The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1917-02-08
From thai hating nun

From that halting mon s.
1 judged that something was amiss L
/ servation had never been slow
| painful process of concentration wit
him.
He didn't even know who she was
! He'd never seen her before" quickl
he put her right. She was just put
lie dancer. that was all But "a man
mistreated her, and Steve. he just in
| terfered"-
Indeed, Joe had found the way tc
comfort her and still tell the truth
even though he found 1t foolishly diff
cult to swallow food and watch at tht
same time the warmth which hi
words kindled. So for an hour he lin
gered at table and told her many thing
| concerning the man she loved which
she would never have learned from his
own lips And it was Joe's POPULARITY
which In the end subdued her rebei
spirit She yielded at last and prom
ised to go home and rest. but only aftel
he had promised first. in a fashion
which could leave no doubt in he,
heart. that he would come for her /
things grew worse.
Before she left him that morning sh,
told Joe of Big Louie. whom she la,
had to leave in the road, but he inter
rupted her before she could finish
They had already found Big Louie
chen she gave him the note which she
had discovered crushed under Stoves
body. This Joe scanned ferociously; he
flashed strange glance at her from
bleached blue eyes.
Some one traced your name" he put
into words the first thought that had
been hers. "Some one who had youl
signature to copy"
She nodded, Whitley. in horror. Joe
folded the paper and tucked it into q
pocket
I'VE can touch nobody" he averred
regretfully unless We catch Harri-
gam"
Caleb himself took Barbara home,
and on the way across the lawn she
giggled suddenly at the funny way in
which the distance seemed to increase
and then lessen between her eyes and
her feet. The ground persisted in ris.
ing to meet her, she said, until she had
to cling to Caleb's arm. And the outer
steps proved difficult to negotiate. But
at the sight Of her father sunk in 81
lence upon his desk in the ground floor
Office" she drew her hand from the
crook of Caleb's arm and went swiftly
across TO him.
sspo rho ro ~ hn hocntl yh hav hrAtyav,-
ly the moment her cheek touched his.
you mustn't believe that T.
She hushed him with gentle fingers
laid upon his lips.
Il have been a very foolish and hys-
terical child" she said. "I'll try to be-
have more like q woman now. And
you and Uncle Cal have been only-ab-
surdr'
She had to laugh again at the behav-
Tor of her feet as she climbed upstairs
but her head seemed steady enough. 1t
was only after she had reached her
own room that she complained queru-
lously of the failing lights. Miriam
had to help Cecile undress and put her
to bed.
On the floor below her father had
turned again to his desk, his head
bowed under his arms. And total
breakdown was imminent for Dexter
Allison when hand touched awk-
wardly his shoulder. He looked up
heavily to meet this time the eyes of
Caleb Hunter. Caleb suffered furi-
ously at first for sentmentality shamed
him. Then a happy thought showed
the way.
Dexter, secured a few sprigs of
very superior mint yesterday" He
made of it a ceremonial. do you
think you would-care to join me, STRIP
They had been friends for close to
forty years not because Of common
tastes. but in spite of innate dissimi-
larity. Dexter came to his feet. He
reached out and crushed the other
mans hand within his soft, white I'm
gers. Nor was his reply quite accord.
ing to formula.
Il don't mind If / do, CAL" be &C.
cepted fervidly. Thank God. don't
mind If do!'
Arm in arm they recrossed to the
white columned house. And they kept
close. each to the other, throughout the
hours of suspense that followed, find
ing a potent though unconfessed reas
surance in such companionship.
Delirlum came again upon the sick
man who lay In the room which Miss
Sarah had always kept waiting for
him. Fever strobe upon him, while the
girl who had brought him home slept
In complete exhaustion. At times
Steve lay quiescent. only muttering ct.
fully: the next moment he called crisply
for Fat Joe-he feared for his bridge
and Joe had to exert every iron muscle
to hold him down And always he
spoke Barbara's name. with a poignant
gentleness that left Miss Sarah on the
verge of collapse. But he continued
to live. through that day and the next
night. even when the doctor shook his
head and Fat Joe rose TO 20 for the
girl. as he had promised he would. in
n