The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-06-13
DANt'kG%DAN6ER

rn- NOT HA11~s 'ist KY
husband. although I've never seen
much Of him. once in a great
while I've seen him out sweeping
the dirt off the front porch and
the walk. guess he must help
her with the roomers. as ! never
see him gong out to work"
Has she lived there very long -
Only three or four months. The
house was vacant for nearly six
months, and then one day I looked
out and saw Mrs. Engle and her
husband moving in. They had
big van load OF furniture Cheap
stuff though. Nothing as good as
got. That's one thing ! pride
myself on, and that's my furniture.
Good solid golden oak. mostly-I
got 1t at Beesemeyer's. And it's
all paid for, now. too"
Mrs. Ferrari talked on and on.
and although several times she
steered the conversation back to
the Engles across the street.
Madge learned nothing more about
the neighbors. Obviously they had
defied even Mrs. Ferrari's sharp
eyes and questioning tongue and
forestalled any attempts to be
neighborly.
Making the excuse that she had
10 go and phone an agency about
a prospective job, Madge got away
from her garrulous landlady and
walked TO the corner drug store.
Instead of calling an agency,
however, she dialed her own home
and when Hilda answered, told her
that she wouldn't be home for din
ner, and didn't know exactly when
she would get there.
In answer to her question, Hilda
said there had been no phone calls
for Madge, and the girl assumed
that she would meet Vic, then, as
previously planned He would call,
she knew. if there was any slip up
in his schedule.
When she got back to the house,
it was dusk and she went upstairs
to her newly rented room. She
didn't turn on the light, however.
until she had gone to the window
and carefully scanned the house
across the street. There was
dim light in the hallway, but no
other lights at the front of the
! house.
1t was hard to remain inactive,
but she forced herself to wait until
after eight before venturing out
again. The street was fairly clear,
although there were several boys
playing on the sidewalk down by
the corner under an arc light.
She walked down her own side
of the street to the corner, crossed
over and came back on the oppo-
site side, moving along slowly as
though out for a stroll in case any,
one should be watching her.
In front of 1924 she stopped and
stopped down to fix her shoe lace.
She looked up at the door, and
found it closed. There seemed TO
he no light still at the front at all,
except for the hallway.
Hoping she was unobserved, she
slipped into the area way. and
stood for minute, listening care
fully. She heard the radio as she
had the previous night, but moth
ing else.
Cautiously, she tip-toed toward
the coal window. 1t might possibly
not have been fastened from the
inside after the fuel was delivered.
If it wasn't, she could get into the
house. She might find out why
Dan and the other men came there
so secretly last night.
She edged over to the window,
keeping her eyes on the steps and
the front sidewalk. She stopped
and listened, but could hear no
footsteps approaching.
There was no sound except the
muffled roar of the radio and the
occasional sharp shouts of the
children up at the corner at some
game they were playing.
Very carefully. she turned
around and examined the iron door
of the window. 1t seemed to her
as though it swung free. Taking
deep breath, she reached out
both hands and putting one on each
side of the window covering. eau
tiously tried to raise it.
Instantly, she heard a loud ben
jangling within the house and
without pausing for a moment, she
ran out of the areaway and up the
street. Not even stopping to look
around she turned the corner. A
street car came jangling along the
street, and she stepped out into a
passenger zone and halted it.
She breathed grateful sigh Of
relief as the car moved toward
town. She was safe, now.
Mr.. Tatum, whose wife owned
the house. or Dan and his friends
had guarded well against just such
spying as she had attempted. Even
the coal window was equipped with
an alarm bell.
ITO Be Continued)