The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1911-02-17


ices. on Sunday. the midweekly prayer
meeting and Friday evening choir
practice. for in the course of time he
had been won over to join the choir
and modestly discovered TO our edit
cation baritone voice wholly I'M
trained. but not unpleasing. Josie
Lockwood sang contralto and Bess
Gabriel what we were informed was
sOprano-only Radville called II a ire
BILE. Tracey Tanner pumped the organ
and pulled audibly In the pauses, a
singular testimony to his devotion to
Angie Tuthill. who lust sang" with
the others chiefly because she was Jo-
sizes nearest friend.
Nat had settled down to pretty
steady correspondence with Kellogg.
chiefly on business matters. Kellogg
was investigating old Sans burner
and seemed quite impressed with its
possibilities. He had quarreled with
Roland's friend Burnham on Duncan's
representations and ordered him out
of the Offices Of L. j. Bartlett & Co.. it
seemed. Later he opened up negOtia-
tons with corporation known as the
Modern Gas company, ! believe. a
competitor of Consolidated Petroleum.
and in due course representatives of
both concerns came to Radville, exam
ined the burner and retired. noncom-
initial. Then Bartlett sent a requisi-
ton for a model and supplied the funds
for making it, thus demonstrating his
confidence.
AS for old Sam, he had risen to the
dignity of a frOck coat and felt him
self an aristocrat for the first time in
his life
l don't remember just how soon II
was, but it was shortly after the for
nation of the firm Of Graham & Dun
can that the young man received his
first invitation to dinner at the Lock
woods. He accepted, of course, wheth-
er he wanted TO or not, for there could
be no excuse for his refusing Sunday
bid, and the Lockwoods made quite an
event Of it. The Soules were invited
because they were Araminta Lock
woods brother and sister-in-law, and
NhC HOullCyo NaihC pNCi iiohl w COZ
erly to grace the board as representa-
tives of the Lockwood strain.
At the conclusion of the meal, which
endured throughout two interminable
hours. the elder men folk withdrew to
the garden and the lawn. Nat was left
to Josie. who conducted him to the
side porch. out Of sight Of everybody,
and planted herself in a baggy ham,
mock there. She was gay. even bril-
liant within her limitations. arch,
naive. coquettish. shy. petulant. by
turns. animated by a sense of con-
quest. She supplied the major part of
the conversation. chatting volubly ON
the thousand subjects she didn't I'M
der lard. the dozen she did. In the
most ingenious manner imaginable she
but score of times. and when he
failed to respond according to the code
of Radville had the wit to mask her
chagrin. did she feel any. Very prob
ably she laid his lack of responsive
ness at the door of his shyness Ga
hs WAS NuOIlN anu
liked him the better for it.
1t was on this day that she extracted
from him his promise to join the choir.
He acceded through apathy alone.
II don't care whether you can sing
or not" sh> confessed. with a look.
"But | do want somebody to walk
home with me that l like"
That's nice way of putting it."
duncan considered without emphasis
Roland Barnette's always walked
home with Inc. but / think he's just
tiresOfne."
WHY" inquired the young man.
with some interest.
She averted her head, plucking at
the strands of the hammock. "Oh, you
know she said diffidently.
"Oh?" Nat was enlightened. "Then
I'm sorry for Roland"
"Why?"
II can't blame him. you know" He
couldn't help this. The time. the place.
the girl, inspired incited-one
to banality.
"Why| she persisted.
"Oh, pon know" He caught the in
tonation of her previous words pre-
cisely.
She had the grace to blush and hang
her head, but he received thrilling
sidelong glance.
"Ah! Aren't you awful to talk that
way. Mr.. DuncanT
"Yes," he admitted meekly.
"Then you will join the choir"
"Oh, yes" he agreed listlessly.
'I'm so glad"
He thanked her, but avoided her eye.
1--WE might IS well begin tonight"
she suggested presently. with diffident,
downcast eyes.
"What-the choirY He was startled.
"Oh, l couldn't without rehearsal"
"No. / didn't mean that"
Mop
81 mean about Roland" She was
paying minute attention to the lace in
sertion of her skirt.
about Roand''-
Eyes; | mean You know what | |
mean, Mr.. Duncanw
IL assure you do not. Miss Lock-
wood