The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-02-16

N
FRoCK COAT.
hours and closing up time. He at
tended church with admirable regu-
larity, both morning and evening serv-
ices, on Sunday, the midweekly prayer
meeting and Friday evening choir
had been won over to join the choir
and modestly discovered to our edih-
cation a baritone voice wholly un-
trained. but not unpleasing. Josie
Lockwood sang contralto and Bess
Gabriel what we were informed was
soprano-only Radville called it a tre-
BILE. Tracey Tanner pumped the organ
and puffed audibly in the pauses, a
singular testimony to his devotion to
Angie Tuthill. who "just sang with
the others chiefly because she was Jo-
sizes nearest friend.
Nat had settled down to a 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., 1t
seemed. Later he opened up negotia-
tions with a corporation known as the
! Modern Gas company, | believe,
competitor of Consolidated Petroleum,
and in due course representatives of
both concerns came TO Radville, exam
ined the burner and retired. noncoln-
initial. Then Bartlett sent requisi-
ton for a model and supplied the funds
for making 1t. 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.
| don't remember just how soon 1t
was. but 1t 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 a Sunday
bid, and the Lockwoods made quite an
event Of 1t. The Soules were invited
because they were Araminta Lock
woods brother and sister-in-law, and
the Godfreys came over from West
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 un
derstand. the dozen she did In the
most ingenious manner imaginable she
laid herself open to advances. not once
but a score of times. and when ht
failed TO respond according to the code
OF Radville had the wit to mask hel
chagrin. did she feel any. Very prob
ably she laid his lack of responsive
ness at the door of his shyness q
quality he was wholly without ant
liked him the better for It,
II 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 SIM
or not" she confessed, with a look
, "But / do want somebody to wall
home with me that | like"
That's a nice way OF putting II,
Duncan considered without emphasis
Roland Barnette's always wakes