Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1907-05-02
On the Siding
BY CECILY ALLEN.
Copyright. 1907. BY f. c. PARCELS
BY CECILY ALLEN.

tie, as fdf as MS Houtil Woulu permit,
Molized both Aunt Helen and Henry
Strong That was why he felt vague
" aggrleyed that he saw SO little OF
Mr.. Henry these days. and had he
known that in his small person he per-
sonilied duty and stood between the
wo objects of his alteration he would
have felt doubly aggrieyed.
What he did know was that Mr.. Hen
~ had taken to walking on the Other
side of the street and evading press
ing invitations TO come over and sit
on our piazza and that Aunt Helen
avoided all conversation bearing on
Mr.. Henry; also that she had developed
a tendency to red eyes and absent
minded conduct, which annoyed BERTHE.
particularly when she stopped in the
midst of fairy story and stared out
Of the window without speaking.
The neighbors might have enlight-
ened BERTHE as to the true staic of af-
fairs. They all said it was too foolish
for Helen Bertram to act so over II
child There was such thing as car
rying ones ideas of duty too far, and
one owed some duty to the living as
well as the dead.
1t was the most joyous OF carly
spring weather when every one should
feel happy. but BERTHE felt the depres-
sion which seemed TO have settled
down on the pretty cottage which he
and Aunt Helen had occupied alone
with the servants ever since his IA
Tiers Geath. He slipped quietly from
the sitting room. where Aunt Helen
was writing at her desk, jumped noise
lessly from the porch to the soft lawn.
which was taking on Just pale tint
of green and ran out to the curbing
which marked the limit of his straying
save by special permission.
He knew that very soon Mr.. Henry
would be coming home from his office.
ON the other side of the street, no
doubt but still within hailing distance.
Mr. Henry certainly must Inspect Ber-
ties new trousers before the 'addie
could feel quite satisfied that tpeS
were all things desirable. They were
new sort of trousers, baggy at the
knees, and if they had been held in
place with piece of elastic instead OF
a Gle til strap and buttons, they would
have been equal to an extra set OF
pockets. Marbles, Irvine, apples. al
most any small article could be hidden
In their spacious folds. Personally
BERTHE considered them a great im-
provement over the diminutive, skin
tight kniclicrbockers lie had worn here
toforc, but they needed the cache of
Mr. Henry's approval.
Ten minutes passed. Aunt lIelen's
pen went scratch, scratch in the sit
ting room and Bertie's boot heels went
tap, tap against the stone curbing.
Then he spied familiar, broad shout
dered figure swinging down the street
Oh the other side. lie waited until
Mr. Henry was directly opposite.
then
Hello Mr.. Henry. Can't you come
over and see my new pantsF
Mr. Henry paused uncertainty and
waved his hand in friendly fashion.
I'D come over aud show 'em to you,
only Aunt Helen won't give me jam
for supper when leave the yard
Listen to the poor dear!" exclaimed
Mrs. Johnson, Aunt Helen's next door
neighbor, who happened to be setting
out some new rose bushes at the time.
"The very idea of an old maid like
Helen Bertram trying to train boy"
Mr. Henry crossed the street He
had seen Mrs. Johnson watching him
from the corner of her eye. and he
knew that BERTHE was terribly in earn
est. He inspected the new trousers in
deliberate, critical fashion and pro-
nounced them good. Then he patted
Berthe on the head and started away.
Amt you coming in for tea?" asked
BERTHE. with an odd break in his voice
and troubled look on his face.
"Awfully sorry. old man." replied
Mr.. Henry, with forced sprightliness.
but | have dinner engagement. and
! must run along and dress. See you
later"
But BERTHE clung to his hand
Maggie made some sponge cakes
with icing. | know licked the icing
bowl"
Good for YOU" said Mr.. Henry. still
drawing away from the clinging moist
hand. "You eat one for tue. won't
you?"
And then he was gone. He plunged
across the street and cut
straight across the tidy lawn of his
sisters home anu dashed through the
front door. His face vas drawn and
white, and he paused just q moment
beside his sister, who came to the door
Mt the sound of his step.
ITS no use, Nell. I've got TO get out
of this | believe I'll run on 10 New
York for a week or So
And leave George TO claim the vie
tory of the Hardman case after you've
worked hard on it for months. Oh.
Henry, think it is n shame that you
win let a silly girl ruin ynur whole
life. The very idea'-
You don't understand her she
thinks she Is right. and what she
thinks is right she must do. no matter
at what cost to herself
"Or Others" interrunted his sister
bitterly. For foolish conception OF
Iuty 10 the child of her dead sister she
viii wreck Vour life