Show MOLLIES MOLLIE'S BURGLAR j i By JACK LAWTON I Copyright 1920 UZ Western Newspaper Union Mollie sat at looking ruefully o er the moonlit garden as ns she braided her hair ball for or the Ule night Just one month been and amI ago nil all had c love roses I At least that hn had been 1 roseate ros vision Islon of life And tonight I Shadows and darkness seemed everywhere like the shaded comers corners coiners of the garden And all because of Douglas What a vast ast difference the man can make makeIn In ones one's life Douglas had come and seen nod and conquered conquEred conquered-as as far as Mollie was a con con- She bhe met wet him In her home city cHy al at a n party parts given by liy the Ule S soil son J of his employer r. r Douglas was a favorite with his em employer ern em- plo er Douglas was It seemed a n favorite fa- fa a with everybody So It was WIlS not strange that even eten little Mollio Mollie should capitulate to his charm churm His Ills wooing was prompt and successful Mother admired ed Douglas Father thought well weH of him betrothal betrothal betrothal be be- was a time of jubilation And Aud- then then Douglas Douglas urged this visit to moth moth- er He lIe was ve very fond of his tender lender little Ittle mother Mollie knew and anxIous anxious anxious ious that she In turn should become fond of the girl chosen of ot his heart So Mollie w went vent nt with Ith Douglas out on onan on onan onan an afternoon train to a It dear deal ol old queer old house In the count country Gorgeous flowers framed the doorways doorways doorways door door- ways and inside there were ous halls with steps descending unexpectedly unexpectedly here and there Mollies Mollie's room led from a branching upstairs hall hall at the opposite end was the room Douglas Douglas Doug Doug- las had occupied in his and which was kept unchanged for his frequent visits Three steps to the right was Faithful Faithful's room room and and Faithful was the girl who had Innocently Innocently Inno Info Gently enough brought this new heartache heartache heart heart- ache to Mollie Douglas Douglas' mother had introduced ed Faith laughingly that first day of Mollie arrival as an an old sweetheart of his And though Douglas Doug Doug- las has later painstakingly explained that the had been a joke of pinafore days das the insinuation ran ran- kl kled Jealousy heretofore nn an unknown unknown unknown un un- known experience with the carefree Mollie held her now baffled in Its power pow pow- er For while MoUle Mollie in secret derided herself for h her r foolishness and made firm resolve to pa pay no attention to the comrad comradeship of ot Faith and Douglas no no sooner fooner did the she come upon the two tto talking together than Mollie Immediately immediately immediately im Im- mediately became frigid In demeanor to toward her ber lover Inflicting upon him p perplexing hours of ot unhappiness This unfortunate state slate of ot affairs airs had bad culminated In the present quarrel Hotly had the new tem tempestuous e t Mollie n accused q i her her let flange e of t S while aline I ne- ne nehe he 8 suffering un under er this Injustice I tice Uce 11 had d taken back silently his ring Pride raised between these two two- an anI Insurmountable barrier As Mollie I turned from the tho window she noticed beneath it a mans man's men moving mo ing figure und and recognized the shutting sh outline as aM a tramp whom Douglas Douglas' mother lend had helped on his way waT with witha a warm worm sup pup pupi I f perI per j I People were almost too trusting Inthe in J 1 the country Mollie thought as her weary weary head pre pressed sed the pillow It was wens In III the dead of night that she he hc sat up suddenly ly In bed t er e every nerve nerre a n- n tremble at the of ot her wak- wak ing The stealthy sound which hud had roused her came from the direction of ot the clothes closet whose small window window win win- dow opened on a sloping roof And ns as Mollie watched plainly discernible In inn Inthe the moonlight the white Knob of ot the clo closet et door mo mon moved ed d slowly thou then was RS still She Slie had locked her bedroom door before retiring and as Motile stared fascinated the closet door bandie handle hon han die dle tur turned ed again this time distinctly With one bound the girl sprang t to thedoor the thedoor thedoor door and turned th the Ice key hey Then with her r heart pounding MoUle Mollie sank to the floor It was os the skulking tramp she was sure ure who had sought en en- trance franco through the root roof window window- When she could summon n her shaking voice olce Mollie n asked ed weakly Who Is a there The twice repeated question was vas ans answered ered merely by a 11 renewed and now aggressive rattling of the door handle bandle The The- Theman man would force torce the door presently in defiant strength she fear feRr ed cd WI Wildly she reached d for an en en- kimono cold little little lit lit- tle tie feet found her hei slippers then she opened the bedroom door and fled straight to that other door at the opposite opposite opposite op op- op- op end of the hall Douglas 1 she sobbed Oh Douglas Douglas Doug Doug- las IRlI I Coming he be answered with remarkable re re- promptness an and In a 1 few moments moment still struggling Into his coat Douglas was at her side Burglars 1 l Mollie gasped gasped In in my closet Go down to mother Douglas commanded commanded commended com com- mended her as he ran ron But Mollie waited huddled In the wide Ide rose kimono Just where Douglas had left her And nd when when- after what seemed med hours to Mollie he found her there Douglas gathered the trembling form close dose In his arras arms while Mollie clung to him In a most reas reassuring manner It It was Douglas was explained the cat Mollie She had got shut up in your closet she he always works a door handle way ar with her paws when she wants to get out lilt I am going to buy that a collar went Douglas Douglas nt on jubilantly tl f for foi l' l sending ending you back to tc me roe Blessed excuse I l murmured Mollie Hollie Mol Hol- lie lle tremulously she 8 smiled her t r v i i 1 i f- f |