The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-02-10
''MR. MERWIN PROTEsTs!'
BY LOUIS OLIVER.

~ $50
win, known Familiarity to the mystic
circle of his underlings as BILLY"
looked after Margaret Baker who was
on her way to her classroom humming
a little tune, jingllng her keys and
thinking, "Billy's a pill. He's the kind
that thinks that the meanest, scrawni-
est, stupidest man in the world is bet
ter than the finest woman ever made"
she looks pale" Billy continued to
himself. mot enough sleep. Her idea
OF living Is to work for enough money
to buy satins and slippers so she can
go to a dance every night weekdays
q spend Saturdays In a beauty par
Tor. Not that she needs It," he added
g~rudgingly. shes the prettiest girl
l ever saw"
Il wish," growled Billy that night
as he unlocked his own door and
switched on the light, "that the people
upstairs would keep quiet tonight and
let me sleep. That baby has cried for
three days, and that has walk
ed the floor over my head until I'm
nearly crazy. I'll go out and have a
cigar on the back porch and look at
the stars awhile. Maybe they win get
settled before / turn in"
He thought of a number Of things as
he smoked. How he had planned to be
an engineer when he went to college
and how he had been compelled to
postpone his plan /; how his chum, Jack
Emery. had gone on and finished, and
Of the time Jacks sister had visited
him. Margaret Baker looked some
thing like her, he thought.
There was a sudden crash.
A dish of china or glass whizzed past
his head and smashed on the bricks
below. But the contents, something
warm and gluey, was clinging like a
besetting sin to BiIly's coat, trousers
and shoes.
well I'll be darned - said Billy
furiously. "What on earth do they
leave their meals outside for to ruin
other peoples clothes2 That's the
same bunch that walks the baby all
night. / think this is q pretty good
time to tell them what / think of them.
I'll go right up as l am and make them
help me clean 1t Off"
Dripping gelatine, he knocked Inn
p~eratively on, the door above, through
which infantile walls were coming,
and almost instantly ii opened.
Il would like you to see the damage
your" He got no further. MAR
Miss Baker, !" he exclaimed. 81 didn't
know you lived here. / came I'D to
tell you that something fell of your
back porch and"
my gelatine!" cried Margaret in
dismay, shifting the crying baby from
one shoulder to the other. II made
that gelatine myself and put IL there
to harden. And I'm not half as sorry
about your clothes as l am for poor
Mrs. Doogan. But If you will come In,
I'll try to get it off"
In a few minutes the crying stopped
and Margaret came In with a basin
of warm water and a cloth.
He caught her hand. do you think
I'm actually going to let you wash me
Off"
Margaret was silent.
"Say. Miss Baker. whose baby is
that?"
Mrs. Doogan's."
"Who is Mrs. Doogan?"
Tommy Is In my room at school.
He's staying here now while his moth
er is sick. He's in my bed asleep"
How did you find put about his
motherT
Don't you remember, the truant Of
fcer told US about Tommy couldn't
conner Mother sick, father u of
work was the report"
Eyes. / remember now. Never
thought of 1t again"
$50 / bring Tommy and the baby
here after school and do what / can for
the others In the mornings"
Billy was looking very queer.
as that why you always have the
highest percentage of attendance, be-
aus you buy shoes for Lizzie. and
get work for Mikes father, and nurse
babies for the Doogans?"
Something In the mans eyes made
her drop her OWL quickly again. Miss
Baker, Margaret" he said, II always
think of you that way. it's my turn
to talk and I'm going to tell you some
thing, and that is, just what a mean,
contemplate fellow / am. Without any
justice l condemned you for a feath-
er-brained butterfly because you are
llght-hearted and cheerful And here
you've been losing sleep night after
night without a mumur while I've been
plying myself for several things. Look
here, you go get that baby and give
him to me. I'll take care of him.
And you go to bed and get some sleep.
Go on, now. Do as 1 tell you. No.
don't 60 either. There's something more
/ may as well tell you now as have 1t
burn a hole in my brain. / love you,
Margaret l never knew it was in me
to adore anyone as l do you. That's
all. / had to say 1t. Please forgive