Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-12-22

well, young star-gazer, is it comm
to an end?"
"Not tonight, father-it all looks
pretty steady"
II can't seem to understan' 1t an
; guess never will. The only people
! ever hern on as looked at stars al
ways had somethin' excitin' t report
Here you been a-looking an a.lookine
night after night goin' on five year
now, an the best ever hear your re-
port was one night two year agone
when y'come in as tho the moon had
gone to y'head an shouts, "T'night-
tnight!-an' l ses 'wot t'night?' an
you ses the comet O. course" jest like
ys s'prfsed at my not KNOWN! Then
goes an stays up all night, an me
abendin' O. my back all that day lay.
in brick faster'n Donohue cd slap on
the plaster, an the DANCED old comet
don't show up. l doan' b'lieve in 'em
they're unreliable, an no way o
holdin' to agreements"
,.s The young man laughed, an indul'
gent, affectionate laugh.
Producing comets at a moments
notice isn't one of mans accomplish
ments, father. You see Qaughingly):
comets have wills OF their own, and
are governed by forces beyond our
control-now. The best we can dc
now is to watch the heavens closely
and learn by the stars what very
probably will. happen. Some day we'll
learn their secrets-some day." Hit
fine face glowed, lit up with the en-.
thusiasm of his youth and aspiration.
Some day"
There. there, now. warent
ameanin' t. be disbeleavin' r discour.
agin'. Jest harmless bit O. Of mans
foolery. Don't you mind me, young
man. You 60 on with y'r star-gazin'
Some day yll catch 'em up to some
thin tricky. an then report 'em an
make a name f'r y'self."
Paul loved and respected his old
father with that tender devotion and
consideration that only fine natures
are capable Of, and he thought with q
pang Of regret as he paced gravely the
disappointed room that his recent ac'
ceptance Of the post as astronomer at
the great mountain observatory would
separate him from his kindly. genial,
1lliterate old father-this dear old
chun, az be had come to consider him.
The thought Of leaving his father
was not, however, the only thing that
would make his leaving sad-for, as
he paced and gazed, his mind travelled
forward to gray, high.towered OBJ.
servatory on lonely peak in the
mountains-a peak that would be to-
him doubly lonely without Anita Lo,
gan. They had come to be great
friends, this bricklayers son and the
heiress to q fortune. They had gone
on and on in their youthful, enthusi-
astic intimacy, until there had come
to be such a bond between them that
Paul looked longingly, hopefully, fear
fully to the day when he would re.
ceive his appointment and ask her to
be his wife.
He had put it of, and put it Off
and tomorrow he was to leave! To,
morrow! The thought startled him,
Is his browsing, dreamy mind became
aware of the necessity for quick, def
mite action. He went to the phone.
desperately resolute, and called her
number. !.
Hello, Miss Logan, please. Mr.,
Reed speaking Hello, Ann, is that
you? This is Paul. You know I've
received my appointment today? Yes
Thanks. I'm leaving tomorrow. May
1 come up? Oh, fine!-and may
bring my father? I'd Axe you to
meet him. All right, in half an hour
Good.by."
Anita Logan, twenty-four, and her
sister Bess, eighteen, were joint heirs
to the great Logan fortune. Old John
Logan, as he was known on the ex7
change, had been a banker Of spec1
tacular success, and had left behind
him on his death at the age of fifty
two, two charming daughters and an
enormous fortune. |
Bess. the younger. was still at
school in the East. Anita had finished
her college course four years before,
and was now installed in the great
Logan mansion alone, save for her
retinue of servants. Anita Logan was
mentally limited and narrow in one
essential direction. She was obsessed
with the conviction of class distinct
ton. -, -.
: When Paul and his father arrived,
Anita received them with unusually
hospitable graciousness. !
This is my father, Ann. Father,
Miss Anita Logan, who has been such
! good friend to me-" .,.l
! "Oh. there he goes, being grateful
again! l won't stand for it-not this
evening" (Or any other, Paul
thought) $50 pleased to meet you,
Mr.. Reed. You're also to be congrat.
ulated, l think" /
Thank y MISS" The splendor Of
the room in which they were received
had disconnected him on entering, and
put him Immediately at more of dis
advantage that he would otherwise
have been. He felt very i'll at ease,