The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1917-01-05

| fair ana urged his uttendance. So,
after All, he was only doing what he
had a perfect right TO do.
Just over the hedge, parallel to his
town path, ram the gravel walk Of the
Crinkles. And Johr, picking his way
gingerly to avoid disturbing the tiny
stones, suddcniy heard stealtlly
movement that was not Of his own
making. Instantly he OWNED It to he
on the Crinkles' walk. Who could b.
sneaking around his neighbors prop
erty at three o'clock in the morningY
Not Billy surely, for Billy had no
cause to resort 10 subterfuge - far as
his wife was concerned, John signed
~ he thought Of Mrs. Biily's perfee-
ton.
Crk There It was againl JohH
tiptoed close to the hedge mad looked
over. Could he believe his eyes? Billy
Crinkle was certainly sneaking down
the path toward the street.
"Great guns Billy's running awayl
Now what do you suppose he means2v
"Bill's making for Mnrshalltown,
same as l am, by JOve, and he's skip
ping on the AS. III bet douglnut."
"HeliO, there! Tint you, BilIy?7 he
called.
Billy stopped "Hello, joint What
OH esrth are you doing here at this
hour Of ths night?p
"Same as you, ! guess. Going east
on the 3 :452"
"You guessed right"
decided at the last minute to Join
the boys" explained John finally.
80 did l." laughed Billy nervously.
"Oh," returned John, Il don't sup
pose I'd have given In at all only Hen
rctta insisted. She wouldn't give me
a minutes peace last night. And so !
started packing at midnight and here
am"
"Uh, hum," Billy Acknowledged
doubtfully. /
Billy Crinkle found 1t hard to eI-
plain his surreptitiOus departure, for
he was only guilty of seeking sensa-
tlOn. He knew Maud would not only
have consented to his trip, bal wOUld
have driven him mad with affectlonate
little attentions prior to his departure.
She would l.avepacked Iistis with
everything liz needed just wien Rnd
where ne wanted them. But as it was
he hefted llfs bag from one hand 10
the other with sort of savage joy,
knowing that he had packed the com
glomefatlOn it contained in two min
utes and u half by his stop watch and
got in everything he didn't need and
nothing that he did.
In plain words, Billy was tired Of
perfection aud affection. He hoped by
few days of anxiety on Maud's part
to receive the thorough rating he de-
| served when he came back-anything
but eternal smiling affection.
"Nvcil" he broke the silence, "I
might as wen le.u you why J. came at
this hour of the night. was afrmu'-ys
I'd suggest coming Maud would just
raise general bedam. So, as I ddin't
want to worry her, slid. See!"
John stopped short in his tracks.
'Looll here, Bill, that's hard to swal-
low. can't imagine Mrs. G. being any
thing but perpetual dyedrin-the-wooI
angel. l don't believe she could get
mad"
Mad Your Henrietta isn't one,
two, three to her when her temper's
up"
Henrietta! What do you mean?
She's the sweetest, most amiable girl
you can imagine, and if She hadn't
been the prize she is she'd have left q
miserable hOt-tempered scalawag like
me long ago. Humph !" snOrted John.
Excuse mel" sighed Billy.
They turned Il corner and the bright
light of the station lOOmed ahead.
The two men entered the waiting
room just as the hands of the big cleo
tric clock pointed to five minutes Of
train time.
But John was thinking OF other
things than the time. II occurred to
him that he had more than half meant
what he had said TO Billy. Il suppose
it has been my own fault mostly he
argued, 'I'll bet am hard to get
along with and here I've been putting
the blame ON Henrietta"
'Billy lin going home" he sudden
ly declared. I'm not feeling very
well~
And Billy, suddenly realizing that
Maud might discover his absence and
worry herself sick said eagerly Then
I'm not going step either. I'll net,
desert you now"
And when the big express thundered
IA +i,o t,,-o mon uioht have bpan seen