The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-07-28
In the Cracking
Flames
By CORINNE JACKSON

Everybody marveled when Evamay
married the other man. Public opin.
Ion ran high, for there was no doubt
that abe had completely misled the
whole town. After three years Of un.
Interrupted courtship ON the part Of
Tom Norton she had deliberately mar.
ried Herman Wright. Herman had
been hanging around for the past year,
seixing any Of the crumbs Of ,Evsmay's
attention he could pick up, but no one
had expected this outcome and Eva
mays friends felt she had given them
cause for righteous indignation, espe-
cially since Tom was tho idol Of the
town.
ITS Just like her." shifted good old
Mrs. Kelly, who loved Tom as son,
and It wasn't all because she had a
plain daughter. "She was full Of airs
and college ideas. and that never
comes to any good in q girl. For my
part" with q wise shake Of the head,
II wouldn't wonder at all II It were
Tom himself who did the fitting. He
walked home from the social with us
last night. but somehow couldn't get
around to asking him the trouble out
right. will yet. though" she de-
clared. with glance at her plain
daughter. Maybe it IL elsewhere his
eyes are peeping." @'
He told me last night he would
never marry" blurted out the daugh-
ter, with IN honest flush. He was SO
quiet and sad-like when he said It..
Why. here he comes now. mother"
A stalwart fellow, with q frank face
and curling brown hair, stopped at the
gate.
"How is everybody" he inquired.
genially.
Zine, and glad to see you," an.
swered Mrs. Kelly. bustling across the
porch. Come up a bit. Tom. There's
q whole batch of cookies fresh and
warm for you."
| That's the best news I've heard"
smiled Tom, as he came on to the
porch. Il guess this is about the last
chance I'll have for some time to show
my appreciation Of those same cook.
les. I'm leaving tomorrow for the city.
My uncle has secured an opening for
| me In brokers' Office In the city, so
I'm of for the wiles and snares Of
Wall street."
Mrs- Kelly stopped whaye she was,
with the plate of cookies out of reach
Of Toms outstretched hand. tom Nor
ton, you're not going to leave this
| town." she cried, and all because Of
that deoeitful vixenl It's shame
~
Tom Norton rose, very white around
the mouth. Don't, Mrs. Kelly" he
commanded. sternly. don't say any
thing like that again as long a. Yos
Gve.' Eva.nay ~ all mat 10 swoeree<
and best In woman, and as such shaH
always regard her. If you are r.
friend" his voice softened percepttbIS:
"and know you are, be as kind ard
good to her as you have always been
to me. That's the only favor AK Of
You going away" a.,
well. never" broke out Mrs. Ksl.
ly, Wiping her eyes with the corner Of
her pink checked apron when her Wis.
itor had departed. IL he isn't taken
with her yet. What she sees in that
Herman Wright alonsside Of Tom I
don't know. III DO as nice to her az
my nature will allow. But that won't
b al pie." she added, with . return Of
vindictive resentment toward the girl
who had scorned the Idol Of the town.
1T must have been Herman's money"
But the town and Mrs. Kelly herself
soon ceased to nourish their disap.
pointment over the whim Of Dvamay,
and soon settled into their customary
rut and routine. Other topics and hap.
penings nearer and newer occupied
their time and attention, and Evamay
gradually resumed her place in the
hearts and lives Of her friends. AS a
girl she had been the most envied in
the town when her father, the
town physician, had decided to dive
his daughter year Of college life even
though It added another expense
which his unfortunate and risky spec.
ulations made it almost impossible to
meet. Hvamay had her year at an
eastern institution and came home the
same summer Tom Norton graduated
from the state university. The most
natural thing in the world happened.
Evamay and Tom became acknowl-
edged sweethearts and Tom started on
the building up Of law practice In
the busy little town. 1t was Evamay
who turned the whole community up.
side down by the crashing of the
whole romance.
"Thsrss no use trying to ind out
anything from her." Mrs. Kelly had
told the reading circle in despair time
md time again. She 10 nice and 20
6Aomo, but the way she looks at you
when you say Toms name makes the
cold shtvers chase each other up my
back. Evamay was always that way.
eh3s good wife to Herman, though
he old lady Justly conceded. II never
thought shs would clean and bake and
work around the way she does. She
told me the other day she did it 90
She could sleep nights. Evamay always
Was high-strung little thing"