The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-03-14

please don't call me Cert, Tom"
besought his wife plaintively. "A fg-
ure. l wanted 1nnes to try to get one
me in Los Angeles"
II did t1y," began Innes.
"Yours Is good enough for anyone.
Why should you get anotherY" He
was openly admiring the ample bust
swelling under the pink Bingham.
Don't. Tom"
1nnes tried to explain the sincerity
of her search. She had visited every
store switch might be suspected OF
having a figure" She could not bring
a smile to her sisters face. "There
was O your size. They offered to
order one from Chicago. They have to
be made to order, II they are special
sizes. You are not stock size, did you
know that?"
Il should think not" cried Gerry.
bridling. MY waist is absurdly small
for the size Of my hips and shoulders"
Innes wondered II 1t would be safe
to agree with her.
"When will it be here?"
you'll be disappointed" fnnes
found herself stammering. But not
for six weeks. l did not know whether
to order it or not"
"And l in Los Angeles with my sum-
mer sewing all done! What good will
it do me them" The pretty eyes
looked ready for childish tears.
Il know. That Is, I didn't know
what to do" a~pologized Innes Hardin.
Il decided to order it as I'd found the
place, and vas right there. but I made
sure that / could countermand the or
der by telegram. So I can this very
afternoon. I knew you would be dis
appointed. / was sorry"
I'll need 1t next winter" admitted
Gerry. helping herself to some Of the
chilled tomatoes. I'm sure I'm much
obliged to you. l hope 1t did not put
you to much trouble"
Thee words raised the wall OF for
mality again. lnnes bent over her
plate.
what made you change your plans1"
suddenly demanded his wife OF Hardin.
"When Sam came In with your bag. he
surprised me So"
MY boss kept me-" Hardin's face
looked coarse, roughened by his ugly
passion. "Rickard, your old friend.
He served q subpoena on me at the
station"
"Oh." cried Gerry. "Surely. he did
not do that. Tom! I"
"Sure he did," Hardin's face was
black with his evil mood. I'm only an
underling, a disgraced underling. He's
my boss. He's going to make me re-
member It."
You mustn't say such things" pout.
ed his wife. IL 1t does not hurt you.
II you do not care. think how I must
feel"
"Oh. rot! !" exclaimed Hardin. The
veneer was rubbed down to the rough
wood. Innes saw the coarseness her
mother had complained of. the Gingg
6ber.
Il suppose you think I IKE to take
orders, to jump at the snap Of the
whip1" He was deliberately beating
up his anger into a froth. "Oh. sure. l
do. That's q Hardin. through and
through"
Again the angry blood flooded his
wife's cheeks. he. too, was throwing
the boarding house at her.
"YOu 0ld 1t yourself" Gerry with
dificulty was Withholding the angry
tears. II told you how 1t would be.
You would do It"
"Oh. hell |" cried Tom. pushing back
his plate.
His sister looked drearily out the
w~ire-screened door. Her view was q
dusty street. Hardin got up. scraping
his chair over the board door.
"And to keep It from me-" persisted
the wife. ITO let me AK him to din
ner-"
"Does that dismal farce have to 60
on7" demanded Hardin, turning back
to the table. you'll have to have II
without me. then. I'll not stay and
make q fool Of myself. Ask him to
dinner. Me! I'll see myself"
Innes wished she was in the neigh
boring tent. Tom was,lashing himself
into q coarse fury.
To her dismay, Gerry burst into
tears. It was killing her, the disgrace,
she cried. She couldn't endure It. She
couldn't stand It there: she had NOT
the courage to 60 to Los Angeles,
where her friends would pity her. Il
was crushing her. She was not . Har.
din she was sensitive: she could not
Justify everything . Hardin did a.
right. no matter what the consequences,
The pretty eyes obscured. she rushed, Z
streaming Nlobe, from the room.
The brother and sister avoided each
others eyes. Innes rose and cleared
the table Of the dishes. She made q
loud noise with the running water In
the shed. racketing the pans to drown
the insistence Of Gerty's sobbing.
She kept listening for Toms step,
She wanted to 60 with him when be
left; he must not reach the Office In
the blackness Of that mood. She
wished he would not betray his feel
ings; vet she knew It was not he who
was to blame.
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