The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-11-17

misery. Il thought you meant II
wasn't true"
I've just told you there isn't one
word of tr-"
But you're-engaged- him."
Noble gulped. You're engaged to
him, Julial"
She appeared not to hear him. 81
suppose 1t can be lived down." she
said. .To think of Uncle Joseph put.
ting such thing into the hands of
those awful children,'
"But, Julia, you are eng"
''Noble !" she said sharply.
"Well, you are eng"
Julia drew herself up. Different
people mean different things by that
word," she said with severity, like an
annoyed instructress. There are any
number of shades of meaning TO
words; and If l used the word you
mention in writing home to the family,
l may have used certain shade and
they may have thought intended an
other"
But, julia"
"Mr. Crum is charming young
primness. Il liked him very much.
liked him very much indeed. liked
him very, very much. 1 liked him
very"
Il understand" he interrupted.
Don't say 1t any more, Julia"
NO; you don't understand. At first
1 liked him very much-in fact / still
do, of course-Im sure he's one of the
best and most attractive young men in
the world. l think he's man any girl
ought to be happy with, if he were
only to be. considered by himself.
don't deny that liked him very much
indeed, and don't deny that for sew
eral days after he-after he proposed
to mel don't deny thought some
thing serious might possibly come of
1t. But at that time. Noble, l hadn't
hadn't really thought of what it meant
to give up living here Mt home, with all
the family and everything-and friends
friends like you. Noble. l hadn't
thought what it would mean to me to
give all this up. And hesides. there
was something very important. At the
time l wrote that letter mentioning
poor Mr.. Crum to the family. Noble, l
hadn't hadn't" She paused, in
some distress. 81 hadn't"
You hadn't what?" he cried.
81 hadn't met his mother."
Noble leaped to his feet. Julia
You arent-you aren't engaged?'
81 am not" she answered decisively
IF I ever was. in the slightest, GER
tainly am tot now -
Poor Noble was transfigured He
struggled; making half formed ges-
lures, speaking half-made words.
"Julia-Julia-" He choked: Julia,
promise me something? Julia-prom-
Use TO promise me something"
81 WILL" she said quickly. what do
you want me to do?'
"Give me your word,' he said, still
radiantly struggling. "Give me your
word-your word and sacred promise,
Julia-you'll never be engaged to any
body at air
At six minutes after four o'clock of
the second afternoon following Julia S
return, Noble Dill closed his own gate
behind him as he set forth upon the
four-minute walk that would bring him
to Julia's. He wore bit of indoor
geranium in the buttonhole of his new
light overcoat.
Passing the foot Of an alley which
debouched upon the street, he was
aware of commotion, of missiles
hurled and voices clashed.
Casting glance that way. Noble
could see but one person; boy Of
thirteen or fourteen who looked
through crack In board fence,
steadfastly keeping an eye to this aper-
ture. and as continuously calling
through 1t, holding his head to one
level for this purpose, but at the same
time dancing-and dancing tauntingly,
1t was conveyed-with the other parts
of his body. His voice was now sweet.
now piercing, and again far too
lesQue; and If, as II seemed, he
was unburdening his spleen, his spleen
was a powerful one, and gorged. He
appeared to be in torment of tor
menting; and his success was proved
by the pounding of bricks, and rocks
of size, upon the other side of the
fence.
"Oh dolling" he walled, his tone
poisonOusly amorous. "Oh, dolling
Henery! Oo's dot do mos booful eyes
in a dray bid nasty world, Henery !!
Oh, has / dot booful eyes, dolling Pat
tywatty? Yes. 1 has has dot
pretty eyes," His voice rose to an
unbearably piercing climax. "Oh, what
prettiest eyes 1 dot! Me and Herbie
Atwateri oh. my bOoful eyesl oh.
my booful-"
But even as he reached this apex,
the head, shoulders and arms of Her
bert Atwater rose momentarily above
the fence across the alley, behind the
tnrmapfor Horharf,S ayproccinp xyoc