Show 1 i 1 41 v t I 1 ri rad 1 copyright by frank A munjoy company CHAPTER IV continued 9 all the time I 1 was listening my mind was occupied with trying to account for the thrill which had jolted me when I 1 had talt taken eu Lu lucilus Lucil ciles cs hands in mine nt at the top of the staircase I 1 decided to put my fortunes to the test I 1 would sit up until bopp went to bed and then ask her to marry me kent the telephone man retired first 1 I think ril ill sit up awhile I 1 said ste stealing allag a look at luclle lucile and hoping that she would comprehend my intention it if youre going tj sit up ill sticky P said dopp bopp with machiavellian cordiality ill split a gallon of water with you there we sat and wo we drank glass after glass of water until 11 then theft luclle lucile decided to retire and spoiled the he whole game 1 I guess ill turn iu hi now too I 1 suggested tentatively hoping at least that I 1 would get a chance to speak to her hei on the stairs but no bopp developed a sudden fondness for my any society and accompanied me to my room and sat on my bed for awhile talking about affairs theatrical ical assuming that I 1 was interested in them which I 1 was not when he finally departed the house was dark and the wind of the storm made unearthly noises around the eaves I 1 was more tired than I 1 remembered to have been for years but not sleepy I 1 dont know 1 biow whether it was actual hunger or merely the idea that I 1 had bad not eaten anything for for ty eight hours which haunted me at any rate every time that I 1 closed my eyes id have a vision of those dog biscuits 1 might just as well have pictured a chocolate cake or a doughnut to myself but no nolt lt it was a dog biscuit after an hour or so of that kind of torture I 1 at last decide 4 to satisfy my fool imagination by showing it a dog r biscuit in the life and proving that it aa not desirable at all that was the only reason that I 1 went downstairs it was rather ticklish business roaming a round around a strange abuse wearing no other padding than a suit of pajamas I 1 banged my shins against several hundred pieces of fur alture but I 1 toned my remarks thereat to a pitch below the howling of the storm an occasional flash of light ning helped me momentarily from time to time but left me floundering in tho intervals finally in the kitchen I 1 groped my way to the shelf ani and the box of dog biscuit was in my hands furtively I 1 took one out fondled it and sniffed it being alone there with that unprotected dog biscuit was too much for my moral courage I 1 decided to throw honor to the winds there was so much wind and so little honor that no one would notice it I 1 set my teeth in the dog biscuit suddenly there was a sound on the stairway I 1 listened intently the creaking of a stair who could it be possibly it was kent the ex es wire his early training might have proved too much for him and he had decided to loot the place and make his escape 1 I made up my m y mind to behave valiantly and grasped a dog biscuit firmly in one hand determined to sell my life as dearly as was consistent with the high cost of living the box bos containing the rest of the biscuit I 1 put back on the shelf and crouched behind the stove store ready to spring at the intruder unawares as soon as he be entered I 1 had one of those flashes finishes of insane bravery which Is nine tenths fear when I 1 saw the light of a pocket lantern straggling along the wall at the foot of the stairs I 1 jumped four feet straight up in the air when something wet touched the sole of my bare toot foot which was extended behind me as I 1 1 knelt behind the stove store sly my exclamation cx clama was drowned in a crash of thun der burglar or no burglar I 1 was about to run to him tor for protection from that clammy thing which hac bad touched me when a second flash ol of lightning showed me mc oh horrors il it was tootles frisking around my feet CHAPTER V A mystery cry behind the stove again in time to see a dim figure enter the kitchen the lightning revealed luclle lucile in a dressing gown with her hair over her shoulders in the single flash of light she appeared to be the most beautiful thing that I 1 had ever seen she turned the flashlight on the wall and finally rested its ray on the box bos of 0 dog biscuit she went over to it picked up one of the biscuit pressed it to her cheek and was about to bite it when she hastily dropped it back into the box bos put out the light and stood perfectly still listening there was another sound on the stairs when I 1 looked to see what lucile was doing she had bad probably she too was hiding biding somewhere near I 1 reasoned this time there was less delay whoever was coming downstairs was carelessly assured and was scratching I 1 matches on the wall as he went a long along to guide his progress he entered the kitchen it was bopp clad claa in the sort of pajamas I 1 thought he be wore he was laughing to himself ns as he came in and went straight to the box of biscuit he took one out of the box and he ate beffie that I 1 may have disliked tho man but now A smile of enjoyment spread over his features plainly discernible eer nible when the lightning flashed evidently the do doz biscuit were delland delicious at last lie ho finished and started to leave I 1 waft wab about to breathe a sl sigh h of relief when I 1 happened to glance toward the shelf where the biscuit were kept the box was gone the fiend was taking them with him without a thought for poor tootles who would doubtless starve to death he was going to cat all her food with one bound I 1 was upon him the thought of that poor dog steeled my heart I 1 grabbed him by the throat jill 1 l I 1 I 1 1 I 1 T 4 IN VIL we vo swayed back and forth in a rough and tumble fox trot and we swayed back and forth in a rough and tumble fox trot movement to the tune time of the rolling thunder bopp did not know as I 1 did that lucile was watching somewhere there in the darkness and on that account he was able to use mole forcible language than I 1 but I 1 had superior weight and I 1 was slowly bearing him back when all at once he dropped the box bos of dog biscuit and with his free hand landed a wallop in my stomach atwould it would have been a foul under any circumstances but with my inner workings resembling those of a vacuum cleaner it was positively inhuman maddened by that blow I 1 growled between my clinched teeth it if you hit me inc below the belt again ill tear your pajamas sl ile he growled back let er rip and swung on me twice more in the same place with mad fury I 1 picked him up and hurled him from me there was a terrific crash 0 of glass and then save for the disturbance outside all was still I 1 lit ht the light acetylene gas the wreckage of that kitchen was beyond tile descriptive powers of at a mere dramatic critic crigle bopp lay sprawled on the kitchen floor near the table where lie he had struck when I 1 threw him the table itself had overt overturned umed on oil to tile weeks supply of water in glass bottles and had apparently broken brohen most of them lucile was standing pale and disheveled but still beautiful in tile the doorway of the pantry where she had bad been hiding after an interval bopp laboriously picked himself up tip and waded toward tile the stairway through the torrent ot of distilled water which was streaming across tile the floor theres your dog biscuit hs he sneered pointing to tootles who had bad discovered the box and was gulping down the contents as fast as she bho could fasting for a week ha hal ha then lie disappeared upstairs s I 1 turned to luclle lucile she had dropped into a chair and had buried her face in her hands she was crying the matter luclle lucile I 1 asked tenderly 1 I dont know she sobbed just nerves I 1 guess you ought not to bo be about at this time of night I 1 said sternly 1 I know she replied 1 a I just edme down to to feed tootles I 1 b believed e deved her ber if I 1 had notion jonh A the nv biscuit in her mouth but what man would not forgive a small ob fib on the dart cart of the woman he loves listen to me lucile dear I 1 said authoritatively taking her hand wo we are arc not going to fast any more if bour our father were here he would call a halt balt here your mother Is sick you are hysterical and hardly any of us is on speaking terms with the others besides Bes ldes we have leave got to stop our water supply Is gone i lucile looked up then it wont really be our fault will it slie she asked aske 1 hopefully if we pure wat water r we cant go on fasting lipton S 1 cia claar r says so f and the best thing he be ever eve sa said id too I 1 agreed heartily so it was decided that the next day wed have a new stock of grocer groceries lesl come on the supply boat and telephone the cook to come back I 1 think the prospect cheered us wonderfully I 1 know I 1 felt better immediately and I 1 persuaded luclle lucile to go back to bed and get some rest before daylight she went in to see how her mother wag before retiring there was a cry from mrs greens room and I 1 rushed L d in I 1 MRS AIRS GREEN HAD disappeared you have guessed correctly that th this is where the element clement of mystery enters tho story you doubtless wonder ns we did if kent the had made away with mrs green or it if bopp balked of his bis dog biscuit had bad become a villain ot 0 tho the deepest dye we did not como come to any such conclusions at first of course that was after we had loof cel A all over tile the house up tip in the attic and down in the cellar then I 1 went to kents room he was snoring peacefully I 1 mistrusted that lie he might be shamming and poured a d pitcher of water on him to see how he would react to the shock I 1 should say that his react ims were perfectly normal albeit somewhat what picturesquely abu abusive S I 1 V e next we haled baled bopp from his room he was inclined to be suspicious a at t first until we told him about mrs greens disappearance then he was all sympathy and joined our lightly clad searching party in the hall hallway way naturally luclle lucile leared feared the worst while the rest of us with masculine optimism discounted any danger which might befall the old lady but she hei heiselt self walled wailed luclle lucile ashes been acting funny all the evening never mind about her comforted kent A man with a jag can fall off the root roof and never hurt himself a bit A bit of a bun makes cs anybody lucky suppose she la is out in an all this rain A little water more or less wont make any difference to her after tho the last two days I 1 observed gloomily lets not stand here any longer said bopp in businesslike fashion it wont do much good to try to guess where she Is lets begin a systematic hunt I 1 lets get on some regular clothes first I 1 suggested all right in chorus lucile dressed faster than she ever had before or has since and we men with the usual celerity of the bifurcated sex were ready as soon as she was As soon as we had assembled in the living room once more bopp by reason of his superior nerve elected himself commander of the expedition monty he directed you take jesse james with you and explore the north half of the island luclle lucile and I 1 will search the southern portion As soon as either cither party discovers mrs green come back to the house and fire off this revolver ile he laid a large caliber six shooter on the table I 1 might have bare disputed hla big arrangement and calm calin appropriation of lu elles dies society but I 1 jud judged ged that it would be a poor time to argue about anything so purely social besides I 1 figured out that the man mall who was as with lucile was going to have no cinch ic assuring her that her mother had not met let with some terrible tei taking off so they went one way and we der departed arted the other everybody sloshing slashing shing internally and externally on account of the large amount of distilled water and lain how are we going to hunt this skirt 11 anyway deninn demanded ded kent after we had trudged northward for a few just hunt I 1 replied vaguely too busy with my thoughts to consider tho the ciuc question stion seriously this aint regular objected kent slacking up his pace we ought to biall the old dame by her footprints did you notice any footprints around the house 71 no I 1 think to look well lets go back and have a peek peck As that coincided with the methods of reasoning adopted by the detectives in the best sellers I 1 agreed and wo we retraced our footsteps to the house TO BE CONTINUED |