Show I W SUNDAY MORNING MARCH 26 1922 THE THE- SALT SAL TELEGRAM LAKE i o 1 i THE MARRIED MARRIED- t LIFE OF HELlEN ELEAND AND W i a 1 m HELEN PREPARES AN INGENIOUS DECOY TO TEST HER RANKLING SUSPICIONS S From irom the vinegar Jug Helen filled the quart bottle two-thirds two run full Then it R with a a. hammer she drove e in the cork corle until it could not be removed without a. a A c corkscrew molding the bottle to the light she f noted that the vinegar wasi was wa i just the shade of ot sherry There was Ino no way to tell that the contents were not what the label claimed Tine claimed Fine Old Amontillado Sherry Next she sniffed around the cork corle Rut but there was no betraying odor of t vinegar t mf Satisfied that the deception was 1 complete Helen took the bottle out outto ho t to the hall closet and hid It behind I la a bandbox on the second shelf shelt 1 This accomplished ed ehe she went straight to the telephone Id like llIe to speak to Mr Johnm Johnson John- John song son m it It was several tense moments before be- be tore fore the superintendent was on the wire t Mr Ir dr Johnson this is Mrs Irs Curtis Curtis- I the seventh floor You remember that closet door you fixed The rain must've swollen it again It wont won't shut were shut were we're always running against it You'll come right up Very well m Flushed and fluttering Helen left lert the telephone For Por several days she had been planning this ingenious ruse r. r When Mr rr Johnson fixed the door last ast week there had been two bottles ot of sherry behind that bandbox Since in then one bottle l had disappeared E Warren had scoffed at the the Idea etin of ot the superintendents superintendent's taking It But Helen positive that he had was consumed consumed con- con with a d desire to prove provo It She dared not risk the other bottle all all II they had in case of illness But finding this empty labeled bottle Inthe in inthe inthe the pantry she ehe had conceived the idea of at filling it 11 with vinegar As a decoy bait it served every purpose Her animosity toward Mr lr Johnson was not confined to the loss of ot the sherry He lIe had proved a poor successor successor suc- suc cessor to their former obliging superintendent super- super I. I When asked to connect up a drop light flight he ho had tartly told her to send for tor an electrician that electrician that he was not there to do odd jobs for the tennants Helen had been furious for tor the other superintendent had always been glad glado to o fix Ix her electrical attachments or or anything else he could S Mr Ir Johnson had incurred her further fur tur- further ther ther displeasure by leaving the kitchen Ibell bell dumbly awaiting a new battery for tor over a week And the closet door she had reported three times before he had deigned to fix Ix that That his prompt response now was due flue to his hope of ot purloining the other attic ottle of ot shelI sherry Helen Belen was confident The bottle was there It looked like the tho same bottle With gloating strategy strate strate- g gy she had seen to that It was not often orten that Helen conceived conceived con- con a strong aversion for anyone but when she did it was deep Jeep rooted From the first she had resented everything about fir Mr r. r Johnson Johnson his his gruffness that amounted to insolence and his surly Independence He lIe seemed seemed- to radiate a belligerent pugnacity With tho other tenants he was equally equal u unpopular popular Mrs Gordon disliked disliked disliked dis dis- liked him because he insisted on her seamstress seamstress' using the servants servants' elevator ele ele- vator ator And Mrs Dean was indignant that her baby carriage must enter through the basement Several complaints had been made against him But his hiE being a relative e of ot the agent who managed tho the house complicated the situation Superintendents here hero now announced announced announced an an- Anna Says you sent for him Yes tell him to come right in More rore trouble with that do r Mr Johnsons Johnson's manner was a shade more morea a affable Its this damp weather weather- they're stuck all through the house houe Yes it must be that murmured murmured Helen noting he had the same tool bag in which she felt sure the other bottle had departed Have you OU enough light Shall I 1 turn these on in the I II hall I I can see all right Just needs shaving a bit As he took out his plane Helen tried to gauge the emptiness of ot his bag But nut only partly open It closed as though defying her Inquisitiveness Discreetly retiring to her own room she listened Intently while h he e planed tho the door In which one of ot the tho pauses was he searching the shelf shelt I IA A bang of the front door Surely het hethe he ho had not t gone Darting out to the hall she was amazed to find that it was Warren Hello Bello Kitten kicking off his overshoes overshoes over over- shoes Just got through a directors' directors meeting Thought I wouldn't go back to the of office tic e. e Oh Im I'm so glad youre you're home early Then beckoning him hith into the library she whispered In eager excitement The superintendents superintendent's here hero now now now- fixing that door I put another bottle behind the bandbox to see if It hed he'd take it Its It's Just vinegar vinegar but but Its It's in a sherry bottle and looks like sherry See here what're you OU up to More of your our blooming tricks Im going to prove he tool took that other bottle You insisted he didn't and I know he did How know shoving off oft Pussy Purr Mew who was placidly dozing In his big armchair Couple of ot days before you ou missed It it No one else could have been in that closet Im not so sure ure you OU had two bottles bottles bottles bot bot- there settling down with his paper paper pa pa- pa- pa per Youre always alwa's hiding things and forgetting where you OU put em Bet Det you'll find it yet stuck yet stuck away somewhere some some- where Warren Im I'm positive th they were both there there and and I know he took one Well VeIl you'd better go slow slow you'll you'll get yourself In Dutch Hes He's some sort of ot a cousin of ot the agent and agent and weve we've got gota a two year lease here He lie can make it darn uncomfortable If if- if Sh hell he'll hear you for tor the raspIng rasping rasp rasp- ing plane had ceased Hold Bold on what're you OU g going to do Unheeding his restraining call can Helen flew out to the closet Just as Mr Johnson was gathering up his tools In a flash she saw he ie was not going to put them Into his closed bag That doors door's alright now v starting darting to leave the tools in one hand and the bag in the other You wont won't have no nomore nomore nomore more trouble with itOh It itOh it Oh Just a moment Mr Ir Johnson t j While youre you're here I wish you'd oud fix that hot water faucet In the tho bathroom Its bathroom Its It's I so hard to turn oft off Er E Er er r Ill I'll come comp up in the morning I for tor that Ive I've got to see about a leak tho on-tho ninth floor plainly anxious to escape Well Just look at it before you OU go insisted Helen firmly With ill concealed reluctance Mr Johnson turned hack to the bathroom Breathlessly Helen flew to the hall closet climbed up on a footstool she always kept there and felt behind the The bottle was gone Darting back she confronted Mr Johnson Just leaving the bathroom He lie was still carrying the tools in one hand and the bag in the other That faucet needs a new washer I Ill I'll bring one up tomorrow in gruff grutt haste I Until this moment Helens Helen's only plan had been to 10 allow him to take the bottle bot bot- t tle to tle-to to prove to Warren t that he had I taken taleen the other But Bu t now her I tion Uon leaped to further further daring daring i Mr rr Johnson I I-I I I think youve you've madea made I Ia I a mistake and put something in your our I bag that belong there In my bag his pugnacious face reddening Nothing but my tools Didn't use none of or yours ours I i 1 I may be mistaken her courage courage courage cour cour- age faltering But 1 if theres there's nothing except tools in that bag then bag then you OU wont won't mind opening It t will you Dunno what youre you're about i I got to fix that leak on the ninth floor trying to brush her away Mr Johnson I want vant you OU to open that bag before you ou leave this apartment apartment apart apart- ment laming conscious that Warren Warren War War- ren summoned by their excited vOl voices es was now standing in the library door I wont won't open that bag for nobody belligerently In there but my tools What're you trying to accuse me of ot Here Warren stepped forward with an authoritative This whole things thing's not my Idea h I r. r Johnson but if It you'll Just open that bag and prove Mrs Curtis is wrong wrong- I shell she'll be glad to apologize I I aint got no time to waste here I Got to fix that leak leal on floor edging toward the door Not until I see Eee inside that bag Warren arren barred the way with sudden sternness If It theres there's nothing nothing- In It you ou wouldn't be so blamed anxious not notto notto notto to open It 11 Looks like something's wrong here after all I Y YO better let me out of h here here I re-I re I got I I I my work to do He Fie tried to push Warren aside and reach the door No rough stuff With athletic dexterity Warren swung the astonished astonished aston aston- superintendent around pinioned his arms behind him and forced him to drop the bag Now open that and see what you find Tremulously Helen caught up the tho bag that Warren kicked toward her What If It the bottle were not there Her fluttering fingers had strength to push back bacle the catch that released the l lock ck Only some tools and a a. newspaper bundle Her Iler heart swooped ly Then snatching out cut the bundle she tore off ott the paper The next moment with speechless exultancy she held up the convicting bottle The superintendent brick red stood sullenly defiant Well Y lI what're you OU gem to do about it ft jerking from Warrens Warren's relaxed holdIm hold Im Pm going to give you OU a chance nce to resign as superintendent grimly Weye Weve caught you OU with the goods You wouldn't have hare been so keen to swipe that bottle J if you'd known it was vinegar vine vine- vinegar gar garl Vinegar with blustering bravado What t dou mean You cribbed one bottle of sherry so sow sowe sowe w we e fixed up up a little trap trap and and you fell fen for It hard Now Ivory It wont won't be healthy for you around hero after tomorrow You get out by tomorrow night night or do time in the cooler cools r Now beat bee t it Copyright 1922 1322 1 by y tabs Mabel Herbert HerbertI Harper Next W Wc Helens Helen's k Helens Unexpected Rebellion Re- Re Re bellion |