Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-12-08

He certainly WILL :" Mrs. Atwater
declared. Mobiles mother told me
last week that he'd gotten so he
was just as liable to drop a fountain
pen in his coffee as lump of sugar;
and when any one speaks to him he
either doesn't know it. or else Jumps
When he says anything, himself she
says they can scarcely ever make out
what he's talking about He was try
ing enough before Julia went away;
but since she's been gone Mrs. Dill
says he's like nothing in her expert
ence. She says he doesn't inherit it;
Mr.. Dill wasn't anything like this
about her"
Mr.. Atwater smiled family. "NIrs
Dill wasn't anything like Julia"
NO" said his wife. "She was
quite a sensible girl. I'd hate to be
in her place, now, though, when she
tells Noble about this !''
"How can Mrs. Dill tell him, since
she doesn't know it herself?"
"Well-perhaps she ought to know
it, so that she could tell him. Some
body ought to tell him, and it ought
to be done with the greatest tact. 1t
ought to be broken to him with the
most delicate care and sympathy, or
the consequences"
Nobody could foretell the cOnse-
quences," her husband Interrupted
mo matter how tactfully it's broken
to Noble"
NO." she said, 81 suppose that's
true. l think he's likely to lose his
reason unless it is done very tactful-
ly, though.
do you think we really ought to
tell Mrs. Dill, Mollie? l mean, seri-
ously: Do you?"
7 For some moments she considered
| his question; then aswered, mo. It's
possible we'd be following a Christian
course in doing 1t but still we're rath-
| er bound not to speak of it outside the
family, and when it does get outside
| the family I think we'd better not be
the ones Responsibilities especially since
| it might easily be traced to US. l
think it's usually better to keep out
of things when there's any doubt"
| Les. lle Sdlu, uGulldllIlR. new
er knew any harm to come off peoples
sticking to their own affairs"
! But as he and his wife became ST.
lent for time, musing in the fire.
light, their daughters special convic-
tions were far from coinciding with
! theirs, although she, likewise. was ST.
lent-a strangeness in her which they
should have observed. But so far
were they from a true comprehension
of her, they were unaware that she
had more than a casual, young-cou.
Sinly interest in Julia Atwater's en-.
gagement and in those possible con-
sequences to Noble Dill, which they
had sketched with some Intentional
exaggeration, and decidedly without
the staggering seriousness attributed
TO their predictions by their daughter.
They DIG not even notice her express
sion when Mr.. Atwater snapped on
the light, in order to read, and she
went quietly out of the library and up
to her own room.
On the floor, near her bed, where
Patty Fairchild had left her coat and
hat, Florence made her second dis
covery. Two small, folded slips of
paper lay there, dropped by Miss Fair
child when she put on her coat in the
,darkening room. They were the re-
plies to Patty's whispered questions,
in the game on the steps-the pledged
Truth, written by Henry Rooter and
Herbert Atwater on their sacred words
and honors. The infatuated pair had
either Overestimated Patty's caution,
or else each had thought she would
so prize his little missive that she
would treasure it in a tender safety,
perhaps pinned upon her blouse Cat
the first opportunity over the heart.
IT is positively safe to say that neither
of the two veracities would ever have
been set upon paper had Herbert and
Henry any foreshadowing that Patty
might be careless; and the partners
would have been seized with the ut
most horror could they have conceived
the possibility of their trustful mes
sages ever falling into the hands of
the relentless creature who now, with
out an instant's honorable hesitation,
unfoided and read them.
''Yes, if 1 got TO tell the truth, l
know l have got pretty eyes," Herbert
had unfortunately written. Il am glad
you think so. too, Patty, because your
eyes are too. Herbert nlingsworth
Atwater, Jr."
And Mr.. Henry ROoter had likewise
ruined himself in coincidental man.
ner.
"Well, Patty, my eyes are pretty.
but suppose l would like to trade with
yours because you have beautiful eyes,
also. sure as my name is Henry
RoOter"
Florence stood close to the pink.
shaded electric drOplight over her
small white dressing table, reading
again and again these pathetically
honest little condolences. Her eyelid,
were withdrawn to an unprecedented
retirement, so remarkably she stared
; while her mouth seemed to prepare
itself for the attempted reception OF
bulk beyond it's total capacity. And
{ these plastic tokens, so immoderatt
/ as to be ordinarily the consequence OF
! nothing short of poignant horror
were overIaid by others, subtler ant
( more cleaning, which wrought The
= true significance of the cOntortiOn-a
; joy that was dumfOunding.
Her thoughts were first of Fortunes
2 kindness in selecting her for favO
= so miraCulOusly dovetailing into thu
1 precise need of her life, then of Henry
, and Herbert, each at this hour prob
ably brushing his hair in preparation
4 for the Sunday evening meal, and botl
1 tOuchingly unconscious of the calami
| L.