spairing sob by putting her hand over
her mouth. Her eyes dilated with ter
ror as she crouched fully exposed In
the corner.
A terrible thought had entered her
mind. Why did he turn on the lights?
He was blind-or was he blind?
He was turning in her direction.
Those black glasses of his seemed to
cape at her. What lay behind that
black film of glass? Her eyes bulged
from their sockets: cold clammy sweat
broke out all over her body.
Give me back my money" she heard
him say. The words were uttered soft
ly, knowingly.
didn't you hear me?" she heard
him thunder threateningly. GIVE me
back my money!"
There was a long and awful silence
as they faced each other. The land
lady held her breath; the room seemed
to sway before her eyes. Her heart
and mind were beginning to crack
under the strain. And then like a
stroke of vengeance and justice It hap.
pened
With sudden motion Peter swept
off his black glasses and pointed a
long, bOny finger at her.
did you think was blindr he said
with sarcasm, his eyes rejecting the
yellow light, Of the electric bulbs.
He wasn't blind It was the last
thought which burned across her mind.
for she slumped to the floor, a victim
Of avarice and shock. He stumbled
over a chair In his path Bllndly he
CROPPED for his cane and then lifted
himself with its aid.
If he could only see, as he had made
her believe he could, he wouldn't have
to tumble SO for the bills that had
fallen out of the tin hox