The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-04-28
DECEMBER
AND MAY
By CRAWFORD LUTTRELL
(Q. 1920. BY Mcclure Sewsp;

msS III steel alone made him q veri-
table young Midas. and Eloise was so
phisticated enough to believe that no
cupid waxed fat and healthy with the
years unless his tender flesh was
swathed in silk and protected from
cold by wrapplngs of ermine and
sable. So far her father had only
been able to allow her dyed muskrat
and skunk. She was ambitious. She
had hopes Of hitching her mortal clay
to star Of riches.
Il hate even the thought Of being
DID," she said one day when she and
Jerry had been horseback riding to-
geiher and he had stopped in the old
fashioned frame house to chat for a
while. Then at the quick look he
gave her, fearing that she had made
a rash statement, she appended: 'You
know what l mean. IL dislike the
idea of old age. Life is so jolly when
one is young. Now, there's Henrietta.
She's beginning to be so material in
all her ideas. Instead Of sitting here
talking to us and being gay and every
tAiihSS ShC tIOtiCu w sChb-
witches and to fix something cool to
drink"
"That sounds jolly to me, all right"
laughed Jerry happily.
Henrietta is twenty-six, you know,
and l suppose that is time to settle
down. When I'm that old" this with
little shrug of horror. II dare say
my own thoughts will soar no higher
than wherewithal shall we be clothed
and wherewithal shall we be fed.
Surely I won't be tearing along coun-
try roads and taking fences like did
today. That is certainly fleet-fOoted
horse of yours that l rode"
He looked at the glowing girl be-
fore him. There was the sheen of
gold in her hair and the color and tex
ture of a pink rose leaf in her cheeks.
Her eyes, looking at him from under
Iashes that seemed long enough to
tangie. were as dark as patches OF a
midnight sky. He had never seen
such beauty. such health. such vitality.
I'm glad that you enjoyed the ride.
It gives me q lot Of pleasure to make
you happy"
Eloise thrilled at that Already the
sta toward which she was straining
her eager young eyes had begun to
twinkle. It seemed to draw nearer :,
the look in the mans face before her
I'm going to give dinner dance
at the club Saturday night" he tolt
her. "SOrt of farewell affair before
l sail for the orient on business fol
dad"
Eloise choked down a gasp OF
fright that seemed to swell her slim
white throat. "Oh, I'm sorry tina
you're going away so soon," she man
aged at last.
ut will be six weeks before sail,
he explained, watching her flushing
face with sort of satisfied smil'
urking around his wide straigh
mouth. II am planning to make thu
trip west rather leisurely. stopping of
every day or two to break the mOnot
ony of the thing"
81 can't think of any trip beinI
monotonous in wonderful privat
| TAR IIhe SouIS, "Sii
here's dear old Henrietta at last Tn
simply starved" She tossed her rid
ing hot and whip on the porch foo
beside her and languidly stretched
hand for the little white napkin tina
Henrietta's own hands had made an
laundered. too.
"When get to be as old MS vor
Henrietta. maybe I'll do lovely thing
like this for thankless young folks,
she laughed.
Jerry saw slow blush burn the ole
err girls olive cheeks. Her fine hanS
pouring the icy drink from the bead
ed silver pitcher. shook bit. Th
laughter died in his own eyes.
"She's RELOCATING US to the shell
Henrietta" ne said calmly. 1t wa
the first time he had ever used he
Christian name. He took the pitche
firmly from her hand. You sit down
I'm going TO serve you.
"Tm really very good at this sort {
thing. I'm certainly not ornamental
Eloise thinks we are octogenariar
simply because"
| "Why. the very idea, jerry" int
| posed the pretty girl. II didn't say
| word about you. We're about til
| same age. Henrietta don't mind m
telling her age. She says she looi
| every day of 1t and doesn't car
| Don't you. old dear?"
"rve learned not to care" said ii
| older sister patiently.
| I'm much older than Henrietta
| Jerry told the startled girl in II
smart riding habit. "I'n soon
thirty-five."
| "Oh, l didn't dream of 1t. You loo
so awfully young and are so youn
| But then" complacently, 'men new
show their ages. do they?"
II was just telling Eloise." sa
Jerry, taking several sandwiches al
a glass of lemonade and going to S
down beside the surprised Henrie.t
who- from force of habit. occupied Il
hard bench instead Of one of the col
Portable rocking chairs. ~ am givir
dinner dance on Saturday nigh