Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1918-07-26
It Is the
Law
~
BY r. RAY BAKER
Copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)

3ssaesssssssssssssssssseasaseseeeeeee&
Copyright. 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)
1t was Monday. Fifteen minutes
more and the office force Of John Ham.
lin. attorney at law. would cease oper-
atoms until the round, red monarch of
day had dived below the western hOri-
ION and stuck it's nose up out of the
east again.
There was still considerable work
piled up before the Office force. but
John Hamlin was young and had a
blOOd-pumping device inside him that
pulsated rapidly and kept time to a
tune of sympathy for the human race
in general. Consequently. he could not
bring himself to driving tactics in his
role of employer, even when neglect of
duties was apparent. Moreover, this
same Office force had been with Ham
lin four and one-half years. and that
alone spoke Of considerable leniency.
Neglect was evident. The office force
was gazing steadily at nothings that
fingered in the space outside the win
dow. Her hands were resting on the
typewriter keyboard but the deft fin
gers were inactive. A puzzled little
frOwn wrinkled her forehead.
John Hamlin chewed meditatively on
the rubber of his pencil. watched a fly
negotiate a journey across the ceiling,
wondered why 1t didn't fall and break
its back, and wished 1t would, and let
his gaze rest on that knob Of jet-black
hair. He succeeded in chewing the
pencil eraser in two. spat the ampu-
tated portion into the waste basket
and resumed perusal of the brief that
argued for attention against the bright
August day.
"POOr Priscilla" he sighed inaudibly
as he ruffied his red hair and rustled
the document into a position where 1t
shut off the view of the stenographer's
back. II work that girl to death. but
I never saw her so detached before"
Priscilla had right to be "detach-
ed" 1t Is not often that a girl in a
little town like Pellston receives two
proposals from two very nice young
men in one day. Then. again, one of
the very nice young men was a bank
er's son.
Let's turn the clock back twenty
four hours and twenty-seven minutes
and see how it happened. The pro-
posal program opened at 3:1S p. m,
Sunday. Priscilla remembered the ex-
act time, because she was looking at
her wrist watch while she sat under
the big oak tree in the woods and lis
tened to Cecil Melville say: "YOu
could make me the happiest man in
the world If you would only say"
ETC., etc.
1t had been one Of those $50 sudden
affairs. Priscilla had been courted more
or less consistently by Melville for
the last six months. He had been ex.
tremely nice to her, sending her flow
ers, bringing her confectionery, taking
her to theaters and for motorcar rides
and paying her other attentions; but
he never had appeared to nourish any
deep affection.
Like many girls. Priscilla had cher
ished visions of marrying wealth; but
as she grew older-especiallS since
working in ]. Hamlin's office-she had
abandoned all such ideas. In the at
torney's files were too many histories
Of unhappiness in which money played
a leading part. There were the writ
ten records Of contented couples, sud
denly become prosperous through
some quirk Of fortune. then-tOo much
luxury. dissatisfaction with each other
and as a result-alimony.
At twenty-three, working to support
herself and mother, Priscilla, despite
her proximity to the more sordid side
Of life which constantly thrust Itself
into J. Hamlin's Office, was far from
becoming cynical. She appraised
money at its real worth. but was not
dazzled by its glitter. She believed in
love. and that is why she did not &C
cept Cecil Mellville's proposal.
Neither did she refuse his offer OF
marriage. Instead. she simply said:
II cannot tell you now. l must have
time to think it over. Give me a week
must not act hastily; it would not be
best for either Of u.s."
Priscilla knew that Jerry Hart cared
for her. He had shown 1t more strong
ly each time they were together during
the year that they had been friends
But Hart lacked the funds with which
to finance Il wOOing contest against q
person Of Cecil Mellville's means. Also
he did not have as many opportunities
of seeing Priscilla for his duties as
passenger brakeman on the railroad
frequently kept him away from Pell
stOn for a week or more at a time.
However. Hart had reached that
stage where something was bound tC
happen; and it did Sunday evening
Melville had insisted on calling on
Priscilla in the evening as we'll as af
ternOOn but she had declined, because
she knew Jerry would be at home ther
after weeks absence.
Jerry led up to the subject with
little skill. He would rather have
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