Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-05-15
CHAPTER ~

THERE CAME the sound o.
heavy footsteps unsteadily de-
scending the stairs OF the barge
and Mrs. Joplin glanced toward the
door and smiled. i.
"That'n be Aft" she said to JAG.
Queline. Nov just you leave it tc
me, dearie, an I'll see what l car
do with i'm. If you admit caught
i'm one on the napper ;. :"
"Lil!" It was Joplin's voice.
bawling.
Comm. Aft" called Mrs. Jop-
lin, and, as the heavy footsteps
numbered away, she turned again
to the girl. LES been boozing,
right enough" she confded, "but
maybe it'll be all right. Twenty
five hundred dollars tomorrow
provided I leave this boat with
in half an hour, Mrs. Joplin. That's
the offer"
Iii"
The bawling voice, more distant
this time, sounded again, and Mrs.
Joplin moved to the door. AS she
opened it, there came a crash. and
her name was bawled again. Then
came crash upon crash. as though
Mr.. Joplin were throwing the
furniture about. A moment later
there followed the noise of china
being furiously shattered and a
series of deep metallic sounds
which suggested that sauce pans
were being flung with a reckless
disregard of direction.
That's Aft" exclaimed Mrs.
Joplin, rather breathlessly. Els
been boozing and now 'e's ram
paging, an suppose I'll ave to go
an it i'm"
There came another resounding
crash, followed by series of
booming bangs which suggested
that Alfred was shooting at goal
with the tin bath. Mrs. Joplin
suddenly turned. and, with her
ample mouth set in a grim hard
line. went striding off in the direc-
ton of the commotion.
AS she went, Jacqueline sprang
to her feet and stood for a few
moments, listening. She heard the
hubbub increase, heard Mrs. Jop-
Inns voice added to the din, and
stepped quickly to the door.
Calf! Give over, Aft" Mrs.
Joplin shouted. Kick that bath
again, Alf, and I'll it you, that's
what I'll do"
Another resounding clang, and
Jacqueline concluded that Alfred,
despite the threat, had taken
another shot at goal. But she did
not wait to discover the conse-
quences. She heard Mrs. Joplin's:
"You would, would you? All
right! Now you're in for it, ALT,
'ot an strong" and then she
stepped quickly to the foot of the
steps, grasped the handrail, and
went noiselessly up. There was no
particular hurry, she told herself
Just for the moment Mrs. Joplin
engrossed in coping with a ram
paging Alfred, had forgotten her,
and it was wiser to go cautiously
and run no risk of making any
noise that might attract attention.
Not that there was much chance,
she reflected with a smile, of any
noise she might make penetrating
to Mrs. Joplin's ears through that
hubbub.
But, as the thought came to her,
the hubbub below ceased-ceased
with such startling abruptness
that involuntarily ia cque n e
paused and stood motionless half
way up the stairs, straining to
catch the least sound that might
break the sudden stiffness.
No sound reached her, and,
realizing in a flash that she was
wasting precious seconds. she
again crept cautiously up the steps.
She reached the top and hesitated.
She was aware of swift Fremont
ton of danger threatening her, as
though some sixth sense had
flashed warning TO her brain. In
stinctively she glanced behind her,
and there. at the foot of the steps.