The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-12-23
By
Booth
Harrington
Ccpyright. ls11
BY the Bell Syndicate. Ina.

Ing upon u driveway through Tic
yard) had recently been made effec-
tive as an instrument Of exclusion.
A long and heavy plank leaned against
the wall, near by. ready to be set In
hook-shaped iron supports fastened to
the inner sides Of the doors; and
when the doors were closed, with this
great plank in place, a person inside
the building might seem entitled to
count upon the, enjoyment of privacy,
except in case Of earthquake, tornado.
or fire. In fact, the size of the plank
| and he substantial quality Of the iron
f%astenings. could be looked upon.
from Il certain viewpoint. as q heart
felt compliment to the energy and per-
sistence of Florence Atwater.
Herbert had been in no compli-
mentary frame Of mind, however,
when he devised the Instructions, nor
was he now in such a frame Of mind.
He was deeply pessimistic in regard
to his future, and also embarrassed In
anticipation of some explanations 1t
would be necessary to make to his
partner. He strongly hoped that
Henry's regular after-schOol appear
ance at the newspaper building would
precede F%1orence's, because these ex-
plantations required both elaboration
and tact. and he was convinced that
il would be almost impossible to make
them at all ii Florence got there first.
He understood that he was unfor-
tunately within her power; and he
saw that 1t would he dangerous to
place in operation for her exclusion
from the building his new mechanism
contrived with such hopeful care, and
at a cos Of two dollars and twenty
five cents. or nine annual subscfip-
tons to the OriOle out Of q present
total Of thirty-two. What he wished
Henry to believe was that for some
good reason, which Herbert had not
vet been able to invent, 1t would be
better to show Florence q little pO-
likeness. He had a desperate hope
that he might find some diplomatic
way to prevail on Henry to be as sub
servient to Florence as she had
seemed to demand, and he was deter
mined to, touch any extremity Of un-
veracity rather than permit the de-
tails Of his answer in Truth" to come
to his partners knowledge. Henry
Rooter was not Wallie Torbin; but in
possession Of material such as this
he could easily make himself intoler-
able. Here was a strange human
thing, strange yet common to most
minds brooding in fear Of publicity.
We seldom realize that the people
whose derision we fear may have been
as imprudent as We have been.
Therefore, 1t was in a Hurried state
Of mind that Herbert waited; and
when his friend appeared, over the
fence. his perturbation was not de-
creased. He ever failed to notice the
unusual gravity Of Henry's n
"Hello, Henry; l thought / wouldn't
start in work till you got here. l didn't
want to hat to come all the way
downstairs again to open the door
and hist III good ole plank up
again."
II see,' said Henry, glancing ner-
vously at their good ole plank. swell,
1 guess Florencell never get In this
let her, OF something"
This final clause would have sur
prised Herbert IL he had beer less pre-
occupied with his troubles. you bet
she WON'T" he said mechanically.
"She couldn't ever get in here again
il the family didn't 60 intafering
around and give me the dickens and
everything. because they think-they
say they do. anyhow-they say they
think-they think"
He paused, Disgusting q little choke
as q cough Of scOrn for the family's
thinking.
"Wha: did you say your family
think?" Henry asked absently.
"Well they say we ought TO let her
have a share In u newspaper"
Again he paused. afraid to continue
lest his hypocrisy appear so barefaced
as to lead toward suspicion and dis
coyery. "Well. maybe WI ought" he
said, his yes guiltily upon his toe,
which slowly scuffed the ground. Il
don't say we ought. and l don't say
we oughtn't."
He expected at least q burst of out
ragged protest from his partner, who.
or. the contrary, pleasantly astOnished
him. "Well, that's the way l look AT
It." Henry said. II don't say We ought,
and l don't say we 0ughtn't."
And he. likewise. stared at the toe
OF his own right shoe, which was also
scouting the ground. Herbert felt a
little better; this subdivision Of his
~dificulties seemed to be working out
with surprising ease.