Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1918-06-21
Beecher: Street
BY z. RAY BAKER

III RR RAY BAKER IH
sssssssssseasssssssss3
! copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure Newspar
| per Syndicate)
If Ethel Drayton had done some real
reasoning instead of leaping at con-
illusions and acting on impulse, it is
likely that her bark Of romance, with
Cliff Elaridge in command, would have
sailed serenely down the river Of agree
| ableness into the sea Of mGtrimony
without encountering storm. On the
other hand, that kind Of journey would
not have been real romance-it would
have lacked zest-s SO perhaps it Is just
| as we'll that Herman Harten came over
| to Ethels desk that dreary, rainy after
noon in April and unfolded the secret.
| II have something to say that is
very disagreeable to me-" began Har-
tell as he brushed hand caressingly
over his miniature moustache and
looked down at Ethel's curly brown
hair coiled on the back Of her head in
business-ike knob that served as q
pencil holder. Nevertheless" he went
on, II feel in duty bound to say it"
Ethel jerked a sheet of paper from
her typewriter and turned her black
eyes up at the head shipping clerk.
The tiny, bristling ridge Of hair on
Hartelps upper lip forced smile to
her face, but this was dispelled when
Hartell explained:
TITS about Clifford You sea last
night"
While this conversation was taking
place, the subject of the remarks sat
on a high stool at the other side Of
the Lewis Wholesale Paper company's
shipping Office and poured over o file
Of orders. Out Of q corner of. his eye
he saw the head shipping clerk ap-
proach the stenographers desk, and
he frowned.
HarteQ leaned over Ethel.s chair as
he revealed the secret, and Cliff ruftled
his f1axen hair with one hand and
thrummed on his desk with the other.
Half I'm hour later Cliff slipped from
! his stool and into his light overc0at
Carrying his hat, he approached Ethel,
who was still busy at the typewriter.
He passed and smiled pleasantly, but
! she continued rafting the keys.
"You needn't trouble yourself to
wait for me-" she informed him IN icy
tones without pausing in her work or
looking up. I'll be little late, and
Mr.. Harteu has promised to see me
home"
Cliffs smile vanished Before he had
a chance to reply, she had slipped a
ring from finger Of her left hand and
! extended it toward him. She looked
into his eyes with stare encrusted
| with ice.
II can't wear this any longer" she
said, latter the way you have acted
| lately. have heard that all men must
SOW wild oats, but I assure you that
| my man won't If you must gamble
and carouse, you can't expect to be-
| come my husband. have learned all
| about your going to saloon or gam
bling den on Beecher street almost ev-
cry night, and that's enough for me.
Goodnight"
Cliff stumbled down the steps to the
street and walked three blocks, heed
less of the pouring rain, before he
! came to himself and found the ring
clasped in his hand. Then he stopped
| dead still in the middle of a street
crossing, undecided whether to leap in
| the river or go back and throw Her
l %1,o of ,fx>
story Lewis building. He decided to
do neither; instead, he headed for
Beecher street.
Ethel completed her work and was
escorted to her rooming place by Har'
tell. At the door she took his hand
and said earnestly:
you don't know how appreciate
the revelation you have made to me-
I know it must have been hard fo1
yQp to come and tell me about seeing
Clifford go into that terrible place 50
many times; and am grateful"
'Don't mention it, please" protested
Hartell, striving unsuccessfully toreach
his mustache with his tongue. 81
couldn't bear to see you throw your.
self away on worthless fellow.
save a good many blocks by cutting
through Beecher street on the way
home and that's how I happened to
notice him there"
The next day Ethel failed to appear
at the Office, telephoning that she was
suffering from a headache The Sue
ceeding day was Sunday. The rain
had ceased but the weather had turned
chilly and the sun hid behind clouds
Ethel listened in vain for the door
bell or the: telephone, hoping Cliff
would appear as he had done each Sun