The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1916-12-01

1t was an utterly irresponsible gath.
ering that leaned over the red table
cloth that night-an oddly assorted
group which from the very first Joe
realized was not at all to Wlckersham's
liking. Dexter Allison himself, fairly
radiating good will. sat at the foot Of
the table. with his son-in-law TO be Oh
one side and Barbara's little maid, Ce-
CHE, on the other. And between Cecile
and Barbara, who sat opposite Garry
and Miriam, Fat Joe leaned both ell
bows. upon the table edge and monOpo
lied the conversation. The seating ar
rangement was Joe's; it was his party.
And the absolute inattention to detail,
the large Indifference to veracity which
his discourse disclosed before that
noisy supper was over, grew to be an
astonishing thing, His flights of fancy
left Steve aghast In more than one In
stance; they even forced stiff smile
to Wickersham's lips, and that is say
ing much for Joe's success as an enter
tainer, for in the bearing Of those two
men toward each other there had been
evident from the first a chill antipathy
which amounted actually to armed
truce And the color In Miriam's cheeks,
whenever his gaze Strayed to that side
Of the table, helped Steve to forget,
temporarily, much that Lie found not
pleasant to recall at all
f;,.sn L.,
responsible than was Joe's Her mood
was so mercurial that she drew time
and again the eyes of all at the table
She chartered with an abandon that
scandaiZed Barbara; broke in and in
terrupted every argument with hoy
denish trivialities, in one breath. to
appeal to Garry the next for refuta
ton. And Garry. the light tongued and
quick wltted, sat almost dumb of lip
before her happy garrulity. But his
eyes never left her; they spoke his
thoughts aloud. The quick lift and
droop of her eyelids, the brllliancy OF
her lips, made NIiriam's face living
thing of happiness-madeB arbara's ST.
lenee seem even more profound. For
the latter's withdrawal from the hilar-
fly, dominated half the time by her
fathers booming bass, was nearly as
complete as that Of Wickersham him
self.
Just once, shortly before they with
drew for the night, Steve caught
CLEAN of mischief In the dark eyes she
turned toward him. She rose the next
moment and started slowly around the
room, poking demurely into corners
and closeted hooks. Every eye was
following her when she finally found
the thing for which she was searching.
She drew red felt, yellow noticed
cushion from beneath the deer hide
covering a chair and held 1t up so that
all might read. what Is Home With
out Father 1t ran, and when the
10y that stormed through the room
made it sure that the exhibition needed
no interpreter Fat Joe turned and hid
his face Miriam rose languidly and
Joined the other girl in an examination
o1 his handiwork. Smooth face tinted
by the freight, copper hair almost dis
heveled in It's disarray, she was an ex-
Quisitely lovely thing In her alto voice
she expressed her opinion.
"Its an entirely new stitch to me,
Bobs," she averred. 81 don't think |
have ever before seen just this method
employed" And she turned to Stephen
O'Mara. do you suppose, Mr.. 0'Mara,
she asked, that l might learn 1t from
the one who did this work for you?
It's rather"-and her head tilted to one
side-"it's rather a pretty thing"
Again they succumbed to mirth, and
then Joe rose, brlstling, and went for
ward much as a gamecock might step
ont to do battle. He took the cushion
from the hands Of the girls, who nc
longer had strength enough even to
hold It,
IF you are aiming to do any sewing
around this camp" he stated, you can
start in sewing on buttons. This kind
Of work is entirely too nerve wearing
for amateurs"
He carried the cushion across the
room and placed It not where 1t had
been hidden by the deer hide, but III
colorful prominence against the back
of the chair. Long after he had cross
ed with Steve and Garry to their tents
he continued to explode with soft
chuckles.
81 never did say" he defended him
self, ''that that sentiment was strictly
appropriate l always stated that Il
was the best could. And as for my
technique either of you guys try
1t some time. You just take needle
full Of that yellow worsted and star
tracking across a couple of yards Of
red and painless desert and see where
you come out. l know, because I've
done it. I'm a pioneer. But II l evel
tackle another job like that It's goinI
to be a crazy Quilt"
And Joe considered in spite of The
din which answered him that his ehai
lenge was ample "
1t was fully an hour after Fat Jo'
and Garry had rolled themselves up Il
their blankets when Steve, who ha'
elected to sit up for one last pipe ever
though his body was aching with Ia
tigue, heard behind him the approach
Of her footsteps. Outside at the tol
u - NAr