Show TH THREE 3 S RED HOUSE F Ff f ia y N AMES Copyright VIHU V NU SERVICE CHAPTER IX IX Continued 9 0 see lots more with me Clint promised This is a bum one really And he urged Lets start start star home We can drive slowly and and- be bc together without so many people round Unless you want to see th the rest of this June June June-a a little reluctantly reluctantly pro a complete lack of interest Ii Inthe in inthe the film yet she looked back wistfully wistfully fully fuBy as as' as they went up the aisle Upon their arrival she had not re removed removed reo re- moved her coat till they reached their seats but now in the lobby she shi expected some word from him about abou her new gown When he said nothing nothIng nothing noth noth- ing merely offered to help her into inti her coat she protested You haven't noticed my dress Dont Don't you think its it's nice Clint stood back to survey her chuckling Sure grandl he dc de- de- de dared He came close to her again But what you wear doesn't makany make mak any difference to me June Asa gave it to me mel Asa Clint echoed frowning faintly Why She slipped sUpped her arms Into the sleeves of the coat he be held He H I told me to wear it to catch a young man she confessed laughing up at him over her shoulder He knows about you and me Clint chuckled with pleasure It Ii will be my turn to buy pretty things for Cor you soon he said happily and andler her ler hand tightened on his arm a athey as the they went out to the car They drove slowly Clint clinging to 0 this hour and when they came camen in n front of the great sprawling house at last he stopped and turned oil off the lights and said urgently Lets sit here a few minutes You dont don't have to go right in I must soon she urged yet made no move to leave They found no great need ol of of words They were snug in the car the windows raised against the rain There was a light in the rear part of the Taine Tame house and June said with a ripple of mirth in her tones Uncle Justus is still asleep in his lis chair If It no one wakes him up he may sleep there all night nigh Is that his room Clint asked surprised No hes he's In the kitchen Her tone one was mirthful He likes to warm his feet teet in the oven door sitting up over the there e he asked nodding in the other tion ion Aunt Evie and Asa are staying with Grandma BO Bowdon BOdon don she explained ex ex- Rab had to go to Provo They felt rather than heard a aLow t low ow rumble o of sound and Clint said Hullo that was thunder I didn't see a flash I 1 did out of the corner of my eye she told him Off through the he woods that way She pointed J past ast the houses and she said and andic he ic heard her voice shake We hada had hada a thunder-shower thunder the night Mother died A terrible one And she added added add add- ed Uncle Justus has turned out his light ight The thunder must have wakened wak wak- ened cried him Clint saw that the Taine Tame house louse was Indeed dark now and then hen June cried a sudden t tension In her tones Clint look What he asked surprised and he be stared past her There was a faint brightness In the shape of a rectangle against the front of the Hurder house The brightness assumed color and Clint reached across the girl to lower the window so that h he might see more clearly That rectangle identified itself it it- itsell sell self as the open front door door- of the house outlined In red And suddenly this dull red became bright right they saw the flicker of a flame They scrambled out together they started to race across the lawn As Ashey they hey did so a car passed along the road behind them and nd Clint turned back and shouted Hey fire Ring In an alarm He saw the driver dimly saw the theman's theman's theman's mans man's head nod Then he r ran lD after June Tune toward the house toward that front door through which billows of smoke began to pour He caught her ler on the steps caught her fast for or she would have gone headlong in And she was crying Grandpa Gr Grandma I When Clint held her she swung to him in terror beseeching him They're In there Clint Oh quick dear dead dearl CHAPTER X Miss Moss had never seen June Leaford and as sl she e watched Clints Clint's increasing devotion to the girl dur dur- ing ng the fortnight after Mrs teaford tea tea- ford died this fact sometimes dis disturbed disturbed her She said to Tope one evening Ive been been asking asking about her here and there You know Lissa Thayer Ive I've spoken to you about her I know her yes Tope assented Lissa and I have become almost friends blends Miss Moss explained She knows about Clint lint and June He often orten leaves his car there when he be goes joes in to the cabin And Asa and andRa andRa Ra Rab buy gas there for their car She says cays Rab is unpleasantly is-unpleasantly fa sometimes too friendly ol of- of She doesn't say much about abou Asa but I think she knows him rath- rath rather er well Tope reminded her Asa went t tsee to see her the morning after alter Mrs Leaford Lea ford died Remember We met himin himin him hin In the woods and you saw him down there I remember Miss Moss agreed It didn't seem to me she was glad glai to see him that day You know kno Ive I've Ive I've been trying to guess who will wL will Inherit the Bowdon fortune now that tha Mr Bowdon Is dead And Mr Hur Hur- Hur ders money when he dies Mrs Leaford would have been Mr leir Hurder's Hurder's Hur Hur- ders der's heir you know Inspector Tope Tape stared at her You Yo could a kangaroo Mrs Tope Tape he said In a deep ad ad- Youre three jumps jump ahead of me He rose Youve given me enough to think about t to keep me awake he be said AnI AndI And An I had as much as I 1 could stand a al- al ready Lets Let's go to bed Hours later however something disturbed Miss Moss Her eyes eye opened and she lay listening Inspector Inspector Inspector In In- Tope Tape here in the bed beside 5 I I- I fl 4 I II And then Asa came came- her was sleeping Then she heard again the sound which had roused her a moment ago It was the doorbell doorbell- ringing in a along along along long peal shrill and imperious impero s. s In a swift haste she snapped on the shaded light t beside her bed and found gown dressing and slippers Then the doorbell rang ra-ng again and andIn In Inspector Tope woke and nd asked the matter Someone at the door she she said softly She went vent out along ong the hall hail to the room living and and heard the Inspector bestir himself behind her but DUt sh she did not not wait f for r h him She came dame to the front door and opened it and she uttered a lo low 10 eja ejaculation ejaculation ula- ula tion of s surprise and of ot dismay dismay For Clint stood there there- therewith with a girl girlin girlin girlin in the circle of his arm and they were both smoke-begrimed smoke their faces and dirty and streaked with water Also Clints Clint's forehead was red and inflamed In a streak across above his eyes eyes and his eyebrows eyebrows eye- eye brows were singed and she saw in that hat first fUst glance an nn angry blister on on the back of his liis right hand h He said grimly Miss Mis Moss heres my June Ive I've brought her home hom lomel l YoUre YoUre hurt Miss Moss Mos cried cri d. d She remembered to welcome the girl too Come CoIne in b both bath th of you Miss Leaford- Leaford June whispered His hands are burned I wanted him to stop and get them fixed but he would Oh take ake care of him Tope Tape uttered a alow low ejaculation he stood blinking in the ligh There was a moments moment's silence and and- then Clint his arm still still encircling June added S slowly Mr and Mrs Hurder Hurder we got gotthem gotthem gotthem them out b but but but- t Miss Moss sa saw saw June shudder and tremble and she spoke command command- Come In she directed I and as ashey they hey obeyed ob she shut the th door be- be behind behind hind them Miss are you hurt too she asked No no June told her You must fix Clint Im I'm all right Miss Moss nodded Dont try to talk she insisted Clint sit down Miss Leaford come help me Soda I think is as good as any any- thing He needs to be cleaned up too And you'll want to wash your face ace I expect I dont don't matter June said But Clints Clint's burned terribly Clint protested with a wry smile Now sweet its it's just this blister on my hand That's nothing at all aU They found in the end that he had hadin hadin hadin in fact suffered no more than minor burns on his hands and wrists and that stroke flame on his brow I wrapped a wet handkerchief across my mouth he explained To keep the smoke out Had my hat jat on and that helped too Miss Moss said cheerfully Y Youve uve no more eyebrows now than a baby Clint and not much In the way of eyelashes She was busy tending him Clint whispered through s set e t teeth a lot more comfor comfor- table Miss Moss ached for him He grinned at June said then to the older woman This sweet kid has come to live with you for a awhile awhile awhile while Miss Moss l It wont won't be long Just till she comes to live with me Miss Moss looked at June and saw In the girls girl's eyes something like a plea for forgiveness and June said softly Hes talked so much about you I know you ou must be hating me Miss Moss smiled fondly No dear d ar she said gently No Im I'm glad for both of you 1 Inspector Tope chuckled Well now that's all settled to the satisfaction satisfaction satis satis- faction of the he sug sug- How about me Miss Leaford Leaford Lea Lea- ford do you mind if it I ask what happened You mind telling me June shook her head No she said in a dull tone No Id I'd rather talk I think than no not She made madean an uncertain 1 gesture Im Im I I feel as though I were walking in my sleep she confessed It doesn't seem real to me Miss Moss said briskly Well have a cup of chocolate all feel better June come help me will you She led the girl toward the thc kitchen called over her shoulder Inspector Tope let Clint rest till i we come back I want to hear I But Clint said I dont don't want to to I rest His tone suddenly was grim Lets go with them Inspector he suggested and Miss Moss saw them come on her heels In the little kitchen while she was busy about the electric stove Clint sat on the sink and drew June close beside beside beside be be- side him and these two told what there was to tell Id taken June to see a picture Clint explained But the picture didn't seem to mean much to us so we left early drove back to her house And parked And parked outside for fora a little while We sat there talking awhile and then she saw that the house was on fire Tope nodded and June explained I must have left the front door open when I came out or else I didn't latch it and it blew open because because because be be- cause we saw the flames in the front hall hail And Clint continued So we started to run toward the house A car passed and I shouted to the driver to ring in an alarm By that time June was on the front steps I caught her just in time She was going in The smoke was pouring out of the door and there were were flames inside but she told me Mr and Mrs l were in there He held June closer and she watched him with wide eyes It was r raining ining he explained I wet my handkerchief in the rain and wrapped it over my my mouth and started to crawl in the halL hail But the smoke drove me back and then June said they slept in the wing on the ground floor so we ran around the house to the windows of their room He Ie hesitated then went on The windows were shut and the curtains were drawn but some of the curtains curtains cur cur- were on fire The windows were all shut tight I managed to climb up and break the glass with my pocket knife for a hammer I reached in and sprung the catch and pushed the window open I Iguess Iguess guess that's when I burned this hand land because when I opened the window a gush of flame came out in my face acc and I let go all holds and fell He Hc looked at JuneI June I fell ell on her he said She was right under me I fell on top of her It didn't hurt June insisted So we tried to get in through the bathroom Clint explained There wasn't any my fire in there so I got that window up and climbed in but when I opened the door into their room it was all on fire Inside Fire was spouting out of the wall right beside the bathroom door The laundry-chute laundry Is there Juno June interrupted And it was roaring in the cellar cellar cel eel lar Clint confessed I could feel it hot under my feet The smoke was pretty bad Then a piece of the floor in front of me burned through and then the flames licked up at me and I had to back out and shut the bathroom door But you said you got them out Tope Tape reminded him Mr and Mrs Hurder Im coming to that Clint ex ex- We tried another window window window win win- dow right beside their beds I smashed it open and smoke poured out but no flames So I straddled the sill and my foot hit their bed in in- side He spoke rapidly his eyes fixed straight ahead I felt someone someone someone some some- one and I dragged Mrs Hurder up and lowered her out of the window to June and then him The bed bedwas bedwas bedwas was all afire little flames And he said looking at the girl beside him Wm They weren't burned much I dont don't think We w were re just justin justI in time The fire Lire spread awfully fast Inspector Tope suggested Fire department must have been there thereby thereby thereby by then Clint shook his head No they weren't They didn't get there till after Mrs Taine Tame did Not till after Asa did as a matter of fact June and I had been pretty busy but it must have been quite a while Miss Moss echoed Mrs Taine Tame You see sec seau Clint explained Mrs Taine and Asa were staying with Mrs Bowdon last night Mrs Taine Tame said they didn't hear anything till their then lights went out and she went to look at the fuses and saw the thc fire through the pantry window She came running over just about the time we got the old people out and then Asa came He and I carried car car- ried ned them into the Bowdon house out of the rain And Mrs Taine Tame and June started taking care of them But June came out again when I did Were they dressed Tope Tape asked Mrs Taine and Asa Oh yes Clint said casually and he went on By the time the fire engines came one wing was all afire and the other was well started started started start start- ed and they couldn't get the plug off the hydrant right away Theres There's only one hydrant and that was three or four hundred yards down the hill The whole thing went before before be be- fore they got it checked at all Burn to the ground The floors fell ell in Clint assent assent- ed And part of the roof root I dont don't know maybe the walls wouldn't go go Junes June's eyes were closed and Miss Moss tried to sign to Inspector Tope Tape to be still but he asked insistently What about the others Mr Taine Tame and Rab Where were they It was June who answered Rab had gone to Providence right after supper she said He had a case casein casein casein in court there tomorrow morning And Uncle Justus Is deaf He wouldn't hear anything She remembered remembered re re- re- re We saw him turn out his light to go to bed just before we we saw the fire Saw him Tope Tape echoed Saw his light go out out June amended In the kitchen He liked to go to sleep in his chair after supper and sometimes he didn't wake up at all But we saw his light go out TO BE CONTINUED |