Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-01-07
their hilarity without the damper Of

their hilarity without the damper Of
his presence.
Molly, mindful Of her duties as host
ess, dropped in occasionally to see that
he was satisfied. and each time she
found him in exactly the same position
as placidly contented as he could pos
sibly have been in the little back room
of the Occident saloon. On one of her
visits. after answering in the affirma-
tive her inquiry If he was all right. he
rose from his comfortable nest in the
Zig leather chair.
II suppose we eat" he guessed.
II think you'd call it bluff" she
laughingly returned.
II get you." he replied. MOSTLY dec
orations Souvenirs?'
"The usual"
Hand 'em these" and he thrust into
her hands two bundles Of small envel-
opes, red ones and white ones.
She looked at them blankly mo-
ment.
"I-get you," she smiled, flushing
slightly as she wondered whether her
adoption of his phrase was flattery or
ridicule. RED ones, in honor of the
roses. are for girls, and the white ones
for the boys. What are theyY
Jaw, nothing much" he diffidently
replied as he resumed his seat. "Sea.
son tickets for grand opera week in
the red ones and for the Athletic club
fights in the white ones. Admit two.
Is 1t all right?"
us it all right? It's glorious!' she
assured him, with shining eyes.
Delighted with this unmatchable nov
city, Molly was herself placing the
red and white envelopes at the covers
in the dining room when Bert Glider
found her there and closed the door
after himself.
molly, you're carrying this Sledge
joke too farv he holly charged.
"Who elected your she quietly
wanted to know and laid a white en-
velope at his place with extreme care,
angling the corner Of 1t Just so.
Both Of US, hope" he stated, dis.
playing a warning signal by pulling at
the top Of his collar to give his throat
more room. Molly And he advanc.
ed toward her.
The symptoms were unmistakable
Molly. having rounded the end Of the
table, slipped out through the pantry
door and handed her remaining en-
velopes to the intellectual looking but
Ter.
"Place these on the table just as !
have done. Alternate red and white
ones," she kindly directed, and the
next time Bert saw her she was the
live center Of the laughing taffy pull
ing. She had preferred to escape
rather than to treat this matter either
seriously or fippantly when she was
annoyed with him.
At 1870 Mr.. Marley, with the worry
Of eight absent mothers ON his own
shoulders, was fretting over some in.
vention to send them home when the
earth split open in the wide stretch Of
vacant land across the street and
elected into the sky, with loud, I'M
earthly noise. a tremendous assortment
of fiery meteOrs, mostly red. Roman
candles in reckless punches shot up
from behind every bush, skyrockets
dragged their spiraling tails through
all the available circumambience, while
fancy bombs carried their aerial float
ers and other brilliant pyrotechnical
surprises into all the celestial terri
tory hitherto unoccupied.
Through it all Sledge stood as i'm
movable and as impassive as If he had
been glued to the spot and frozen.
Even when the display flowed out into
the middle Of the highway and piled
up the street cars for two blocks in
both directions he remained a calm
and disinterested spectator. The pres
ident Of the traction company was
thrown into extreme agitation by this
excess of zeal, for he had some con-
sideration for the feelings Of the pub
lie, and he rushed right out to restore
the scattered schedule.
Here, what's this?" he demanded Of
demon with a smoke blackened face
"Why are you holding up the cars?"
"Sledge's ORDERS" replied the demon,
lighting the fuse of a red rose set
piece. HE said everything went, and
it's going"
Mr.. Marley came back.
Sledge was no longer on the porch.
Molly had slipped in to wrap up some
cake for Baby Peters, and Sledge, who
seemingly saw nothing. had followed
her.
"Well, is your party hit?" he anx-
iously inquired.
Its a screamv' she said, unable to
control her laughter. Really, Mr..
Sledge, have you to thank for the
most extravagantly joyous occasion at
which l have ever had the good for
tune to preside"
We'll open her another notch next
time" he confidently promised her
molly. marry me-"
"Oh, it's impossible" she blurted
Really, I'm sorry. Mr.. Sledge ! know
it's my own fault. but didn't mean it
to 60 this far. l don't mean that
that fs-well, l don't know what l
mean. You've been SO good, and do
appreciate it so. but it is impossible!
l simply couldn't Don't you see?"
you'll come around to It,"
II bet l don'tv' she blazed.
"Whatll you bet-Smash against
Bob?"
Anything you likev' she angrily