Show M M H 4 T by LOUISE OLIVER I 1 44 W hilda unlocked the door other 0 her little apartment and hurried to the front window another ones onea kono gone she said bald la in bewilderment one cold goldfish fish yesterday another today its certainly a mystery what kind ot of a place I 1 bondar have I 1 moved into outside the window was waa a smili small iron baleen balcony hilda stepped over tho the low window sill bill and found herself on the tiny shelf from which she had a splendid view of the street she looked down below her tor for several stories were little iron balconies similar to hor her own it ft few of them gay with green things that the owners had bad put outdoors to get the first warm barta rays raya ot of the th sprine sun on tho the balcony directly beneath between two boston terns ferns was an all improvised pro Aqui aquarium arlum and in the water two gold goldfish fish were swi M ming that night eight she slept without frh air from the outside Is kig onty the lillio transom open for A vent ventilation n and arf 1 has ctorn ang fish was gono gone she almost fainted with the shock someone or something had been in her room in he night then her foot something she picked it up it was a mans cuff link with a single diamond inset she counted her money the spoons and felt of her few bits of jewelry and her watch all there she locked tho the aquarium in the bathroom and went to her dally daily work in the city library that afternoon while she was handing out books to a cosmopolitan public a young man approached the desk will you tell me whore where T can sad find some books on zoology pi easo hilda looked at him with interest athletic of build good lookin looking ir and fashionably dressed he ha had the air of a man who might be asking for a thesis on sanskrit or of anything he knew nothing at all about what kind of animals she inquired mammals the oh something about flah fish ha be answered vaguely goldfish ive got some gome I 1 dont know how to feed its ita too bad but I 1 havo have goldfish at home and when I 1 want to know anything I 1 go to FIn finnens pet tore store in tho the next square it if you go there you can get everything you want thank you very much good afternoon ila he put on his hat to depart and as he lifted his hand hilda saw a diamond studded cuff link like the one the she had found in the morning the mystery deepened hero here was the man who had her goldfish but why would anyone Y steal coldrigh cold ligh that night hilda discovered from the janitor that her neighbor below was unmarried and wont went by br the name biame of hubert field has he any pets or anything like ilke that she inquired anxiously not that I 1 know of they the dont allow cats and dogs in the building that evening as an she was trying to calm her nerved and forget the mystery by reading an interesting book something stirred by the window thou then dropped lightly to the floor behind her shi she felt rather than heard it so BO faint was wag the sound she was too frightened to move at first then laughed at her tear fear slowly turning her head bead she saw little brown monkey hopping toward her on three legs lega in tho the other raw paw he gripped a dripping squirming goldfish 4 she sat eat perfectly still ana jp th apfl alpy bitting ou on lip hd lpes jl old hla tribute tributa upon her br knee the blanker was very tame and hild dl picked him up in her arms then she bhe got tho tha cold link from her dresser and de seeded the stairs As she had bad expected mr hubert field was her acquaintance of the library good evening said hilda 1 I ive ve come to return two of your possessions es both found in my room one explains i the other I 1 think thank you very much I 1 was puzzled about the ilal link although I 1 blamed tor for issing it ile pes 11 worried Orrl eci m ma to death since sanco my sister left him here two days daya ago hes stolen things all over the building and I 1 have to keep his existence a secret pr pt put vi ua 1 both out the goldfish I 1 believe belong to me he was wag after another when f caught him thank heaven ivo ive faund the owa ora or er of the fish fortunately I 1 happened to be at home when he brought them them or they would have died but he be handles handies them carefully enough it seems and I 1 dropped them into water right away I 1 think ill IH have to put up a notice and ask others to claim the varl articles ive been the recipient ot of ive iy ay a comb a lamb chop 4 letter s r hunch aunch ol of gimpes grapes a 4 candle shade a milk ik stocking cocking a box of rouge hilda laughed merrily im not guilty of the rouge I 1 assure you hubert field looked at her fair rovy roar skin and softly curling hair that is 1 obvious miss neighbor 11 ha 6 assured her and now that jocko ha intia introduced us may I 1 hope hopa that our friendship will 1 I dont see boo why it said bald hilda a flushing a trine trifle copyright HIS by mcclure syndicate 11 cato |